The Pyle Inside

Chapter One (The Flash Back)

“Mom! Quinn is in my room again!” Alana yelled as she gave Quinn a shove.

“No, she was touching my stuff. I was just giving her a taste of her own medicine!” Quinn yelled back.

“Stop bickering. I know you’re both mad, but please, there is no need to wake the baby. Why don’t you two go play outside? Your father is practicing some magic out there, maybe you should join him.” Their mother said in her soothing voice as she swept into the room with her long wings trailing behind her.

“Fine.” Both grumbled, as they left the room.

While the twins were outside, their mother went to calm the baby who had already been awakened by the noise.

“Shh shh shh. It will be alright.” Their mother told Chris, as she rocked him in her arms. She spun him around and carefully looked for a trace of wings or magic. “Oh no. Not another one like Alana.” She said quietly, in case Alana was in earshot. “The poor girl has upside magic. I really didn’t think you would either.” She said disappointedly as she placed Chris back in his crib. Suddenly, a small halo flashed above Chris’s head. “Oh, thank goodness!” Mother exclaimed, as she went to go get her husband.

“Honey! Chris has our gift!” Mother yelled. The twins immediately came running.

“He has the power of an angel too!?” Both shouted, out of breath. Their mother nodded. The twins were excited for Chris, but deep-down Alana was disappointed and had hoped there would be another misfit like herself. However, she didn’t let her thoughts ruin her family’s excitement and continued on like she was excited too. That night was full of fun and games as it had been when mother and father had found out that Quinn had the gift of an angel too. To their parents, it didn’t look like Alana had a gift and so the night the family found out about Quinn they just assumed Alana was powerless. Alana knew she had some kind of power, and was eager for her 13th birthday to come when she would grow her wings and truly find out. While the family was eating a messenger came and knocked on the door. The children stayed seated while mother and father talked to the man outside. When they came back into the cottage they had worried expressions on their faces.

“What was that all about?” Quinn asked curiously.

“Um… Nothing at all. Now let’s get back to the celebrations.” Mother said as she forced a smile.

The family continued on but the twins were suspicious. After they were sent to bed, they overheard their mother and father’s conversation.

“I’m worried, Eric. What if what the messenger said was true?” Mother asked father.

“I don’t know. We should sleep in the twins’ room tonight just in case. If there really is a man hunting them we need to be prepared.” Father said worriedly as he and mother went to get pillows from their rooms.

“Hunting us!?” Alana whispered loudly.

Quinn gave her a worried look. “I think so.” He said quietly.

“What if they hurt mum and dad?! Or Chris! Or us?” Alana replied.

Quinn was quiet for a while. Finally, he said “You’re right. They are in danger. We are too. The only thing I can think to do is…” Quinn said hesitantly.

“What!?” Alana asked impatiently.

“I think we need to run away. Before you freak out, I think you should know it’s the best thing for the family. The man is only coming here for us so if we leave he won’t want to come to the cottage and hurt mum or dad. We just need to find some place to hide out while he is looking for us. And then we can come back home. Simple.” Quinn said as he began to grab his compass.

“But we can’t leave!” Alana protested.

Quinn just gave her a sad look. Alana knew she needed to if she wanted to keep her family safe.

That night the two set out with enough supplies to hopefully last and with hope that they could return to their family in only a few days. Little did they know that their journey would last almost a decade and that running from this man wouldn’t be enough.

Chapter Two

It had been four years since they had to leave their family, and they were now fifteen. Quinn had shown signs of angel magic but did not grow angel wings. Instead he grew into a dragon. Alana had no magic, but never lost hope in getting hers. ”Any day now Quinn.” She would say. But it never happened. She started to lose hope in getting her wings. Quinn grew more powerful.

While treading through bushes and trees, something suddenly scratched Alana. As she rang out in pain Quinn’s wings flared out in alarm. Big golden wings and straight, rough, black horns. Ran over to his sister. Her arm started bleeding rapidly. Using the last of their bandages (that he took before running away, yes, they lasted four years). While wrapping the wound Alana pulled away from her twin.

“Alana we need to wrap the wound up or it’ll get infected.” He said, chasing after her. Alana started stumbling and tripping as she walked along. “I’m… Fiinee.” She said then turned and ran into a pine tree knocking herself out. After a while dusk fell upon them Alana was still asleep. They had to do it. They had to go back. They were counted missing and everyone will be looking for them, but Alana was getting worse by the minute. Quinn scooped his sister into his hands and used his wings for the first time in months. The air was cold and moist and the moon shone bright. The town’s lights were on and lighting up the air. Then he spotted it. Their old cottage at the edge of the forest, and their mother and father sitting on the porch watching the forest for any signs of life. Then he did it. He swooped down and landed behind the cottage. Hurried footsteps came from the side of their house. “QUINN!” A female voice yelled. It was their mother. “Where is Alana, is she ok?” Quinn shook his head no.

Chapter Three

“They found them. THEY FOUND THEM!” Everyone in town was yelling. The news was out. The hunter will come again. Alana and Quinn only had a little time.

“Alana needs help!” Quinn yelled to his mother as he rushed into the cottage with Alana in his arms.

“What happened!?” Mother and father asked.

“She scraped her arm and wouldn’t let me bandage it. It’s infected.” Quinn told them. He placed his twin down on the clear dining room table.

“Quinn! Quinn!” Chris yelled in excitement as he tried to give him a hug.

“I missed you too buddy. But go upstairs. Now is NOT the time.” Quinn said halfheartedly as he tried to tend to his sister. Mother brought Chris to his room. After bandaging Alana’s arm and putting on a coating of Neosporin, mother made her special healing soup. Slowly, Alana’s eyes opened.

“What happened?” She asked sleepily.

Quinn cheered and gave his sister a hug. Once Alana was back on her feet she stumbled over once again. “Not now.” His mother exclaimed. Quinn shot her a look.

“The hunter will be coming again. We must leave.” Quinn told her as he walked Alana over to the door.

“But Alana is not well! Besides, you can’t run from this man your whole life. Do you know how upset your father and I were when we found out you ran away? Please, you can’t leave us again. You can’t live in fear your whole life.” Mother told him as a tear ran down her cheek. Quinn stopped in his tracks. He knew his mother was right and he had secretly missed her too. He knew what he had to do.

“Stay with Alana. I will defeat this hunter. That way we can live together again. As a family.” Quinn told his mother and father as he placed Alana back on the table. He then swiftly left the room and flew up and out of the cottage. His parents had no time to argue. They only hoped he would be able to defeat this man on his own.

Chapter Four

When Quinn arrived at this hunter’s house he was surprised to see him sitting on the step awaiting his arrival.

“I can feel your strong magic. My oh my. You’ve gotten quite big too. For a while I was worried I would never find you.” The hunter said maliciously. “The names Vendin. I suppose you’re here to ‘defeat me.’ Well let me just tell you now, that’s not going to happen.” Vendin said as he rose from his seat. Suddenly, two large dragon-like wings appeared and where his feet were he now had talons the size of Quinn’s head.

“You’re part dragon too!” Quinn said, stunned.

“That’s right. Now why don’t you just give up now. It seems your sister is defective anyways so I can just take you.” Vendin retorted as he hovered over Quinn. Quickly, Quinn jumped back and flew up. He raised his hands and was almost ready to strike when suddenly Vendin caught hold of his leg. “You’re not going anywhere now.” He said as he wrapped his talons around Quinn’s thin body. Quinn let out a faint cry and fell to the ground.

Back at the cottage Alana suddenly sat up straight. She had felt the pain from her twin. “Is everything alright?” Her parents asked worriedly. Suddenly, Alana’s wings began to grow. But unlike her family’s angel wings, her wings were bright blue and blue dust circled around her. Her parents sat there, stunned.

“Quinn is in trouble.” Alana said quickly and pushed her feet off the ground. She then shape-shifted into a giant blue bird and began to fly across the sky.”

“Quinn, Quinn!” She called as she searched the ground. Her vision had seemed to enhance and she could now see everything perfectly clearly. She dove down once she had spotted him. With one powerful strike she knocked Vendin off his feet and freed her brother. “Ha the defective one, finally Alana.” Vendin leapt off the ground from where he lay surprised at her power and snatched her up from where she was standing.

“Alana…” Quinn managed to say before he passed out. A muffled voice came faintly through the blackness. It was Alana! Or so he thought. The mirage slowly faded away. He was devastated to see nothing above him either. He tried to Stand but his side stung where he was thrown to ground from, but that got him thinking was that Alana the bluebird?

Chapter Five

He hobbled back to the house and collapsed on his bed, looking up and seeing a note strapped to the bottom of the bunk. Quinn. It was written in Alana’s handwriting! He ripped it open and found a neatly folded note with tear marks smudging a little of the ink, but he could still read it. It read,

Quinn my dear twin.

When you find this I won’t be there.

Don’t come looking for me.

He has always been looking for me.

Keep Mother and Father safe and give Chris big hugs for me every night.

I am with the hunter.

I was the bluebird.

I have a curse.

Dark magic.

Goodluck Quinn, your Sister, Alana.

Now it was his turn to cry. Where was she? He couldn’t let Vendin hurt Alana; he had to help. That meant running away again.

”See you again soon my family.” He was off to get his twin back.