War Lord

Role Call

"Mom says if you blow up the house she's going to put you up for sale." My brother came up to my side and ruffled my short blonde hair. I batted his hand away and continued to dig through the small plane wreckage that filled our backyard. "Mom is dead Charlie. Don't pull that shit. This has been here for years probably it's stable at this point." I pulled a piece of scrap metal up and to the side and grinned in victory. The gas tank was still whole, the thing had managed to come down without a scratch. "-It's an old fighter plane from the war. Have you been listening to me Griffin?" Charlie poked me in my tattered tanktop. "No I haven't. Now move I found what I needed." He side stepped and I went in through the shattered glass back door to a still, setting the old tank on top of a stand and pushing mash through the little hole. "Set the fire hot underneath and we will come back in a few days. And don't come into my wing of the house tonight." I walked to the left wing of the house and shut the door that divided it from the large middle house. I locked the door for good measure and turned around greeted by a tattered couch and several people lounging around. "You know I thought living the apocalypse would be harder but all its been is free weed and no drug testing" Chris spoke from his spot on the floor, laid out with a hand wrapped around a bong. "Easy for you guys. You don't do anything except smoke all the pot and drink. I'm the one that goes out and gets it though." I kicked an empty cheese - it box and raised my voice.

       "Where did you guys even get these nasty crackers. It's been several years since these would have expired." I took my spot next to Kara on the sad couch and took a drag from the joint she handed me. "This is shit. All of this is shit and the fuckin guard is coming to classes tomorrow. 'For your country you will serve and to fight against our common enemy the Nightbreakers!'" Everyone shouted and I laughed, taking another drag. A warm buzz filled under my skin and I listened to Lula singing softly. Hooch came around the corner, his mane just starting to grow in and it looked patchy. "You know I will never know where or how you got ahold of a lion Griffin." Chris was sitting up now when the golden body walked past him. He patted at his sides and the lion grunted. He came and crawled up into my lap and pushed his large nose into my cheek. "I found him in a cave where we stored our alcohol, that's where his name comes from." I scratch his barreled chest. The sun was setting now, signaling to Hooch that he was ready for bed and so everyone else must be as well. He growled and stretched himself out over everyone on the couch and rested his head in the crook of my arm to sleep. I lent my head back, took a final drag of the joint and shut my eyes.

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Warm wet spit slid over my face. I slid my hand over Hoochs face and groaned when I stood up. "Guys get up we are gonna be late." I pushed the lion off of me and smacked Chris. I pulled my shorts off and my ratty tank top and pulled on my black school skirt and white button up, leaving the top two buttons undone. I clipped a leather strip around the lions neck and grabbed my bag, throwing open the door and running through the front room. "Im leaving Charlie I'll see you after class!" I whipped around the corner to the short hall that led to the front door and slid when Lula slammed into me still buttoning her shirt. I grabbed her hand and we ran the ten minutes to North Valley Redhill High. The doors were blown off, and we raced to our classroom. The teacher was turned around, still marking people here so we slid in silently and took our seats in the back near the window. Hooch slid down and wrapped around my feet, glaring at the small tabby sitting on the girls bag next to me.

       "Ok class, as you know today the guards are coming. It's the first thing we are doing today so we will sit and wait until they are done with the other classes." I put my chin in my hand and reached between my legs to pull on the golden mane at my feet. He grunted and nudged my hand away from him. The guard came in seconds later, all dressed out in expensive armor and they each held weapons, some guns, some bats, some with knives.

      "We are going to read off a list if your name is called come stand behind General Wales." The blond guy holding the clip board seemed disinterested in everyone as he pointed to one of the guards with his pen. "Clare, John, Lucas, Audrey, Ben, Tyler, and Griffin. Please come up and we will be taking you to The Prospects."