The Outcasts

Mason's P.O.V.

Walking home from his High School, Eagle's Eyrie, I gazed at the housed around me. Nobody was going to attack me today! I thought. Wearing my darker clothes, basicly a black v-neck, a hoodie that hid my brown skater hair and muscular arms, and jeans, this might be enough camoflauge for me. Ecspecially since I always wore bright clothes, and thats what many people identified me as.

That day the sky was a light blue with only few minute clouds. The sidewalk eminated heat and the sun warmed my hoodie. The air smelled of the lavender growing nearby and birds chirped in their nests.

I continued walking until I reached the stop light. Cars rushed back and forth, rushing on another like the end of the world was coming. It might, but it was unlikely. I repetedly and rapidly pushed the walk button. I would not give them the chance to attack me. The cut they gave me on the leg was horrendous.

The people that were attacking me were called Greymix. They were a mix of jocks and cheerleaders sadisticly hurt those that couldn't defend themselves as if it was their pastimes. There were six of them, five to many to overwhelm children. They were like wolves hunting deer. Many of them were seniors but a few were juinors and there wad even a lapdog freshie. The light turned green. I didn't stop moving as I rushed into my neighborhood, Lone Pine.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I was saf- A muscular arm wrapped around my neck and pulled me into an alley. I smelled rancid breath and unshowered body as the man pinned me to the wall. The walls were dark and dusty and trash littered the ground. Welcome to the neighborhood.

'Hows it going, Scorio?" Scorio. That was my last name. And I hate when people used it as a nickname or a title. Like he was doing. My name was Mason Dragunov Scorio.

I tried to scoot out of his strong grasp, but he was too strong. A girl behind him, one of the cheerleaders for our basketball team, flipped out a knife and teased my lips with it. I spat at her and she slashed under my eye as she pulled back. Blood dripped into my mouth and I abhored that taste with all my heart. Oddly the remaining pack wasn't here. Oh yeah, most of them were so stupid they needed tutoring. Every day.

The twenty or so minutes I was with them became a silent, futile brawl. Finally, with a final shove, I kneed him in the balls. The assaliant squeeked as I utilized my Krav Mage skills and twisted his arm backwards and pushed him to the ground. The cheerleader tried to take me out with the knife. But with perfect timing I released the jock's arm, which sprang up and caught the knife in his wrist. There was a scream and I ran, with the cheerleader trying to pull out the knife from the man's wrist. Thank God nobody else was with them.

Rushing around the corner, I bumped into my best friend Alyssa. Her brown hair that was curled at the end bounced up and we both fell. She had faint freckles, white teeth, blue eyes, and long slender legs. She was wearing a tank top and jeans.

"Hey," she said softly as she picked herself up and dusted herself off. I noticed her German Shepherd, which used to be an attack dog. I then noticed the two coming around the corner, and I had an idea.

"Atack!" I yelled, pointing at the duo running our way. The dog hesitated, sniffing its nose, then rushed at blinding speed. I did the same in the other direction.

I reached my home, slammed the door, and locked it. Hope that dog was doing okay.

My parents were on a cruise for the rest of the month, so I went into the backyard to see Stargazer. Stargazer was my horse that i got on my 6th birthday. He was black with starlike spots on his hind. Stargazer was the son of Bolt, a horse that died a year ago. Now Stargazer treated me as an equal.

I went to the barn to fetch some oats for Star as he pranced around our massive yard. I came back with oats and water, and he gratefully ate. I stuffed a carrot in the bowl for a treat.

I changed into a riding jacket, cowboy boots, and a bandana. It was tradition to wear cowbuy hats, but I like bandanas because they they weren't as massive. I then ran into the backyard to see Alyssa sitting on the fence. I came over and apologized to her over her dog.

"Its fine." she said, then grinned. "You look like you're from Texas." I know I did. On my trip there in the middle of July last year, my dad and I got into an obsession for cowboys. So we bought a lot of their gear, a few hats, and didn't know what the hell to do then. Then I stated the obvious of us being able to learn to ride a horse. My dad's arthritis prevented him from doing too well, but I did great. Dad bought me Stargazer later.

"Maybe thats what I'm looking for," I answered. We giggled. There was an awkward silence. I looked at my horse, then at her pleading eyes. Then I gave in.

"Hey, you want to ride with me?" I asked. She smiled, her white teeth radiating a glow like a lightbulb or a lantern.

She nodded and I brought out Tank, my dad's horse, and he hopped on. She knew how to ride a horse, she had done it plenty enough before, and we galloped off into the Horse Park, using the horse trail. I inquired what happened to the two that were attacking me, and she said they ran off. Her dog, Bomber, was in her backyard. She was lucky, she had a pool.

The further we got into the forest, the cooler it was. A soft wind rippled the aspen leaves and other trees and I found myself shivering. It was really hot a few minutes ago! What caused it to cool down? Probably the shade. The shade was a deep red from the sun radiating onto the plants with red leaves.

Actually it became too cool. Smelled a lot like.....water. Like after it rains or when your really close to the pool and you can smell the aqua.

And thats when the forest floor started to flood from the lake ahead. "Shit," I cursed. My horses were freaking. The ground was too wet to absord this. Its like pouring water on mud. Just made a huge mess.

The water was extremely hot, so hot that our horeses started to whinny. We turned tail and sprinted for home. The wet soil wasn't absorbing this. It was going to be a flood.

Lake Yickat'e was the largest lake in Wisconson, triple the length of Cheyenne, and was really deep. 400 feet deep. If the lake flooded, we all would die. Especially with 80% of the houses having roofs 8 feet off the ground.

We hooked Tank and Stargazer to a stable. There was no way to save them. And then we climbed onto the roof, praying we wouldn't die. The horses sure would, there dead carcasess inflated from the water they had drank and swallowed.