My Life Outside
Chapter One
I watched as my parents stood above me and my siblings yelling about everything they did wrong to each other. Buck looked up at them with his innocent 8 year old eyes filling with tears, he didn't even know what was going on. Lily was sleeping in my arms now awoken by fierce yelling she was starting to cry. Hatred filled the room, all calm happiness gone. They had started fighting a few months ago, right after my 14th birthday. Then it was quiet. They had both stopped, looking down at us. "Huntress, darling, will you take your siblings outside." I nodded to my mothers request, I really wished she didn't act like everything was fine, I knew what was happening, I knew what would happen. I pushed open the door to concrete ground outside, we lived closer to the fence of the base than anyone else did, I guess my parents would rather the others not hearing them yell, but they do, I can hear them whisper as I walk by them. I looked through the fence, still holding Lily, and feeling Bucks hand in mine. They were so innocent, I wish they didn't have to grow up like this. Outside of the fence was a large field that circled the base, and on the other side of that field was another fence, barb wired at the top, just like this one. The sun was setting making the wheat crops turn golden. I turned my head as I felt Bucks hand being slipped from mine, there stood my mother and father, my mother pulling Bucks hand, beckoning us silently inside. My mother, Rachel, grabbed Lily from me carrying her and dragging Buck back inside. My father, Jack, closed the door behind them and walked towards the fence, this man had taught me to hunt, to survive, and to keep my family safe if anything ever went wrong. He leaned up against the fence looking out, "You know Huntress, what I taught you, you will use someday. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday you will need it." I turned and looked outside as he said,"You know I love you, and your siblings, right?"
"Of course, dad." He smiled looking at me with his kind green eyes, exactly alike to mine, "Your mother and I," he hesitated,"Huntress, I have to leave." I froze. "Where." I asked. "I'm going to transfer my self to another base. South from here. Hopefully by the coast." I had tears in my eyes, the man who, my father, was leaving. He moved away from the fence and got down on one knee putting his worn out hands on my shoulders, looking at me with tears in his eyes, he whispered,"Huntress, you are a exact replica of me, you are smart, you are brave, you might be a little quiet, but you can do anything, you're a natural leader, just like I am. And I trust you to take care of your mother, brother, and sister, I've taught you what to do if something happens, where to go, and how to survive. I believe you can. You can do anything you put your mind to. You understand? I love you and mother, and your brother and your sister. You remember that. Take care of them." He stood, and wrapped me in a hug, I was bawling into his shirt and I could hear his sniffle once or twice, he was trying to stay strong. He pulled away from me and kissed my cheek, grabbed his bag and walked away.
2 years later
I stood on the roof looking down at the people of the base. Our current leader had died earlier today, he was a old man, a lunatic many say, but after my father left, he had taken me under his wing. And now, I had to jump, and not die. Well, try to. This was the way our base appointed the leaders, you had to jump off a 3 story building. Stupid right? Probably why he was the last leader. I looked down at the ground trying to prepare my landing in my head, I took a few steps back and paused, doubts came rushing in, fear, pain. I pushed them away and bent down in a running pose, looking to where I would jump. I pushed off, feeling the wind in my long black hair, two more strides and I would jump, one, two. I leaped, aiming for the zip line I used to get up there, I grasped the line with my gloved hands stoping myself from falling, I saw a ledge on the building I jumped from and started swinging myself to get some air, I could feel everyones eyes on me, I could feel them holding their breath as I swung side to side, three more, one, two, three. I pushed off of the line, almost to the ledge, I made the ledge just right, one mistake there, I would've died. I was only half a story up from the ground now so I just dropped of the ledge, hitting the ground firmly. People gapped at me, they didn't expect me to survive, they didn't want a 16 year old as their leader, this will be difficult. I pushed through the crowd with my head held high, walking towards my mother, she wrapped me in a hug with tears in her eyes. I pulled away from her and looked at the crowd and followed their gaze, there was a man on the top of the building, he was going to try to jump. I shrugged, he'd be better than me. He dropped, we watched him fall, down, down, and he hit the ground with a crack, he didn't land on his feet, he landed on his head, I quickly pushed through the crowd, leaning down beside him, and felt his pulse, nothing. I did not know his name, "Who is this man!" I yelled out to the crowd. "Jacob Marshal! Ma'am." A man yelled to me. "Find the Marshals. Tell them he is dead." I cast a long sad look at him, he probably had a family. The crowd began to break apart, some going out to the fields to work, some going to their shops or stores, others to their homes. I went inside the building I had to jump off of. The first floor was like the police department, combined with the fire department. As I walked in all the police stood at attention, "Meeting in 20 minutes!"I nodded at them and jogged up the stairs. I went into the meeting room and sat down. I heard someone clear their throat behind me, "Miss, can I help you with something? You can't be in here." I didn't turn and look at him and said,"I can. I'm the leader of this base now, I can go wherever I please."
"I'm going to need some identification."
I took my badge from my leather jacket and threw it behind me. "Oh, sorry, Miss."
"Better be." I mumbled under my breath. "Can I help you in any way?"
"Yes, you can." I spun my chair around to face him, he had short curly hair, a lab coat and kakis on. "You can get me a cup of coffee and all the reports of crime in the last year." I flipped my long black hair out of my face and waited for him to respond, "Of course Miss. By the way, how old are you?" I chuckled,"I'm 16, and who are you exactly?" He gathered his posture,"Tj Flight. Head scientist, 17, male,"
"Okay, I don't need a life story Tj. It's nice to meet you and I'm sure we'll get know each other real fine. Now are you going to go get me my things or just stand there like a rod?"
"Oh right." He turned back into the hallway. I heard a door creak on the other side of the room as it opened, revealing the chief of police, fire department and all the officers, and fire men, their assistants, and helps. Dang. Crazy old Manny sure had this place organized. "Take a seat then." I said to them. They all sat.
