[PENDING] -No Title Yet-

Chapter One

Mellissa opened her math book when her mom opened the door.

"Sweetie, dinner's ready. Better close that book or you won't have any food left. It's 'Carreon night', you know what happens. He'll swallow everything whole if you don't go down quickly. Now, go! I'll go fetch him."

Carreon was already grabbing his seat when Mellissa was downstairs. Of course, she thought.

'Carreon night' was the night when Mrs. Margaux would serve Carreon's favorite dishes. There would also be 'Mellissa Night', 'Mom Night', and 'Dad Night'. These were invented because of Mellissa's Dad, Mr. Mike, who set up a date for Mrs. Margaux to cook his favorite dishes but then Mellissa thought that it was unfair, thus the nights. However, Mom's night is the night when she did not cook or else, there won't be much food left for the rest of the family. So, Mr. Mike cooks which, apparently is, Mrs. Margaux's favorite food.

It wasn't long before the mashed potatoes, grilled green beans, roasted beef, and quartered apples were finished by the one and only, Carreon.

"Looks like I won't be needing to clean your plates, Carreon. I would save a fortune for the water bill if I served your night every night," and Mrs. Margaux laughed at the thought of her saving.

"What? Mom? NO! I don't want eating out of Carr's saliva! Gross!" Mellissa shrieked as goosebumps of dusgust trailed along her arms. The family laughed at her reply.

"Why? Aren't we cousins~??" Carreon said as he rubbed his shoulders on Mellisa's arm. Mellissa stood and placed her plate in the sink.

"Yeah, but a bit distanced. Mom, may I go? I have to study for tomorrow's quiz."

"Sure, Carr, you wash. It's your night anyway."

Mellissa shook her head as Carreon started to whine and her mom stating to him once again their rules in the house.

Such a timid and lazy man. Will he ever get a girlfriend? She thought and continued to walk towards her room.

She took out the chair from her desk and started to review. Suddenly, she felt something soft near her feet. A shot of fear ran through her. The image of cats under her desk that were ready to cut through her skin and spill cat hair in then she will be infected with diseases beyond her imaginations.

So, with all the sheer will she can gather, a simple look downwards calmed her down.

A pink pillow lined with frills was sitting on the floor. It was a present from Carreon's mother, when they agreed that he would stay with them for school.

A sigh of relief escaped through Mellissa. Her phobia of cats is something that she did not want to talk about. The word 'cat' makes her shudder already.

She grabbed the pillow and tossed it on her bed. She flipped the pages, picked a pen, and jotted down notes on her notebook

--

"Pod, it's getting better. I can feel it," Tim said as the dog's joints started to squeak, "Oh, Pod. You need oiling. Let's put you to sleep, ok? I'll wake you up later."

A flat head screw driver was driven into the belly of the dog. A set of wires gleamed through its transparent tubes which indicated what it should and shoudn't do. Tim cut through the fifth tube and added oil. He enclosed the cut and waited 'till the oil turned white.

This oil is no different than the original oil except that this was designed by Tim. Made from the rotten leaves and plastic, he binded them with chemicals taken from the essences of natural herbs and stems of various plants. It turns white because the whole mechanical body of the dog immediately burns it and is distributed onto different parts of its metallic structure.

"Pod? Wake up, Pod. You're done now. Wake up," tiny sparks of light went past throughout the dog. Moments later, its metal eyes opened smoothly, and that delighted Tim.

"Now, Pod. Can you help me with carrying this?" A second platform was placed beside the first. A corner of his house now has an invention that he only thought of after building its main parts. What Tim needs to do now, is to wire it up.

As he started to fit wire with wire, he noticed a wooden box at the bottom of his tool box. Never has he seen his box and is not hesitating to see what's inside.

"TIM RANDOL C. GREY. Hmm.. my name is written over here, Pod. Right at the bottom of the lid. Do you think this has something to do with my parents?" As he looked further in the box, his fingers brush over old leather. He pulled it up, only to find a chipping leather wallet, "Pod, look. Haven't seen one of these in person. Last time I saw this was in a portrait of my great grandfather placing it in a....." he looked upon the initials engraved on the box, "wooden box," then a sigh escaped from his lips.

The box is a signature of Tim's family but Tim didn't really care that much. He returned the wallet in the box and held it in his hands. He placed in on a shelf which sat there was the portrait of his great grandfather. It kind of served as a reminder that he did have a family, before they were lost in an accident.

His family used to be the founder of the city, considering that his family was the richest among the others.

One night, his family went to a cruise trip to the island across them. While on the way, they played a game that needed all of them to join. Tim refused since he was sick at that time. They played, and played, and played until---they fell out the boat one by one, when a huge blue marlin, almost 5meters in length and weighing at 100 kilos, washed up on the 3-storey cruise ship due to the rocking waves that sometimes reached upto the top of the ship. Each one of the members ran around, with the giant fish dancing with them around the deck, causing them to fall. A tragedy, it was. Tim, along with the captain and his crew, was left alive.

They went back to the city, not knowing what to do. Without any guidance, Tim wandered the city. Later on, he found the house he is currently living in.

The second richest family took over. They claimed that Tim's family didn't want to be involved with the city, which dramatically decreased the possibility of riots and protests.

His reminiscing was interrputed when Pod started to bark. Suddenly, a blast of air bursted from the machine. Its result, half of Tim's face was charcoal black.

"Pfffffttttt.... Well, atleast we found a flaw."