Half-Breed Society

Chapter 1: Meet Bernard - The Half-Breed

   Despite it being the middle of Summer it got dark pretty quickly in Nightthrone. That's the reason the city got it's name. No-one new why it happened or how it could even be possible when areas around it were bright and sunny. It was just one of those things that made Nightthrone so special. 

  This 'spacial' feature also gave crooks a free ticket to crime heaven. Nightthrone was one of the top crime cities. Because of this some people decided to move, especially those with children. 

  Bernard and his family, however, where one of the few who stayed. He, his sister, brother and father had been living in Nightthrone ever since before Bernard was born. To him this was a good thing, he hadn't experienced anything else so how could he complain?

   "Barny?" a warm high voice came from downstairs as Bernard tied his shoe laces in a double  bow. "Barny!" it repeated. It was Bernard's sister, Vibien. Every morning she would take her little brother to school before she went to work. However, today was different. Today Vibien would drop her brother at his friends house, then he would travel with his friend to a train station were he would the rest of his class and leave the city for a school trip to one of the country's biggest universities.

  That day was the first time Bernard would ever leave Nightthrone. As you could expect, he was terrified.

  "I'll be down in a sec!" Bernard yelled back at his sister. He stood up and looked down to check if his laces where tight enough. That's when he spotted his tail creeping forward from between his legs. He put his hand behind him and tugged it back But as long as he was nervous, it would just keep coming.

  When Bernard was younger it was his tail that bothered him the most. Until he went into high school it was always too big for him. It would push over glasses and swoop in every ones face. It got worse when he started liking girls, everyone could tell because when they walked by his tail would tense up and bend all ways. Everyone could also tell when he was scared of climbing the rope in P.E. or happy that he got praise from the teacher when he knew he would be called the teachers pet.

   "I didn't know the teacher could bring his dog to class," the boys used to say. 

   Bernard could never keep his feelings to himself.

   It got better when he went into high school. He grew into his tail and over the holidays managed to learn how to control his emotions, along with his animal parts. Bernard's favourite part though, was the fact that there were alot more half-breeds like him in the nightthrone high. It was probably due to the fact that there was only one high school in the whole city. So weather you lived right at the border you had to come to the centre of the city to get to school.

   Downstairs Vibien was talking with her and Bernards father, Ivon. It wasn't about anything special, just the weather and what they would have for dinner that evening.

  "What is taking that boy so long up there?" Vibien sighed. "He knows that if I'm late anymore than a minut they'll reduce my pay for the entire week!" 

  Ivon shrugged as he struggled to care about his daughters problems. As long as he had a paper,no disturbance and something on his plate at the end of the day he was happy.

  Footsteps came from upstairs. Vibien listened as they made there way down to the ground floor.

  "Finally!" she snapped at her furry baby brother. "Hurry up and get in the car." she told him as she handed him a piece of toast for the road. Bernard didn't hesitate to take the toast, but it wasn't the same for the other order. Vibien stopped and stared at Bernard, confused. Of all the times he has managed to hide his fear from her she could visibly see his tail shivering between his legs.