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

By the time I get home, the clock sounded twice, and dinner is already cooking on the stove, I set my bag down on the kitchen table and lean against the cupboards watching my mom cook, her long fingers delicately holding onto a knife, cutting onions. Small pair of feet thunder down the stairs and René comes racing toward me with her Pajamas on.

“I’ve missed you so!” René yells in my ear her soft skin smelling of soap and shampoo, her small red curls bouncing around her heart shaped face her arms still clutching the same book Dad had given her the day he went away. I let out a soft laugh.

“It’s only been a full day that I haven’t seen you” Her lips turn into a pout and she folds her arms over her chest like a four year old child throwing a tantrum, laughing I set Renee down.

“Children” She whispers, her voice soft, vulnerable. I meet her eyes, or at least try to because she always looks so far away. She hasn’t been the same since the incident in the building of 105. Father was working in the building. His course was experiments’ with technology, and somewhere in the building a man accidently set a bomb off and the whole building collapsed, and all the men were smashed under the impact of the building, or blown up and the project 105 was distinguished from the board and never mentioned again. What is it like, dying, you can’t JUST die, it doesn’t work like that, it has to go through process, dying is very much like cancer…so in a way everyone has active cancer. You die from illness, disease or even old age but you never just die.

“Tada” Mom flushes, her face smiling but her eyes troubled, like she’s not really there, she never is. She took a seat at the dinner table. I scoop up some broth, and spoon it into my mouth trying to think of something. My tolerance holds up for only so long for this woman. I am not mean, it’s just after 6 years trying to nurse someone back to health who chooses to stay in their condition they've been in for so long becomes draining…I wonder what goes on in that head of hers. Does she remember? Or does she really forget her Family?

“Well today’s the 4th” Renee said her smile faltering slightly failing on trying to make a living conversation. You can’t talk to her, you can’t hug her and you can’t…love her, if you don’t want to cry…

“Yep it is” I say quietly. “Soon we will hear about the picking”

Mother fiddles with the spoon looking confused, her everyday cycle broken, and her encounter with something real; vivid. It’s the same thing every year.

Renee stays quiet looking over at me saying it’s my turn. My turn to deal with her and her innocent looks of confusion that irritates me all the more.

“Remember mom?” I whisper, failing to keep my voice from shaking with annoyance.

“When the clock sounds, they will pick over the intercom.”

“They will call out the names who won the last Choice, and then they will pick another 13 in there place.” Renee’s chimes in, saving me. Her bowl empty, small hands pushing it out of her sight, the face of displeasure. Tulip comes rushing in with a brown bag, his coat whipping around him, and the cold air hitting him in the face. He pushes the door closed.

“Did I miss it!?” Tulip says, franticly slipping his coat off. I let out a soft laugh. He’s always frantic, every year, thinking someday he will be the one chosen.

“Right on time” the room always seems to lighten up when Tulip comes home.

“Oh thank god.” He sighs in relief. “But anyways look what I brought” He waves a brown bag around, catching Renee eye of attention.

“What is it” she asks, her eyes gleaming to know. Tulip smiles again, pulling out flat almost round shaped fruit, which looked almost like a peach if it wasn’t for the odd shape.

“UFO Peaches.” Renee smiles big, her hand held out for one, something taste full, something out of the ordinary. Tulip shoves his hand into the bag and pulls out the Peach, handing it to Renee before looking at me.

“Here” he settles the bag down and grabs one more, holding out the peach to me, I grab it, hopping it from palm to palm, feeling the fine small hairs brush against my fingers.

Tulip leans against the table looking at Mother. Mother averts her eyes and he looks down. I get up, scooping his helping of food into a bowl.

“Here” I hand him the bowl and the intercom clicks, the room filling with a woman voice, high and screechy.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for the choosing of the year! It is none other than the 60th year of Choice. Today we have ATRUM here who had won the 57th choice and gave his colony immunity! Here is the winner!

If it wasn’t for the choice, I guess there would be chaos, it keeps us in line, there was a pause and the Mic muffled out and bits of pieces of conversation that were on and off. Letting what’s left of the world listen. NO I DON’T WANT TO. Pause. You have too! Pause. It’s part of your agreement!

Then they were on air again, the voice replaced with a man voice hard and rigid speaking the words with so much force it's straining to your ears to listen.

Hello my name is Atrum, and I am from Colony 3 here to announce the choice awards.

Names spill out coming in no particular order.

Here we welcome the Chosen Beauties in our choice.

Spark Red from Colony 1

Lillie Time from Colony 3

Sabrina Love from Colony 13

Allure Rose from Colony 7

Kevin Right from Colony 4

Rant Tuff from Colony 5

Foxy from Colony 10

Maxwell from Colony 2

Joey Carr from Colony 12

Steve Jones from Colony 6

Brandon Chock from Colony 9

Renal Scarf from Colony 11

Last but not least Serenity Care from Colony 8.

Tulip chokes on his soup, his bowl falling to the floor and Renee smiles big throwing her arms into the air.

“Oh Serenity you got into the Choosing!” Mom looks towards me her expression hinted with twisted remembrance and fear and then hits the floor her body clattering along with the wooden chair…Renee screams. Tulip jumps up, knocking his chair down, the peaches falling to the floor, I jerk out of my seat falling pursuit and everything flashes. Odd, when everything  repeats itself over it gives you an odd sensation. Before I know it my hand was on the Emergency button that all homes have. Tulips hand grips mine and jerks my hand back from slamming down onto the button out of panic.

“Don’t” he whispers pulling me away. I blink confused.

“Why?” He just shakes his head. When it comes down to it, life depends on a box a small round box and it's your choice whether you want to bring down your freedom because once  they know, they will always know.

“Let’s just get her to bed” Hesitant I let my hand fall to my side and without another word, Tulip bends down and scoops Mother up into his arms, cradling her close to his chest. I notice mother's weight and how much she has lost. Her eyes open suddenly and my attention goes back to her face rather than her body, he goes rigid like a stone with stillness.

Her eyes search around the room, but her head stood still. Her mouth began to move and a whisper slips from her lips.

“Kina..?” her voice echoes.

Our family curse breaks and Tulips eyes grew as he snaps his head up, jerking his eyes from Mother.

“Yes. Ellen” Tulip whispers, playing the role of a man that’s no longer here. I look away, not wanting to watch anymore. Tulip hugs Mother to his chest. Anyone else would see a man holding his mother, but I see the things everyone else chooses to ignore, I see my brother dying a little more inside. Mother smiles, a smile that is the unbidden truth.

“Come Ellen. Let’s get you to bed.” walking slowly, Tulip walks out of the room, closing the door behind him. Renee stares out, into nothing, seeing beyond the door. Soft sobs come from the room. She looks at me saying nothing.

“Re-“I try. She shrugs me off, opening her book and then she’s gone, gone to her own little world where there is no pain.

The sun blazes through the flowered drapes that cover the windows. It casted a soft halo like beam over Renee and I. I squint, blinking, waiting for the world to go into focus again. Renee stirs under the blanket, her red curls fluffed around her and her arms tightly secured to my arm and her book. Salty tear streaks stained her small flushed cheeks.

I frown, the memories crashing in like symphony. Sitting up, I spot Tulip hunched over in one of the kitchen chairs. He must have fallen asleep. I struggle to get my arm free from Renee successfully without waking her. It took a couple frustrated sighs until my arm was out of her grasp. I looked down to see Renee still sound asleep. I sigh in relief. The room was a one bedroom and bathroom hutch. Mom has her own room and the rest of us share the living room and kitchen with everyone else

“You’re awake”

I turn to see Tulips voice his eyes open now and his body straightened in the chair.

“You are too as it seems”

A smile between a wince and a frown slips on his face before he gets up and turns on the stove, remembering just as I do.

“Breakfast?”

“That sounds good” I cover Renee with the quilt that must have been put on us while we were sleeping and got up. I walk over to the fridge getting out a carton of eggs. Tulip reaches up and grabs down a bowl and hands it to me, I took it, cracking the eggs, and we worked in silence. The only sound was our hands cooking.

One hour and 30 minutes a breakfast buffet was laid out on the dinner table. Pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages and milk, all together.

“Take a seat, I’ll wake Renee” Tulip set the last plate down, motioning me to sit. Taking a seat, I watched Tulip kneel down and whisper sweet and silent good mornings in her ear. Renee stirs once more. Her eyes finally fluttering open, she looks up at Tulip and hold out her arms. Tulip let out a laugh and scoops her up.

“You are too old” He whispers, swinging her in his arms. I smile resting my chin on my hands.

“Ok guys, let’s eat” I interrupt, both Tulip and Renee walk to their seats with smiles on their faces, as if yesterday never happened, which it did obviously.

There is a knock on the door and I was in the pursuit to catch it until Tulip stops me. Usually I get the door...

“I got this.” I nod and sit back down, returning my attention back the buffet that lay in front of me.

“You go first” Renee smiles and grabs a paper