Subgene

Chapter 1

I squinted my eyes at the bright Saturday morning sun. I sat up and yawned, stretching my arms and legs. I opened my window and a crisp breeze floated into my room, cooling me off. I sat up and put my jet black hair into a loose braid and threw on some jeans and a plain blue t-shirt. I walked into the living room and a strong scent of sweet bacon and pancakes filled my nostrils. My mom was cooking and my dad was sitting on the couch readin the newspaper with a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Good morning, Alex," my father said looking up from his newspaper and smiling. I smiled back and walked to the kitchen where my mom handed me a plate of breakfast and gave me a quick kiss on the top of my head where she started fixing my hair where it had become loose. I thanked her and started eating. My dad started talking to my mom.

"Do you see this, Honey? Somebody died in a car accident yesterday! It happened in New York. I remember when I was a kid thousands of people died in a car accident everyday, if people arent careful that is what's going to happen again!"

I laughed. It seems like my dad has unlimited When-I-Was-A-Kid stories. I finished and gave my mom the empty plate and told them I was going for a bike ride. I walked outside and grabbed my bike and started peddaling.

I rode my bike up the street and cut into a park. I went about a mile longer and I hit a stream. It was more like a small river. This was my favorite place to ride my bike. It was always a cool tempurature and the water sounded beautiful. I slowed down the pace and enjoyed the view. I eventually slowed to a stop and took a seat on a rock, my heart racing from peddaling. I closed my eyes and listened to the running water and the birds overhead. My head was resting on some grass and I squinted my eyes because of the sunlight peeking through the treetops on my face. My jet black hair rested on my chest and my pale skin contrasted against it. I sat up and sighed. I loved coming out here to think. Not a lot of people do that now a days; just st and think. They all say 'What's the point?' The only other time you could sit and think was when you were at church, but you never thought about yourself.

 There was an ant walking next to me and I started poking at it with a stick when I heard a twig snap and leaves russle. I sat up with a jolt and looked around. Nobody was to be seen. My dad had told me stories about when he was a kid you couldn't just walk around town because there would be dangerous people walking around to take innocent people as their own. I was always afraid there was still one or two people like that and I was going to be the one to run into them.

I stood up and looked around, walking towards my bike. There were no more weird noises so I jumped on my bike and peddaled out of there as fast as I could. The adreneline hit me and I was going speeds of 40 mph. I hit the park and kept going, striaght to my house.

I ran into my house not looking back and leaving my bike in the front yard. I wasn't scared anymore but my heart was racing. My dad looked back up from the newspaper once more and my mom walked out of her room surprised to see me breathing so hard.

"Is everything ok, Sweeite?" she asked.

"Yeah, just wanted to go fast," I said, walking to my room.

"Well you need to get in the shower soon, we're going to Karissa's Ending Party at 6."

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I walked into my Aunt Karissa's house with her presant in my hands. I walked over to her and gave her a hug. Today was August 12th. Her subgene said she was going to die tomorrow so she was having her Ending Party today. An Ending Party was a party you have before you are going to die so that everyone can gather around and say their goodbyes, before you were dead. It was a happy day where you would enjoy your last couple days on the Earth. People brought you presants of your favorite foods to eat, or things you want buried with you.

My father had told me once that there were no such things as Ending Parties. They had Birthday Parties. Every year on the day you were born you would have an anniversary party celebrating your birth. People bought you gifts of toys or things you would use everyday. You would have cake and have a good time. It's all silly though. Why would you have parties every year? Every single year celebrating? It just doesn't make sense. At an Ending Party, you celebrate your whole life, not just one year.

I sat down next to my parents as they started the traditional picture veiwing. It was a slideshow of pictures of Karissa starting when she was just a baby. Everybody brought in some. Some people started tearing up at the thought of losing their beloved one. I don't know why though, we all knew it was going to happen.

After the slideshow, Karissa started opening her presants. She grabbed a pretty decorated one with a cute blue bow on the top and opened it. It was a stuffed animal of a panda, her favorite animal before it had become extint. She thanked the person that had gotten it for her and told her it was going to be sitting right next to her in her coffin.

She grabbed the presant we gave her. The green stripes on the bag matched the green bow perfectly. She took out the box of chocolates. She smiled and assured us that they would be gone by tonight. My mother laughed and said, "Well, that's what they're for!"

After opening a few more, she left the room and we were left to talk. I watched as the people there talked and laughed as Karissa stood in the kitchen emotionless. Her long flowey blue dress hung at her ankles and she played with the straps. Her curled hair drooped in front of her eyes. It must be hard for her knowing it's her last day. She doesnt know how she's going to die though, no one does. About 99% of the time it was of natural causes, the other 1% isn't spoken about much.

Karissa came back with a big German Chocolate Cake which had 44 candles on top of it. She had lived a great life. Everytime I had come to visit she was always happy and bubbly. I felt bad for my cousins.

After cake we played the traditional games. They were stupid games, but everyone enjoyed them because it was fun to hang out with friends and family.

We left her house at around 10. I gave her one last hug and told her that I was going to miss her. My mom hugged her for a long time and they both started tearing up. Karissa said, "Don't cry! You know this is supposed to be a happy day! Your supposed to have a fun day today! Not remember it by crying!"

My mom gave a weak smile and my dad walked me to the car. My mom came back a couple minutes later with puffy red eyes and a weak smile still. We drove home in the darkness and I fell asleep to the sound of my mom's sobs.