James Patterson. Maximum Ride Forever. Maximum Ride – 9. James Patterson. Maximum Ride Forever. To the Reader. Prologue

James Patterson

Maximum Ride Forever

Maximum Ride – 9

James Patterson

Maximum Ride Forever

For Captain Jack, who got this enterprise flying

To the Reader

The idea for the Maximum Ride series comes from earlier books of mine called When the Wind Blows and The Lake House, which also feature a character named Max who escapes from a quite despicable School. Most of the similarities end there. Max and the other kids in the Maximum Ride books are not the same Max and kids featured in those two books. Nor do Frannie and Kit play any part in the series. I hope you enjoy the ride anyway.

Prologue

One

Hey, you!

This is important. What you’re holding in your hands is the only written record of the new history of the world. Don’t freak out – I know I’m making it sound like a textbook, and believe me, I hated school more than anyone. But this much I can promise: It’s not like any textbook you’ve read before. See, this chunk of pages tells the story of the apocalypse and all that came after – some pretty heavy stuff, for sure, and I don’t blame you for being nervous. We all know that history tends to repeat itself, though, so for your sake and the sake of the future, I hope you’ll read it... when you’re ready.

Max

Two

I know why you’re here, and I know what you want.

You want to know what really happened.

You want the truth.

I get it. I’ve wanted the same thing my whole life.

But now I’m convinced the only real truth is the one you find out for yourself. Not what some grown‑ up or CNN tells you. The problem is, the truth isn’t always kittens and rainbows. It can be harsh. It can be extremely hard to believe. In fact, the truth can be the very last thing you want to believe.

But if you’re like me, you’d rather put on your big‑ girl pants than dwell on things – and truths – beyond your control.

Like the fact that I was a test‑ tube baby whose DNA was grafted with a bird’s, so rather than your typical childhood filled with cartoons and tricycles, I spent my most adorable years in a dog crate, poked and prodded by men in white coats.

Cowardly jerks.

And how my flock and I escaped and spent our entire lives after that being hunted down by Erasers – human‑ wolf mutants with truly eye‑ watering dogbreath.

While rolling with the punches (and bites and kicks), I had a mountain of personal crap to deal with, too. I was betrayed by my own father, who also turned my half brother, Ari, into an Eraser to kill me. Family fun!

Then Fang left us – left me, heartbroken – to start a new flock with my freaking clone. I won’t lie – that one stung.

And I can’t forget the crazies... There are a lot of bad people out there who want to do a lot of bad things. From the suicidal Doomsday cult to the population‑ cleansing nutcases, we’ve fought them all.

And the icing on the cake? Something happened – a meteor? A nuclear bomb? We might never know – that caused all hell to break loose... and destroyed the world.

Yep.

But you want to know what really happened after the apocalypse. Fair enough. The story belongs to all of us, especially you. Our history is your future.

Disclaimer: This is a story of perseverance and hope, but it’s also one of grief. I’ve seen things – terrible things – that no one should even know exist. I’ve witnessed the world’s darkest days and humanity’s ugliest moments. I’ve watched cities collapse, friends die. This is the hardest story I’ve ever had to tell.

Still think you can handle it?

Let’s go back, then. Our journey starts on an island somewhere in the South Pacific, not long after the sky first caught fire. You’ll want to make sure your seat is in a locked, upright position, and prepare for some turbulence.

After all, we’re talking about the end of the world.