CHAPTER 1 – THE END OF THE WORLD

My hands on the wheel, we chugged down the last couple dirt roads that would lead us home. I looked over at my brother and saw his intense focus. I knew that his thoughts drifted to who we fought tomorrow, the same guys that had beaten us twice. He also occasionally peeked at his phone and responded to someone.

“How’s Whip doing in the competition?” I threw out innocently, attempting to keep the grin off my face. Mason had met a girl about halfway through the season who competed in ACS women’s singles. She had made it into the championship tournament, so was in Seattle. Mason’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you keep calling her that?” He grunted. I looked at him askance.

“Did you not tell me she spent all her free time practicing with a whip and it was her favorite weapon by far.”

Mason smirked “That is true though she fights with two short swords and leather, in fact she said we were her inspiration.” His smirk rolled into a grin which was rare for my brother. “She has petitioned the ACS board three times for whips to be approved for the league.”

I raised my eyebrows at my brother’s uncharacteristic passion. “She sounds right up your alley, dangerous and driven.” My eyes twinkled at my brother’s red cheeks. “You still haven’t answered the question though.”

He looked at me in confusion. Damn I had to meet the girl that could have his normally laser focused brother out of sorts. “How did she do in the competition?” I had to admit to myself I rarely paid attention to the women’s league nor even the men’s various competitions besides Duos. He smiled again and looked at his phone in his hand as if he could conjure her out of it.

“She got to the quarters in her first year after four years in juniors where she won it all last year. She only competes in singles.” His eyes shone as he talked about her. “You’ll dig this. They call her the Red Viper cause of how fast she is with those swords.”

I loved this girl without even meeting her if she put that shine on his brother’s spirit. It had been too long, really, since Pop’s death, that I had seen my brother anything other then serious with a hint of morose and a very rare half smirk. I punched him in the arm and he looked at me like I was a loon.

“What was that for?” He growled.

“I’m happy for you. Whip seems good for you and anything good for my brother is a beautiful thing.” I spit out through a smile as my eyes drifted back to the road as I turned.

We were the only place in about a twenty mile radius. As we pulled up towards our home, a small ranch style set up, 3 bedroom, two thousand square feet with another half mile of property all fenced off behind, I gave my brother one last long look which pulled his eyes from his phone. He gave me a query as I parked. My eyes were a steel reserve.

“You ready for tomorrow?” His eyes not only returned my steel but gave off the dark intensity only he could muster.

“We will take them Dom.” I nodded in full agreement. The Wall and the Hammer needed some karmic put down.

“Your damn right we will Mase. Now, some Momma cooking.” We both shared a savory laugh as no one cooked like their Momma.

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As soon as we exited the SUV I could hear loud noises coming from within the house and a couple things being knocked over. My brother looked at me with a full blown grin and chuckle. “Are you ready for him? We have been gone a few days.”

I slid into a frown and an exasperated sigh. “Not one person in all of humanity is ever ready for what’s coming.”

Never really gave much thought to the saying ‘Buyer Beware’ that is, until Bulldozer.

I was told I was buying an american pot belly pig that would get up to 50 to 70 lbs at the biggest, instead what I got is what was barreling at me right now in full gallop with the same fervent stare he normally reserved for food.

Bulldozer was at a whopping 170lbs and came up to just below my waist and was pure porcine muscle, which was now charging right for his lovable Daddy, which would be me.

I said that rarely did my brother grin much less laugh but every time this happened he uproariously cackled at my expense.

Even as those thoughts formed and I lay prone underneath my lovable but overly aggressive child of a piggish freight train I couldn’t help but join his laughter while also trying to push my kid’s insane girth off of me.

“Alright Dozer, Daddy loves you too, now off.” At first he didn’t move but continued to snout kiss me which involved shoving his snout in my face and pushing me hard.

I might of made a mistake letting him spend his whole life sleeping in bed with me. I was his world and focus, well, besides food.

Mom told me when we weren’t around he spent days moping about the house.

“Let’s see what grandma’s doing?” As soon as he heard the word ‘Grandma’ which usually meant treats and pets-- she spoiled him mercilessly as all grandmas do-- he moved quickly towards the house.

My brother and I both held smiles but also questions. Mom usually always met us outside when we came home, it was a ritual, her not doing so was…..abnormal.

We moved into the house leaving our gear in the car for the moment. As soon as our feet hit the inside I saw Mom in her favorite chair eyes glued to the T.V.. When she turned her head, her eyes were filled with two things that made me freeze, fear and tears.

Mason immediately jumped towards her. “What’s wrong Mom, are you hurt?” Mason said as he came close. She raised her hands towards the television.

Through tear filled faucets she said. “What are we going to do boys, what? Look, look what’s happening? How can this be real?”

I was confused until my eyes fell on the 70 inch television we had bought for our Mom. It showed a panicked crowd running around in crazy mode while the camera man’s own fear was causing the frame to go all over the place.

My Mom had it on mute but I could see what everyone was slap dance about. A giant pillar of obsidian or something similar stood in the middle of what appeared to be New York’s Time Square with demolished buildings and torn up corpses strewn everywhere. The feed then cut to different parts of the world showing the same pillars at least a couple hundred feet in height in Paris, Rome, well the list went on, all over the world, including where it ended up which was Seattle, where the Space Needle used to be.

Before I or my brother could say anything to our Mom a voice slammed into my head and I went to my knees.

Greetings humans. You and your planet have been designated as the next participants in War World. Unfortunately we do not need nor can we accommodate your entire population.

We are not without mercy though. Your entire species will be put into The Dance of Death Tutorial, those that accomplish the goals given to them and get to level 10 will not only survive but given a class choice based on their spirit and heart and actions taken, and three lives with which to go forward.

Children will not be able to choose a class until the age of fourteen, though they will level to a cap of 5, so protect them if you want to see them through. Do not waste the opportunity you have been given: The strong survive, the weak do not.

Furthermore, in our benevolence, we will give you two hours with which to prepare. Any and all people within fifty feet of each other will be brought to the tutorial together so as to help family units face these challenges as one.

Whatever you have on your person will be brought with you with the caveat that any modern technology will not. There are rules to War World.

Your technology will be shut down in twenty minutes. Utilize that time to contact who you must or choose.

Welcome to the System and War World. Countdowns begin now.