Short Stories From a Camera

John's Rules To Live By

Rules to Live By:

Rule 1 - Never let anyone know you exist, except your family

Rule 2 - Never let anyone see you

Rule 3 - Never let anyone hear you

Rule 4 - Never go outside

Rule 5 - Always make sure that, if needed, any trace of your existence can be erased in five seconds

Rule 6 - Always have more than one hiding place, incase one isn't available

Rule 7 - Have a escape route incase someone starts searching the house

Rule 8 - Hide if anyone except your family is around

Rule 9 - Make sure you can keep your mouth shut if you get discovered

Rule 10 - Break all the rules listed above if you ever want any freedom

I finish my list with a smile. I lean back from the wall and study my work. John's Rules to Live By, as I call them, are engraved in the wall of my room, oh sorry, I mean prison. 

 "John!" I hear a yell from downstairs. 

I sigh and slide off my bed. I walk down the stairs as quietly as I can, mainly out of habit. Then I remember my Rules to Live By and start jumping down the stairs as loudly as I can. When I reach the bottom, Andy flings open the hidden door that leads from my room into the hallway at the bottom. 

"What were you thinking?!" Andy asks me, "What if someone heard you?!" 

"Relax," I push past Andy, "If they did hear, they'd think it was either you or Mark."

"That's not the point! Mom says you're suppose to keep quiet!" Andy says, as he follows me through the house. 

I walk into the kitchen. Mom is at the stove, cooking, and Dad is at the table, reading the newspaper. 

"John, come stand," Dad says. 

I walk over and stand next to him. Andy goes into the living room, where Mark is doing his homework before he goes to school. 

"Son, we have to hide you to keep you safe," Dad starts, I roll my eyes. "So why, why. Why in the world would you do that?!" Dad's face turns red. 

Everyone in the house looks at Dad. We hear a honk from outside. Mark and Andy grab their backpacks and run outside. The school bus sits at the end of our street, waiting.