The darkness around me with the occasional red-orange sparks takes me back to when the monsters didn’t attack. I'm constantly reminded of when I was younger, and my dad got home early one day. He and my mom went upstairs and told me to go out to the porch. When they got to the porch, they had a giant box. My eyes light up and I wondered what was in the box.
My dad took a knife and cut open the box. His silver hair covered his eyes, and all I see was a smile appearing on his face. Then he pulled out a giant firework. He walked with me and light the fuse. I sat waiting in excitement. Then, “boom.” The firework blew up, leaving a white, but the yellow-orange tint of color. I watch the firework until it died.
“Daddy! Can I please, do a firework.” I said with a giant smile
“Sure, buddy.”
He hands me a smaller firework. He told me to be careful when lighting it. My mom was happily sitting in a chair as she watched the loves of her life play together. When I flicked the switch the fire, spat up so fast at me, and burned my thumb. I threw it down and fell to the floor.
“Ahhh! Mommy!” I screamed while tears ran across my face.
“It’s okay, honey.” said my mom has she cradled me in her lap.
“How about I make this one go boom, buddy?”
“Please.” I said while sucking on my thumb.
The firework fuse died, and a beautiful arrangement flew out of the firework. I watched the fireworks sparkle, and it amazed me. It's was so beautiful. The warm air surrounding me while the firework crackles. I felt loved by everything in this world.
But now I feel different. The warmth I felt that day is here, but it's not the same. I’m scared, I didn’t even get to say goodbye to my friends, and my dad is in the back seat getting fixed up. We have nowhere to go. I don’t know how I’m going to sleep. My shoulder is in a lot of pain, from the gun I fired hours ago.
“Hey kid, your dad wants to talk.” said of the pilots helping my dad
“Okay.” I said while walking to me dad
“Shh come here.”
“What.” I whispered
“These guys can’t be trusted.” he whispered into my ear
“What do you mean.”
“I don’t know why. It’s just a gut feeling.”
“You sure.”
“Yes, son, I want to tell you something. The giant monster. We made them enjoy the heat. So if you were alone, without us. Go south, the smaller monsters will be there, surely you can take them.”
“What about that monster earlier?”
“Hehe. That was only a medium size”
“What! That thing was huge!”
“I know aren't we awesome!”
“More like crazy.”
“Hey kid, now don’t make you dad cry.”
“I won’t.”
“Sorry, but you father needs to sleep.” said the other pilot
“Okay. Bye, dad, I'll see you in the morning.”
I read the clock 11:42 PM. I’m so tired maybe I should sleep as well.
“Tomorrow we are going to drop you guys off at the EPM.” said the pilot controlling the helicopter.
“Whats EPM?” I asked
“It’s a town where we are trying to get normal people like you.”
“Okay.”
I don’t like the idea of being cooped in one place maybe my dad was right. For now, I will just go with it, even if I wanted to run away what can I do I'm not strong.
“You guys should probably get some sleep, we won’t be at the sheltered town for a couple more hours.” said the pilot
My mom responds and makes room for me to sleep.
*
“You okay Iris?” said Iris’s mom
“Thanks, mom, but I fine.”
“We are lucky we got to the EPM, so quick. From what I heard, all the power plants were destroyed, so we don’t have technology that works well anymore.” said Iris’s father while combing his long black hair.
“That’s terrible.” I responded
“Yep, the news last report was yesterday. Weapons are being stored with the military so they can fight the monsters back.”
Yesterday breaking news flashed our TVS, and I was terrified, seeing so much people getting hurt. I called Maka and I warned her and she said that her family was going to a shelter made by ECFA. I thought it was a great idea, but when we got there people were bloody and hurt. it’s not even a good shelter anyways. We have little space ourselves, and the shelter is surrounded by a small metal fence, and I can clearly see over the fence.
I haven't seen any big monsters, just goblin-like creatures. I say “like” because they have a small, razor-sharp horn on their forehead. They also have armor like scales and have either a spear or sword. I have also seen weird mosquitos. There about two feet big, and also have eight legs. I don’t know what would happen if they bite us. It's crazy to think these “little” creatures are the weakest ones. I heard rumors like “most of the ECFA workers don’t even know about the extra big ones.”
I have heard reports that some of the biggest monsters are 50ft tall, and have wings that span 27ft long. They also can breathe out different elements. There has been two know that spit fire and ice out. Some just carry around giant clubs with bolts and screws at the end. I just wonder who said “let's give them all these things.” stupid people right?
*
“We're here get out.” said the pilot
“You don’t have to be so harsh.” I responded
“You're lucky I saved your asses, now out.”
“Geez looks like someone is in a bad mood.” I shot back
Without saying a word he shut his door and waited until we walked away a flew off. Following the endless white line, we end up at a little office. We are asked to enter, and wait patiently on the couch.
“Okay we need to test you guys.” said a kind lady in a nurse outfit
“For what?”
“Well, it's a secret.” she said
“You want to check if we're human right?” asked my dad
“How did you know sir?”
My dad enters his pocket and pulls out his ECFA identification badge. “I worked there.”
“Umm...well you guys go ahead.” she said weirdly and started to walk away
Okay. I push the door open and I see little houses smaller than apartment rooms.
“Hey, do we get a room?” I asked my dad
“Yea, but son, you need to act like your not apart of this family so you can get your own room.”
“I will.”
“I know how kids your age are, I even got a couple mags, if you want them.” he said while whispering into my ear.
“Okay, dad.” I said to my dad with an elephant sized sigh at the end.
*
It's been a week since got my own apartment room. It's really small, it’s about the size of a bathroom. The only thing we can do in there is sleep. We go to a “public” event to eat meals, two meals a day. We have to go to a special place to use the restrooms.
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The last news media I remember is when they told us that the population has dropped significantly. Lots of animals and humans are becoming extinct.
“Hi, my name is Etzor.” I said to a girl that look around my age. “I’m new here, oh also I’m 16.”
“Hello Etzor.” said the girl with a kind smile. “My name is Maka, I’m 17.”
“Awesome, I was worried that there aren't many kids are age.”
“I have two other friends here that are 17,” she said while playing with her hair. “Also don’t fall in love with me I already have a boyfriend.” her face started to turn red. “And he is here at this camp.”
“It’s okay tomato face, I won’t fall in love with you.” I said calmly
“Tomato face!” she yelled. “I’m not that embarrassed about it.”
“You sure!” I started to laugh
“Hey you flirting with my girlfriend.” said a kid about my age, little bit shorter than me.
“No, it’s actually nice to have a nice laugh, you'll like this kid.” she said while holding onto his arm
“Sup, my name is Etzor, I’m 16.”
“Sup little bro, Arima, I’m 17.” he said while reaching out his hand
“So Ez, wanna go and eat dinner with us when the time is ready.” said Maka. “I have a really awesome friend, you have yet to meet.”
“Sure after I say hi to my family I’ll come and sit by you.” I said while looking at my surroundings. There is little green life here, just dirt and houses. “What table do you guys sit at?”
“We normally sit at the 17th table but sometimes when the table is taken we sit at the 37th table,” Maka said with a smile on her face
“Alright cool, I’ll look for you guys there,” I said while walking back to my apartment. “Couple more hours I guess.” I whispered under my breath.
*
“Hello Eztor.” said Arima
“Where are the others?” I asked
“Probably getting ready.”
“I see.”
“So what you think about Maka?” said Arima
“Well, she is pretty and seems fun, and nice to hang out with.” I said, “You got a good girlfriend.”
“Thanks, man!” he said with a smile on his face. “To tell you the true I started to admire her back in jr high. I never talked to her because I was so scared. I knew Iris, Maka’s friend because we have gone to the same school since we were little. She just decides to hang out one day and she had to leave, because something came up, so I spent the whole day with Maka. Afterward, I asked her out.”
“Nice, I haven’t fallen in love with anyone yet, so I have zero experiences with that type of stuff.” It was kinda awkward to say to him.
“Don’t worry man! Soon enough you will find a nice girl.” he said with his thumbs up.
“Thanks, but I’m not in a rush.”
“Yea, I get what you are saying.”
The room has long tables with a number above each section. To get food you get up, join the line and wait until it’s your turn. It's like a lunch period at school, but there are people who smell terrible and are hacking up blood. Yea it's really gross.
“Hello guys!” said Maka proudly.
“Hey, Maka.” I said
Maka goes to the other side of the table and sits next to Arima
“Hello I’m Iris, I’m also 17, um Eztor I don’t mean to be rude, but weren’t you shot a couple of weeks ago?” said Iris fidgeting with her hair
“Oh you are that kid, come on tell us the details!” said Maka with sparkles in her eyes
“Well everything they said on the news is what happen. Their story was correct.”
“Oh, that is not as cool then.”
“Yea it’s no-”
“AHHH!” someone screamed
Giant hornets swarmed the room. They look the same as any other hornet but their stinger is giant and they are about two feet tall.
“Ez this way!” said Maka
I can feel Iris’s hand reach out and grab mine as I was being pulled up. We run out the door and I stop moving.
“I have to go back my parents are in there!” I screamed
“It’s too dangerous.” said Arima
I force my hand out of Iris’s hand and grab a sharp part of the fence that got knocked over.
“Run away guys!” I screamed as I entered the food house
I run in pushing past the people running towards me. A giant hornet swings it’s stinger at me. I block it with the piece of the fence. It’s like a sword battle, I push using all my strength while the giant hornet does the same.
“Kaah!”
I swing my body under the floating hornet and stab it in the belly, and cut my way to its neck. Bloods splashes all over my face, and all over the ground. The hornet falls next to me, rapidly flapping its wings. I get up and stab it straight in the brain. After ten seconds it’s system shuts down and is completely dead.
“Dad! Mom!”
I run to our normal table and see that they are gone. It’s bad that I’m separated from them, but I’m glad I don’t recognize their faces on one of these dead bodies. Most of the hornets are have gone back outside I assume.
“Eztor!” shouted in a high-pitched voice
I turn around and see my mom. “Mom! Where’s dad.”
“He’s fine we need to go get in the car.”
I started to run. I didn’t even know there was a vehicle here. I get in the car and before we even move we are stopped by a military truck.
“Nobody move!”
Loud gunshots ring across the battlefield. The hornets are either dying or flying away, it's their choice. Other people ran into their rooms and are praying for life. A man and the girl who checked us out, get out of the car.
“Them! They are ECFA members arrest them!” shouted the man
“Eztor please run away.” my mom said
“Here you go, buddy, you like fireworks right?” my dad hands me a smoke grenade. “We thought something like this might happen.”
“I don’t want to!” I said with a tear running down my cheek
“It’s okay we will meet again.” said my mom with tears running down her cheek.
“Bye buddy, I will see you later.” my dad said.
I pull the pin and throw down the smoke grenade. I get out of the car and start running for the group that sat at the table with me. I hear people yelling and they swarm the car. I look back and see my mom and dad with guns to their heads. I can tell that they are saying “live strongly without us.” I turn my head back and run into the group
“Let’s go quickly!” I yelled
“This way!” said Arima
We started running away, and I turn my head back and see my parents getting put into the truck.
“Thank you guys.”