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Back Saving the World Save as PDF
Chapters (50)
  1. Prologue
  2. Part 1
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. Part 2
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47

“Angel!” Gazzy’s voice broke as he understood that his sister had turned against us. “Angel, how could you?”

“Hello, Max,” said Anne Walker, not smiling, not looking at all adoptive mom–like.

I sighed heavily and stared at the ceiling. No crying. Not one tear.

Jeb came and stood right next to my bed, so close I could smell his aftershave. Its scent awoke a slew of childhood memories, the years between ten and twelve years old, when I’d felt the happiest I ever had.

“Hello, Max,” he said quietly, searching my face. “How do you feel?”

Which was a ten on the “imbecilic question” scale of one to ten.

“Why, I feel fine, Jeb,” I said brightly. “How about you?”

“Any nausea? Headache?”

“Yep. And it’s standing here talking to me.”

His fingers brushed the covers on top of my leg, and I tried not to shudder.

“Does it feel like you’ve been through a lot?” he asked.

I stared at him. “Yeah. Kind of. And sadly, I’m still going through it.”

Jeb turned and nodded at Anne Walker, and she made a noncommittal face back at him.

I started to pick up that something was happening here that I didn’t fully understand.

Good thing I’m used to that feeling.

“Max, I’ve got something to tell you that I know is going to be hard to believe,” Jeb said.

“You’re not evil? You’re not the worst lying, cheating, betraying jerk I’ve ever met?”

He smiled sadly. “The truth is, Max, that nothing is as it seems.”

“Uh-huh,” I said. “Is that what the aliens told you when you quit wearing your foil hat?”

Anne stepped forward. Jeb made a motion like, Let me do it, but she waved her hand at him. “The truth is, Max, that you’re at the School.”

“No freaking duh. And uh, wait—let me guess—I’m some kind of bird-kid hybrid. And you captured me. And, and, I’m strapped to a hospital bed. I bet I even have wings. Am I right?”

“No. You don’t understand,” she went on briskly. “You’re at the School, Max, because you never left it. Everything that you think you’ve experienced for the past five months has all been a dream.”

41

41

I gazed at Anne in admiration. “Gosh,” I said. “This is a totally new tack. I truly did not expect that.” Looking around at the flock, I asked, “Did anyone expect that?” They warily shook their heads no.

I nodded at Anne. “You’ve got me. Good one.”