Chapter 1: A Beginning

Everything is calm and beautiful. The sun is shining so bright, I can feel it on my skin; I can even breathe it in. The birds are chirping, and the grass are tickling my ankles just enough to make me smile. Still, something seems a bit off. I take a final deep breath from the beautiful field before a sudden loud alarm ring.

When I open my eyes and quickly snapped back into reality right before I smack the ringing alarm clock on the nightstand. As I lazily sit up and rub my eyes, I look out of the window. After double-checking the alarm clock, I realize how the sun should have already been up by 7:17 AM.

The mornings have slowly been getting darker every day since the war started. Thick, grey, foggy pollution blocks out the sun more and more each day, with new nuclear weapons being tested daily. I remember catching bits of information about the current state of the world. Things about breaking points, bombings, terrorist attacks, and many other things I either didn't care about, or didn't understand. Maybe both, in some cases, as I'm still 10 years old.

I quickly shrug the thought off and decide to get ready for school. A joyful moan leaves my mouth as I sit on the edge of the bed and stretch myself. Then I walk towards the wardrobe and Without hesitation, I open its doors wide and put on my favourite long-sleeved shirt.

The sleeves are red, but the rest is black, so it looks like there are sleeves coming out from under a regular T-shirt. Then, Iput on my dark blue jeans before I head to the other side of the room, into my bathroom to wash my face. If nothing else, the lack of warm water wakes me up a little. I pick up my dark red backpack. It's heavy, since not only I have to bring books to school but survival equipment too. I double-check everything in the bag, then head downstairs.

I make my way down the stairs. I keep staring at the entrance of the house. then turn left and walk into the kitchen to find my breakfast ready on the table, but my parents are nowhere to be seen. I drop mybackpack on one of the empty chairs and hear some quiet chattering from behind, it's coming from my parents' room.

I turn around and make my way across the living room towards their bedroom. After knocking politely a couple of times, I put my ear to the door.

"Come in, honey." said mothee

Gently pushing the door open to find my parents sitting on the edge of the bed and watching the news, which is muted now.

"Unbelievable. I'm telling you, Greta, the government isn't in control anymore, and I wonder if they ever have been. We are this close to having a nuclear war; just take a look outside!" My father scowls while he turns the television off and rubs his eyebrows.

"Calvin…" My mother stops for a second and looks at my father. "Everything is fine. It is perfectly safe to go outside. The government keeps everything under control." She gives my father that look. I know it very well. They do that when something is probably not exactly the way they tell me it is, but even though I know that, it still feels good to hear that everything is fine.

"Come, honey, there's no time for breakfast. You should have eaten instead." My mother rubs my head, and they escort me to the kitchen. I shrug a little with an empty stomach and head towards the door with my backpack.

"Hey, son! Didn't you forget something?" My Father walks over to me and pushes a small, thick, yellow card into my hand. It emits a loud beeping sound, and a green light suggests that it's on.

"This is the second time you've almost forgotten to bring your identity card. If they ever catch you outside without it, they'll either take you to the refugee camp or implant it under your skin and seal it around the chip so it can never be taken out. Do you want any of that?" Father says before rubing my back.

Ouch. Indeed I have heard stories about that. It's not the implantation process that hurts, but the sealing. Especially if you attempt to take it out. "No, it won't happen again. I'm sorry," I say and open the door to leave.

"Take care, honey, and be good today, I'm making your favourite meal for you. We love you," My Mother says.

"Yup," My Father adds, now sipping coffee.

"I always come home in one piece. Don't worry about me." With that, I close the door and leave.

As you step outside, a bad mixture of a burning and rotting smell fills my nose. I have been getting used to it though, as much as one can get used to something like that. I make way towards the fence, walking through a garden that has no living plants in it. I look at it and can't help but smile at how they made a regular fence into a barbed fence, with two guards standing on each side of the entrance. I glance back at the orange-coloured house, with a red roof.