Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

My ears adjusted to the bounded RING RING RING that echoed throughout the town. I already knew my mom got upset at me earlier today for being late for the Pledge, so I figure it would be smart not be late for DTA.

I raced upstairs to my room once again and admittingly opened my closet. I slid the clothes briskly to the left til I came across my gray-sulken colored DTA outfit. I quickly threw on my outfit along with my shoes and pedalled myself downstairs to observe my mother sitting at the breakfast table, mindlessly reading the local newspaper.

Without looking up from her newspaper, she exclaimed, “David, school is about to begin in a few minutes. Please hu-” she stopped herself as she looked up at the bottom of the stairs.

“Thought I’d surprise you” I smirked.

“Well, what a wonderful surprise” she replied with a grin.

Knowing mom and how completely and utterly organized she is, I knew it meant a lot to her by being early. It was the least I could do after how I was late this morning.

“Are you hungry?” she questioned. “You still have a couple of minutes to spare.”

“No, I’m okay for now. I think I’m just going to leave now and get a head start there” I stated.

“Okay, have fun” she smiled as she turned to face her focus back on the newspaper.

I headed my way down the black stricken road. I stumbled from the gigantic sized potholes in the streets but continued on. My eyes met with some of the other DTA students walking towards the school in their uniforms. The uneasy smell of gas and smoke filled my nostrils, but I did my best to block it out. By now I’m used to it.

I rounded the last corner and spotted DTA about 100 feet away, as well as I made it there five minutes early. I guess that’s a good thing.

Maybe I can work on my Mental skills for a few minutes since that’s the category I’m struggling in most I thought to myself. I just recieved my first trimester report card of the year and I did exceptionally well with my marks. Physical defense is my forte, completely the opposite of Mental defense. For the most part I do exceptionally well in the other subjects such as the History of Warriors and the Language of the Defense Arts.

“David! Wait up” I heard my name called by the ruffled tone to my right. I turn to see Elias running towards me with a welcoming voice.

“Hey” I reply as we both made our way into the school.

“Getting nervous?” he asks me.

“For what?” I question in return.

“You know, about the huge finals we have in ALL subjects” he said.

“Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me” I say with a sarcastic smile.

I had completely forgot about all of the finals we have coming up. I haven’t even begun studying or considered studying up to this point. It’s annoying how Annie doesn’t even have to worry about finals, all she has to worry about is second grade problems like how to hold a knife.

Elias and I have been friends since ages ago. To the time in first grade to the time now, we have been best buds. We both have the slick back dark brown hair with hazel eyes.

We both separated from each other as we trailed off into our paths to our first class. My first class consisted of History of Warriors. Great, just great I thought to myself. I walked along the gray stained walls of DTA and the black printed signs of Defense Training Academy on several walls.

DTA was one of the larger monuments in Micklemant. Since education of defense and self-protection is so stressed here, it is important it is cared for. Regarding the rest of the day, it was completely normal. Being taught new lessons and new weapons that are ready to be used. Everything was absolutely the same as the day before, thoroughly normal.

Except, after lunch.

I was making my way back from lunch with Elias by my side, walking the hallways as we normally would. Then, as if it happened at the speed of light, a deafening explosion echoed from behind and caused the whole school to rumble. It caused me as well as all of the other students in the school to catapult forward onto the rubble of the floor.

“What was that?!” I heard Elias yell from the left of me.

“I don’t know, just get out of here!” I hollered back.

Almost as if instantly, screams filled the air like water in a pool. It felt like a horror movie, people insanely running around the place, some students just standing in shock. The yells of mercy and the screams of fear made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

I had no idea what was going on, where to go, what to do. All I did was let my feet do the talking and take me wherever that was safe. I ran down the East hallway as fast as I could go, my heart beating in my throat. I passed kids on the floor, crying their hearts off as if they saw a meteor just crash in front of them. I quickly turned to my left to see if Elias was by my side. He was. I turned to look him dead in the eye, not daring to stop my running. I gave him a look that needed no explanation or talking. It just meant RUN.

“Children, get out of the school. Go home and don’t look back!” I heard a teacher yell from behind.

I, along with Elias, luckily made it out of the school.

I bent over, trying to slow down my heartbeat and take a breath. My lungs filled with dust that formed in the sky from the explosion. There was pushing and shoving, and it was almost impossible to hear anything from the ongoing beep that seemed to be playing in my head.

Sirens continued to echo throughout the whole town, and I could start to see other adults running from the street to their homes as panic occupied their faces. There were several teachers guiding the students home and aiding them away from the school.

Suddenly, I felt a hand attach to my shoulder and nudge me forward. “Keep walking, and don’t look back. Don’t look back until you are safe at home” a teacher commanded to me.

But the curiosity inside of me was too much for me to ignore. I craned my neck around to look behind me and I observed as a man was standing as if frozen on top of the wall.

“Get out of here! It’s not safe. The Leaders aren’t who you think they are!” the man shouted. “If you are one of them, one of the six, you have to get out of here immediately. The Leaders are going to find out about you and they are going to kill you. Please, just-

And with the sound of a strike, the man was cut off and swatted off of the Wall and onto the rubble of the concrete below.