The protected home

Daylight fluttered in the window, I awake groggily, my mind blank and then I remember, it's my tenth birthday! I run to the bathroom and wash my brown face and brush my white hair. I throw on the shirt my mom gave me for my birthday last year, the one I had hid in the closet, and slid down the hall into the kitchen. The smell of eggs and bacon drift into my nose, I see my mother preparing the food for my family. Licking my lips I climb up onto the wooden chair next to my little sister's highchair. Across from me my dad sits with the newspaper in his hands. My dad is a respected person, he is a chairman of the engineered safe camp and protects everyone, or E.S.C.A.P.E. His white hair is always slicked back, and he's always wearing a suit. I hop down from my chair and go around the cherry spruce wood table to where my dad sits. I give his sleeve a little tug and look up at him with my silver eyes. "Yes Canan?" He says without looking down at me,

"Umm, are you going to work today?" I said.

"Yes, I'm sorry I know it's your birthday, son, but your present isn't ready yet." My dad said finally putting the paper down to look at me.

"Oh, ok. Well it better be a good present!" I said as I smiled. My dad starts laughing and my mom does the same.

"Of course it will be! Why wouldn't it?" My dad said as my mom brings the food to the table. "Now let's eat this delicious meal your mother prepared!"

We all eat our fill of the food until there is nothing left to eat. My mom and I wave good bye to my dad as he drives to work. I looked up and I can see the protection dome that the previous chairman of S.R.D.A.H.S. created for us humans. My mother told me that the animals of our world had evolved far beyond what we could handle, so the chairman built this dome, to protect humans from the monsters that lurked outside. Though he gave a warning that the dome would stay up for a short amount of time. My mother then turned me around and told me to go to school. I ran to my room and turned on my teacher, my teacher is a robot that my dad made for me on my fifth birthday. School is never fun for me, but my dad said I needed it because without it I'd be tossed outside the dome. Our judicial system is just that, if someone commits a crime they are pushed outside of the dome, as well as if someone quits school and doesn't get a degree. With this system in place crimes are seen very rarely.

After school which is only four hours I go outside and play with my friends. We all agreed to make a team and get ready for the monsters that are out there. I sat at the sign by the corner of my street that said stop. A few minutes later Domino is running up with his funky glasses and curly brown hair bouncing. Gabe is running down the street in his new cap he got yesterday for his birthday. Soon Elain Comes racing up the street in her high top boots, her dirty blond hair trailing behind her.

"Sorry, you wouldn't believe the chores my mom made me do." Elain said.

"That's ok, in your state of mind I bet it was math and not chores that kept you." Domino said pushing up his glasses.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Elain shouts.

"That you have a hard time with math." Domino stated coolly.

"Why I Atta..." Elain says rolling up her right hand sleeve and making a fist. Gabe grabs Elain's wrist and says,

"Not right now, we have to get going." Elain's hand slowly drops to her side. She then glares at Domino, he flinches. Elain and Domino look away from each other. I let out a big sigh, we then start walking down the street. About a mile down we got to a hill, which we then climb over. On the other side of the hill we see a cave in the hill. This is our little hideout, we aren't the best team, but were working on it.

"Ok, now that were here let's get back to work." Gabe said. Gabe is like the leader on our team. He has been teaching me how to use and fight with a sword. His dads grandpa used to be a blacksmith, so its tradition for a son to learn how to handle a blade. Elain is like the loose cannon on this team, her parents are very strict. Domino is the wiz kid, his parents are also part of E.S.C.A.P.E. Me, I keep the team together a lot of the time, though Gabe always steps in.

"Alright, Canan can you go and sharpen the swords like I taught you?" Gabe said, "Elain and me will clean up the cobwebs, Domino work on that surveillance system."

"Aye, aye sir!" We all said in reply. I rush over to the pile of swords in the far corner of the cave, and pick one up. I start sharpening it when all of the sudden the ground starts shaking, Loose gravel from the ceiling starts falling on my head.

"Everyone out! Now!" Gabe Said frantically. Now we all are running, Gabe has never been flustered before, so this was an emergency, for sure. The minuet we get outside of the cave my heart stopped, the protection dome was gone, replacing it was a crimson red sky. All hope was lost, distress showed on everyone's faces. Gabe picked up a sword and looked at us all.

"I have to get home, you all should do the same." Gabe said. We all nodded. I started running, my head swimming with thoughts that weren't promising. Growls and screams were becoming more frequent, obviously the monsters had gotten in. My legs felt like jelly by the time I got to what remained of my house. Then in the corner of my eye I saw gray fur, it looked like a dog mixed with a bear. In its large venomous jaws is my father, he had obviously already died by a blow to the head but the monster didn't seem to care. Before I realized it, more Bear-Dogs had crawled behind me. One with my mom, the other with my sister. Tears were now streaming down my dirt covered face, a wail of grief escaped my throat. The monsters growled, but it sounded like they were laughing. I fell to the ground with my hands over my ears, the monsters closing in on me, their laughter nauseating. Then it stopped, the sheen of a blade caught my eyes for a second, then the beasts fell dead.

"Let's go, I'll get you somewhere safe." A man said stretching out his arm, "The names Cawn, What's yours?"

"C...Canan... its Canan." I stumbled bewilderedly staring at the tall man. This man was wearing clothes I had never seen before. His blond hair is spiked up, except for one strand that is dyed black. He has on knee high boots with belts to hold them up, his shirt is a white muscle shirt. He lifts me up from the ground and says,

"Can you walk Canan?"

"Yes, I think so." I stumbled.

"Good then follow me if you want to live." He said as he walked away. Behind me I could hear whimpers, so I turned around and saw a little Bear-Dog pup sitting in front of one of the beasts.

"Wait a second." I said, I then ran over to the pup and picked him up. "We can't leave him alone, he'll die if no one takes care of him." I said. I thought I saw a smile of amusement on Cawns face but it disappeared before I could confirm it.

Soon we came upon the edge of the previous sanctuary for humans. Cawn stepped over the dividing line without any hesitation. Though I hesitated, I worried about the friends who made up my team. But in order to survive I would need to forget this safe haven. So I stepped over the line walking off into the distance, looking back I saw a figure with a sword starring as I walked away, it was Gabe. I thought to myself, there is no going back I have to push forward, so I turned around and walked with Cawn. Longing that Gabe would survive long enough for us to meet again.