Colony 8 by Ren Kazuki (classic books for 7th graders .TXT) 📖

“You know what father said about being outside when the Clock sounds.” Tulip said his arms filled with what seems like heavy boxes.

“Yeah, I know, but I’ll be fine” I frown, replying softly, my hands darting toward my bow, I look up and smile, seeing Tulip leaning against the backyard door, his arms crossed and the boxes by his feet.

“You know you’d be punished if you get caught” His lips thinned into a straight line. I smirk

“I haven’t yet, now have I?” He reaches down and picks up the boxes, turning away and giving up; he knows he can’t win against someone just as stubborn as him, it runs in our blood, the CARE. I haul my bow into its Quill, the bow and Quill my father, he made with his own hands. My father taught me how to draw a bow, to aim, and how to shoot. He said it’s just like learning how to write, I didn’t think so at the time. I was only 6.

In Colony 8 it’s required to fight, everyone is taught how to wield some sort of weapon. Whether it is a bow, pair of daggers or just basic hand combat just in case of a war.

Except this particular colony is a colony of strict rules, most think it’s for our protection and others say it’s not fair, who knows.

There are 13 colonies and each and every one of the 13 Colonies is controlled by ONE man, no one knows if he is real or not but the nickname everyone knows is The One.

The One is the savior of our humanity, or so the tale goes. Back in the dark ages, we had a war between the worlds. It was supposed to be, what the Mayans; call the ‘End of the world” or 2012, except that wasn’t exactly how it played out. Africa, Europe and China all gathered together and fought against South America and North America. Now there is not much left, only half of the world with half  the people which lead to food problems. Supply and demand was at its worst. Who would have known one war can take so much and give nothing in return?

Supply shortage made people go crazy; there were more people hungry than dead. People went great lengths to get a taste of meat this was back when meat was so rare that if you had it, you were considered rich beyond compare. Despite the huge shortage of food war went on for 10 years. Hell broke loose and half the world blew up, along with the people in it thanks to the man who made the Nova Duplex Bomb which is the biggest bomb known to man. So now we are at a population of 100,000 and because of the population decreasing instead of increasing, we split them all up into separate groups, and that is how the 13 colonies were created. Don’t you ever feel like your repeating history? Dividing is never a good idea.

Pretty shitty huh, considering, it’s been over 60 years since then. You’d think in 2072 the world will be filled with robots and everything is done for you, you wish, shit hit the fan.

As I walk out of the house range, leaving behind all of the homes clustered so close together I step into a dirt path, following it up until I met face to face with what we people call “Invisible Force.” You can’t really see the wall all you can hear is a buzz of electricity. Its supposed to be some kind of joke about Star Wars, the name we gave it, even though we’ve never seen a TV  or the movie series and we only heard stories that it looked like a box  the TV I mean and the reason as to  why we have no vivid clue is most of the electronics were destroyed in the War, we didn’t bother trying to reproduce them either, we have far more better things to do then build virtually useless technology. That’s what my father had said.

Staring at the Force, I grab a stick, walking up along the UNending line, remembering what Paul said, “’keep a distance to the sound” I kept a half a foot away, as I kept walking along the path, listening closely to the sound, waiting for the right moment I spread my feet preparing myself. ((((((((((EDITED STOPPED HERE )))))))))))))The Force is supposed to be for our protection, many people choose to ignore the fact that we are trapped in, they think of it as, the Government caring for our safety but people like me do not agree.

A soft click whispered in my ear and I smiled murmuring to myself “There it is…” and without hesitation, I rammed the stick into the Invisible Force and the whole thing cackled it sounding much like a twisting laugh I jump back startled as I stare. The wall flashes a furious red and shuts off long enough for me to  through.

“Once you’ve hit the wall with the stick, and it shuts off to reboot, count to 10 and run” his voice rinvs in my ears like an echo. I counted to 10, taking one big inhale, and took off running toward the wall, the line so many people warned me not to cross.

Adrenalin kicked in. “DON’T FORGET TO JUMP!”’ Paul shouted in my memories. I jumped. Hidden fear that must have been lying in the pit of my stomach, slingshot itself into my throat hitting the right spot and a scream hurtles out of my mouth. The wall hums back to life, the air cutting off instantly on the other side and the force of the wall sent me flying into the trees, my head slamming against the root of one big Weeping Willow. Odd, why is a Weeping Willow here?

“Told you to jump” a voice said. I winced, looking up to see Paul standing over me with his arm outstretched, I scoff.

“Yaw well, I did” he let out a laugh.

Frowning, I grab his arm. “It wasn’t funny” I mutter, rubbing my head. He smiles, the kind of smile that said ‘Oh yes it was’

I roll my eyes at him, reaching for my bow behind me, and to my surprise it was still attached to my back where it belongs. Relief washed over me as I held out the bow, all my fears disappearing. I took in a deep breath, the smell of pine and wood filled my nostrils. I let out a content sigh.

“I love the woods” Paul smiles, his hand going for his own bow that was somewhere hidden under a dead tree I never found out why he hid his bow, he also pulls out a five set of homemade arrows.

The arrows seem odd though, the head of the arrow was sharper than normal and it looked like an arrow head shaped syringe, and at the tail, bright blue wire tape wrapped around the end. I blink, holding the arrow up to my face.

Readying his bow, Paul looks up.

“These are special made Arrows, and at the tip” He says, tapping the head of the arrow with his bow. “Is a deadly poison called Cyanide” I nod, rolling the arrow in my hands careful not to prick myself.

“What’s it for though?” He smiles wide as if I asked the right question.

“I’ll tell you when the time comes.” I frown, nudging him in the shoulder.

“Tell me” I say neatly and gently slipping the arrows into my quill. He shakes his head. I purse my lips into a pout.

“Fine, at least tell me how it works” and this really sets him off because, he was already setting his arrow in position.

“Watch and be amazed” He says, pointing the arrow straight out, walking a few feet away from me, I step back, assuming he needs space, he lifts his finger to his lips shushing me. I nod, as I turn my head toward where the bow is pointed and silence filled the air.

The only sound was our mixed breathing.

It seemed like we stood like that in silence forever and the first sound of movement Paul pivots, jerking his bow at the same time and releases the Arrow into the air, it dives,  gliding so fast it was gone in a blink of an eye. The sound of a small body hit the floor. Paul looks back at me, and smiles.

“Go find the arrow” he says nodding his head toward the bushes where he shot the arrow and I nod, making my way over and pass Paul, hesitant I bend down and part the bushes. A small furry body lay still in the middle. I grab the arrow, pulling it out. The small body didn’t much as a flinch, the thing was completely dead. Looking back at Paul, I hold up the Arrow.

“See how good it works? Cyanide takes longer to kill than this but with the help of the arrow.” He wiggles the arrow. “The arrow causes shock to the animal, and when an animal is at shock, it makes them much more vulnerable to death.” He smiles big.

“It literally took me forever to get this bit of cyanide”

Cutting him of I say “Wait, isn’t cyanide illegal?”

Paul seems to pause.

“Well, yeah but I mean”

“AND” I point out. “If you eat an animal that died from poisoning, wouldn’t you also get poisoned as well?”

Paul turned and shook his head looking serious for a moment. “It’s not for eating, Serenity”

The colony is a strict place, and by the time he polishes his arrows and slung it back into its pouch; the sun was already going down. On cue both of us walk down the path we had taken, making sure we weren’t as close to the ‘Force’ as I was last time, and this time I let Paul do it, and like a PRO he doesn’t even have to walk up along the wall to open it, he just jams the stick in, and like always

It does its tantrum and opens. He looks at me and grins, grabbing me by the waist and lifts me up into the air.

“Paul!” I shout he lets out a laugh and jumps. I let out a soft girl squeal as I felt the wall close an inch away from us literally feeling my hair cut from the power, he cusses and loses his footing. We tumble down the hill, Paul forces me into his arms and we hit a tree, his back crushes against the large trunk taking the impact  I suck in a breath and Paul lets out an OMPH sound before rolling over me. Frantic I sit up, Paul looks up at me and he breaks out in laughter.

“What?”

“We almost died” he gasps a breath “By a wall” He bends over in laughter his body shaking. Paul would so laugh at times like this!

“That- is not funny!” I try holding back my smile.

“Yes, it's freaking funny” I shake my head and break out laughing, not able to hold it in any longer.

“Yeah, it