When time runs out

One

Hazel

Hazel smelled the fresh air. Felt the pokey grass beneath her feet as the mud squished their way between her toes.

The warm spring air hugged Hazel's skin, leaving her warm. Alison stirred soundly in her sleep as Hazel stared into the river.

All of Hazels ten years she's wanted to swim.

'To cold.' 'To deep' 'current's to strong' her mother had said. Her life had been a happy one. They lived in Dalinel. One of the few villages under the Ralons watch.

Each time a family has their first child they must give the child up. That's how Hazel had lost her older sister. Alex slept soundly by Alison. Hazel looked at her younger siblings. Twins. They were both incredibly thin. Like everyone else in Dalinel. But Alex was one of the least thin in Dalinel.

Hazel looked up towards the sun. The glare blinding her. It was directly above them. Noon.

Hazel walked towards the twins. Shaking them gently. Alison opened her eyes first, then Alex.

"It's time to go back. Papa will need help with harvesting the animals and mama will need help cleaning" Hazel whispered.

Hazel stood up and began following the path to their house, but stopped abruptly. Footsteps. Far away but getting nearer. Alex and Alison heard them to. They followed their older sister to their house.

"Mama! The Ralons are coming!" Hazel tried to warn.

"Do not joke with such things Haz." her mother replied. With fear stuck in her eyes.

"Mama it's true!" Alex's squeaky voice said.

Their mothers face went pale.

Alison let out a slight scream when the bells rang through the town.

Hazel and her siblings hid under the floor as their parents spook to the Ralons.

"We are here for your children." One said.

"But sir you must be mistaken. Your kind has already taken our eldest daughter. We have the papers to prove it!" Their papa stammered.

Hazel peaked through a hole in the wood floor. The ralon men smirked.

"You see it is not us you have given your daughter to. It was someone else. So unless you want to die I suggest you hand over your child." One said.

Papa and mama stood as still as possible. "Very well" The man continued.

He revealed a knife. Sliding it into papas chest. Mama screamed. The other ralon man took hold of mama and put a knife to her throat. Come out children. If you do you and your mother will not be harmed." He said.

Hazel gasped. Fighting back tears. She climbed our off the floor as quickly as possible. Alex and Alison followed her.

"Hide!" Their mother screamed.

"Shut up human!" The Ralon man screamed. The men loaded them into a cage. Full of others. Screams deafened their ears. More and more people were loaded into cages. Fitting 30 people each.

Hazel held her siblings as they all cried. A house exploded nearby and the Ralon men all laughed.

Rouge Ralons.

Ralons seeking money, stealing from free villages in order to become rich.

Hazel could smell the fire as they rode  further and further. 

The car skidded to a stop by the time the sun had fallen.

The ralon man went inside a building. Hazel wondered what he was doing.

The man came out with another a couple minutes later.

"As you can see, the humans are in great shape. Freshly caught. You might as well take three." The man said.

The other man glared at the truck driver, before eyeing the cages. Feeling the stomachs of the people.

"I'll Take that one." pointing to the one in front of Hazel's. "And the one next to it."

They moved the cages into the building. Hazel could see the ralons lick their lips.

The owner of the building went back inside and Hazel heard the man talking to the other truck driver.

"We have one more butcher shop before the Smithfield family."

Hazel understood finally. They were going to be murdered. The truck began again and stopped a few streets later.

Two from the other truck and one from the truck Hazel was in we're selected.

"Where do we go after the Smithfield estate?" one man asked.

"The Ashlyn estate then the Ricans estate. After that whatever's left is ours." The other replied.

They drove till morning before reaching the Smithfield estate.

It was large and grand. The Smithfield house was one of the largest in the world. The Smithfield family was the richest in the country.

The Ralon men showed the Smithfield family the cages. "Father take this cage!" The eldest kid said motioning to Hazel's Cage.

"We'll take the one Johnny wants and the two beside it." The father says said.

Hazel's cage was lifted in the air. Hazel huddled closely to her siblings.

"Have a good day Mr. Smithfield!" The ralon man said.

Mr. Smithfield unlocked the cages.

"Come out slaves, and line up in a straight line." He barked.

They quickly obeyed.

His wife held his arm while his kids ran around them.

"My name is Lucas Smithfield. But you will call me and my family Master, I will separate you into groups. Go to your groups and stay there."

He examined the people carefully, feeling their stomachs.

Hazel could hear him mutter something about them all being incredibly thin.

He made his way further and further down. Alison was placed in the child entertainer. Mama was a breeder. Alex became part of the meat stock, while Hazel was placed in the house slave section.

"You two!" Master shouted pointing to Hazel and the boy next to her.

"Take the meat stock to the fields. Children in cages, adults in barn." He ordered.

The boy next to Hazel nodded and walked towards the section, he placed a collar around each of their necks. Connecting ropes to each collar. Hazel followed the boy.

Once they reached the barn the boy tied the ropes to a pole. As they walked to the cages the boy handed Hazel some of the ropes. Including Alex's, and introduced himself as Brandon.

Hazel stared in horror as he shoved the kids into the cages, and tied the ropes to the metal bars.