The Hallways

[Naomi]

This, my friends, is where it all happens.

[Sky]

(here)()

[Naomi]

(Muahaha. )

Nudge: I followed Max into the hallway. For some reason it seemed really...weird...eerie. And not because of what had just happened. "Hey Max? Should I get Angel?"

Naomi: I stayed in the corner of the room. I hadn't been here more than a few hours but something felt disturbed. I decided it would best to not offer to get anyone not wanting to end up alone with the possible murder. Nudge seemed to have a confidence about her maybe because she hadn't seen Gazzy...or maybe because she wasn't as nice as I thought she was.

[Maximum Ride]

Max: I nodded at Nudge, "See if you can round everyone else up as well."

(I apologize at the delay )

[Naomi]

Nudge: I nodded and went into Angel's room.

[Naomi]

Nudge: I walked back with a very tired looking Angel behind me before leaving to go upstairs. I walked into Iggy's room first.

[Naomi]

Nudge: I turned to Gazzy's room and opened the door just as I heard Iggy beginning to drag himself out of bed. I looked into the room. Still missing. I walked over to Fang's door. "Hey Fang?" His eyes opened slowly. "Max needs everyone downstairs."

Fang: I sat up in my bed as it all dawned on me. I'd killed Dylan. Before going to bed I had started hoping that it was all a dream but deep down inside, I knew the truth. I shook my head. Nudge was watching. None of them could find out I'd done it. I gave Nudge a convincing look of indifference. "Alright, be there in a sec..."

Nudge: I tilted by head. Something about Fang? Nah. I must be getting paranoid. "Well hurry up." I smiled and walked downstairs after Iggy to see everyone grouped together. Half of us looked completely confused with looks of contempt toward their loss of sleep. I noticed Total had joined us all too, his fur slightly ruffled.

Fang: I followed slowly after Nudge and stared at Max while everyone else looked like they were about to pass out.

Total: "What's this all about Max?" I said with a yawn.

[Maximum Ride]

(Oh...my...gosh. It's late.... 2 am is NOT a nice time. Uh. Time for short reply Which is sad, because this could be a beautiful reply...but I feel the need to reply and will be sure that next reply is beautiful.)

Max: I looked at each person, each member of the Flock, as they all stood in the hallway. Everyone looked half-asleep. I deliberated saying anything just yet, but decided that the blow might not be as hard if they were barely functioning and still attempting to wake up. I looked at the ground, searching for words. I wanted to just quickly say what had happened and have it done and over with. It wasn't something that I wanted to prolong. But then I found myself explaining everything from Nudge's suspicions concerning flooding in the basement, to the reason I had asked them all to get up. I edited out how the crime scene had looked like a massacre in favor of briefly stating that they were dead. It made the explanation considerably shorter. When I finished, I sighed and tore my gaze away from the floor and looked at each of their faces in turn.

[Naomi]

Fang: My brow furrowed as I saw how hard Max was taking it all. I moved closer to her and put a hand on her shoulder to let her know I was behind her. Even though I had killed the guy. Wait. Did she just say Gazzy was dead? Gazzy?! I hadn't killed him! Then who... I stared downward in my moment of panic. Was I so insane that I didn't remember? Had I been so insane as to kill Gazzy. He was like my little brother! Oh God, oh God. No. This wasn't happening. I tried to clear away my anxiety as Max turned toward me looking like she'd been through Hell and back.

Nudge: Gazzy was dead. Tears started forming in my eyes and my knees buckled. Why hadn't I seen this coming. I held the wall to keep myself up and turned away from the group.

Naomi: It seemed everyone had gone into mourning. I don't know why I wasn't still upset about this. I felt so disturbed down there, but up here as everyone cried, I was numb. I leaned my back against the wall and kept quiet. I didn't know which one of them to trust. They all seemed to so sincere, but I'd learned the hard that looks can be deceiving. Especially when your in a house with a possible murder.

Total: Though everything was still hazy I grasped what Max had said. "They're dead? Dylan and that cute little blond kid?" I was angry. "He was what? Ten?!" I was going to do some bad things when I found out who... I looked up at Angel. Her only brother was gone. I went to her side.

[Sky]

Angel: Why....why did this happen? He was my only family. The flock is family but Gazzy was flesh and blood type family. Even me, mind-reading/fish talking/mind controlling/water breathing and much more, broke down right there in front of everyone. Was there even a reason to live on? Total came up next to me. I held him close, not wanting another person(or dog) to die tonight.

Iggy: No, this can't be happening. He was my partner in crime. The only one who could make bombs besides me. I could feel the tears down my face, not many but some. Who could have done this?

Sky: I stood at the other side of the room. Near Naomi, she and I weren't crying. I felt bad but, it's different when you're there and the aftershock(so to speak) Who was the murderer? Was he/she still in this house? Could it have a link to the odd feeling I'm being watched?

[Naomi]

Total: I cuddled into Angel's lap knowing that she needed me right now.

Naomi: I watched Fang for a brief second before turning away. He was comforting Max and he seemed in shock, but somehow I could tell something was weird. Like a sixth sense type thing. I didn't know what to think anymore. I wasn't even sure whether or not to question my own sanity. I used to be so sure of myself.

Nudge: I stared around with blurry vision. Everyone was so sad...except Naomi and Sky. I didn't usually feel aggression toward anyone but suddenly and felt a great aversion toward the two of them. They come here and suddenly everyone's dead! I almost went off on them, but I hugged Angel instead not wanting to start anything.

[Maximum Ride]

Max: I turned and looked at Fang as he placed a hand on my shoulder, "We need to get to the bottom of this...." I whispered hoping that only he could hear.

[Naomi]

Fang: I nodded in silent response. I felt guilt rack through my body. It was all my fault. I was causing all this pain. Everyone was in agony and I wished I could just take it all away and carry it on my own shoulders. "It's gonna be okay, Max," I promised in the same low voice. It was the least I could promise any of them.

Naomi: I wondered when we would start searching for the culprit. I needed a distraction.

[Maximum Ride]

Max: I nodded. I knew that somehow, eventually, it would be okay. I wasn't sure how it would all come together in the end, but I was sure that it would. Everyone seemed to be in shock, but I did nothing else to break the silence that ensued. I was slowly becoming numb to the things around me. I wanted that. At least for a few minutes. Until someone brought back the reality.

[Naomi]

Fang: I kept my hand on Max's shoulder watching her go into an empty silence. I watched her that way for a few moments before deciding that she was in no way fit to take charge. I was going to have to step up and lead the flock against the enemy, against me. I was the enemy. "Okay, flock." I called their attention with a quiet but sure voice. "I know that many of you don't want to have to listen to anyone right now because this is a lot to take in. I know it's hard and it's painful but we need to be strong so we can get to the bottom of this and sitting around isn't going to get us anywhere to be brutally honest. We need to find out who did this." I looked around searching all of their faces to make sure they were paying attention. "Now is there anything anyone wants to say about anything they found suspicious this night.

Nudge: All eyes were on Fang. We knew he was doing all this for our own good. I was about to pick up my guts and point out the obvious. Sky and Naomi. But Naomi beat me to the punch.

Naomi: "Sky and I head some weird noises earlier..."

[Maximum Ride]

Max: I watched Fang as he tried to figure out what had happened. My attention turned to Naomi and Sky as Naomi spoke, and I waited to see if they would elaborate. When they didn't, I spoke up, "What kind of weird noises?"

[Sky]

Sky: I was still trying to find out who could have done it. Max was getting impatient, i could tell. So much has gone on in one night.

[Naomi]

Naomi: "It was kind of a loud crash." I could feel a slight anger radiating from some of the flock. "Sky went to go see what it was... But it might have just been the thunder."

Fang: My heart had been beating so fast I feared that it would burst through my chest. My panic would have been apparent if anyone had been paying attention to me at the moment.

Nudge: "Maybe we should check out the kitchen?" I suggested.

[Maximum Ride]

Max: I was starting to come out of the initial shock that everyone was experiencing. I listened to what Naomi had to say, "Do you know the area that the crash came from?"

[Naomi]

Naomi: I thought for a second trying to remember. "I'm not sure..." I said meekly.

[Maximum Ride]

Max: I turned my attention to Nudge, "If you want to we can see if we can find anything suspicious in the kitchen."

[Naomi]

Nudge: I grinned widely and was about to go on about something completely off topic and then Fang...

Fang: "Sounds like a plan."

Nudge: I gave Fang a look to which he smiled before leading the way to the kitchen. There had been something weird in his expression... Fear? No way! Fang didn't do anything! He couldn't! It would be way too much of an un-Fangish thing to do. I laugh in mind at myself for even considering...

Fang: I followed Nudge to the kitchen. I held my fingers crossed but hidden.

Naomi: I followed the others.

[Sky]

(so to the kitchen?)

[Naomi]

(Si!)

[Maximum Ride]

Max: I followed Fang.

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