Annilova

Just a normal day at Astrapin

"Noelle!", called David as he poked my arm. "What do you think?"

I wasn't listening to them. I was busy trying to make out the features of the person looking at us  from above. But it was too dark inside the house. I could only see that this person was a man.

"What do I think of what?", I asked.
"We'll go and grab some ice cream. Coming with us?", said Arnold in the most innocent tone.
"Yeah, sure.", I said smiling.

The four of us started walking. And as I walked, I looked up at the same window again. But this time, no one was there.

"So, tell me about yourself, Arnold.", I said.
"Well, I'm six years old. I'm the youngest of my brothers. I live in the house you've just seen with both my parents. And I go to Forny Local School."

Forny Local School? God, I hate this school! It's one of the worst in Annilova. It's been said that students there are very ill-mannered, and that the school offered the lowest level of education.
Why does he go to this school? According to their house, they must be rich enough to pay for a school a thousand times better.

"That's great.", I said forcing a smile on my face.
"Noelle!", called Flora who had been on the phone for some minutes. "Mum called. She wants us to go home."
"Okay! Let's go!", I said rolling my eyes.
"Do you have to go?", asked David shaking my arm.
"Yeah! We do have loads of homework.", said Flora.
"Speak for yourself!", I said. "I'm only leaving because of mum. I don't wanna be punished again."
"Okay, then.", said David.
"Bye, David! Bye, Arnold! We'll see you guys soon.", I said waving goodbye.

As Flora and I were walking home, not a single word was spoken.
I didn't know about her, but I was busy thinking about that person who was watching us. I wondered who it could be, and why he had been watching from above when he could've simply come down to meet us.

When we entered the house, it was 7pm. Mum and dad were on the couch watching the news.
"We found a case this afternoon in Shunner Street. Our forces dealt with the situation very carefully, and it was all taken care of.", said a familiar voice on television.
"Thank you so much for your time, General Gobenz.", replied the reporter. "We are forever grateful to those brave soldiers who risk their lives to keep us safe."

Dad turned off the television with the remote in frustration.

"Don't be so angry!",said mum. "Maybe the man was really sick."
"No, mum!", I said. "The man wasn't sick! I saw his hand. I'm pretty sure his skin was just like ours. If he had been sick, his skin would've had scars all over."
"You'll get yourself in trouble, Noelle. Don't interfere!"
"No, mum! I must interfere! Besides, since when do they kill sick people? They send them to a hospital, or to The Abandoned Zone. If he had been truely sick, they would've been too scared to approach him anyway. They'd rather watch him carry the virus to us than risk their own lives trying to kill him."
"She's right.", said dad looking at mum. "Even when they want to send a case to the hospital, they ask us, doctors, to come and pick the case up ourselves."

Dad was a cardiologist. He met mum in Medical School. He was one of the doctors who experimented on cases to try and figure out a cure.

"Noelle! Go to your room and do your homework, darling.", said mum.

After three hours of drawing non-sense in one of my books, mum came into the room.

"Wrap up! Flora has finished and is going to bed soon. You'll have to leave the room if you still have things to do", said mum.

Flora always studied in the dining room. We could never study in the same room without fighting every five minutes.

"Okay! I'm almost done", I replied.
"Noelle!", said mum as she approached my bed which I'd been sitting on. "I don't want you to get yourself in trouble. You're still too young for this."
"I don't know what you're talking about.", I said as I closed the book in front of me.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about."
"Mum, stop worrying about me!"
"You're my daughter. How can I stop worrying about you?"
"I don't care how! Just stop!"