Children In The Shadows

Chapter 1

The Year, 2207

"No! Run! ELLIE! Run, keep going. Don't look behind you!" "KAY!" "Ellie, trust me...I'll be okay. Okay? I swear I'll come back. Now; run keeping run until you get home, and don't look back. Don't be scared. I believe in you" "KAY!" "No-ELLIE!". I wake up, my white nightgown soaked with cold sweat. I sit up and gently rub my temples. I guess it's around five o'clock in the morning, it's still dark but I can see the Sun peaking out on the horizon. I swing my legs over the side of my small bed. They dangle aimlessly. My eyes wander to the old creaky wooden floor board. My big toe pushes against the floorboard and I hear it creak quietly and slowly. By using my hands, I push myself off my bed. My sweat covered feet lightly land on the wooden floor. "Whoa". There's a loud creak from below me. I turn around to see my little sister sleeping peacefully and snoring softly in her pale blue nightgown. She's so beautiful when she's asleep. I proceed my way to our living room, the area with a raggedy couch and an old TV with one or two dusty lamps with torn lampshades. As I tip-toe toward the TV I hear a strange noise. Our town, if you will, hasn't awoken yet and normally no ones awake, except sometimes me and old Mr. Lock. He's the oldest living person in our time, at the age of one hundred sixty-nine years old. He had told was stories about the twenty-second century and how scientist had created a shot called Batxcon. He told us how excruciatingly painful the process of Batxcon was and how much pain he endured for his body to except it. Mr. Lock appears that he is around sixty-five, maybe seventy years old. My heart skips a beat thinking about it sometimes. I shook the thought as I continued to creep to the living room and be on high alert for the strange sounds. I'm almost to the living room. I'm the only person that's awake. It's approximately a quarter after five, give or take a few minutes. I descend into the living room and turn on the TV. "TH-" , Diane Roy, the reporter far the daily news says. My pulse quickens. I fear that the volume from the TV had awoken Ellie. I twist my neck to an angle to where I could see Ellie, who was still sleep but had slightly readjusted her body. I reach for the lamp and turn on it's light. Then I fumble for the remote and turn the volume down to five. I flop myself onto our old black raggedy sofa, grab a woolen pillow and watch TV.

"Zai, is coming to Detroit to take 3 boys and 3 girls"-my eyes are glued to the screen. This happens every year since 2176. There were two more World Wars. One in 2092, the other in 2130. The term "World Power" doesn't exist. After World War IV everyone was dirt poor. We all lived under the heaps of rumble left after the war. The stock market and economy crashed and never recovered. Somehow during World War IV, Zai was able to gain access to nuclear bombs. When the war was over and the world was ruined he threatened to drop the bombs on: China, Russia, America, Brazil, Germany, the U.K, and the whole continent of Australia. Antarctica no longer exist. Due to global warming the Antarctic Ocean rose to high, and flooded some parts of the world. Islands like Japan and the Philippines don't exist. They were flooded completely over and were taken under. Never to be seen on an map or in the ocean again.-"He will be coming midnight tonight,

June 9, 2207"- thats tonight, I think. Don't panic. They can't pick Ellie. They won't. The chances are way to slim for her to be chosen.

I turn the TV off. I'm shivering even though its 84 degrees Fahrenheit. I'm scared. Scared for Ellie. Really scared.

"Kay? What are you doing on the couch?" I blink a couple of times. "Whoa", I gasp. I must have dozed off. I see Ellie towering over me, she wears concern on her face. "Are you okay?", my little sister ask me. "Umm...yeah. I'm fine". My mother is in our small, bite size, kitchen. Her dirty blonde was in a messy braid, a few strands out of place. Her nails were grimy like mine and Ellie's. She wore a torn skirt and a dirty apron. Ellie's a splitting image of her. She has blonde hair, beautiful sky blue eyes, and small pink lips. I'm still dressed in my nightgown. I roll over toward the edge of the couch. Ellie takes my left hand and helps me up. "Thanks El", I say. "Welcome Kay". "Girls! Breakfast is ready! Kay go get dressed". I get up off the sofa and state a quick glance at Ellie, wondering what the future holds for her. She waves and smiles at me. I suppress a smile back. I swing around on the edge of the open door frame leasing into the hall. I disappear into my room. Ellie's future still on my mind.