1 Was it a dream?

CHAPTER ONE

Hazuto's POV:

I wake up to a hand on my shoulder, shaking me from my short slumber. Looking up, I see Aiko, a familiar face smiling at me. "Get up, Hazuto. If we don't head home early today, Mom's going to be angry for sure," Aiko says. We find ourselves alone in a bright field filled with debris.

"Why didn't you wake me up, Aiko? We're going to be late because of me," I say, rushing to leave the field with Aiko, heading straight to our small village. "You were sleeping so peacefully until you started shaking and crying. What kind of dream did you have?" Aiko asks, concerned.

"I can't remember. It felt like I wasn't asleep," I respond.

Aiko holds my hand like a lost child and reaching our village quickly, we enter our small home, joining our family—a small unit consisting of our mom, dad, two cousins, and our uncle.

"Look at the time! Why are you coming home so late? Don't you know it's dangerous to stay out with everything happening?" Our mom expresses her anger. "You both are still 10 years old. I feel bad sending you to fetch water all by yourselves, but someone needs to stay here and watch the family."

Our mom tenderly hugs us from behind. Aiko covers for me, saying, "The water supply got cut short, and we had to wait in line," protecting me from years of scolding about my sleeping habits.

"That's fine. Sit at the table with the family and wait for dinner," our mom concludes and head to the our small kitchen

As we settle at the old rusty table with about 7 chairs. I sit down and relaxed a bit and then, I turn to Aiko, "You didn't have to lie for me. I could have handled that myself." Aiko, with a hint of disgust, playfully punches me and retorts, "Yeah, sure. If I'm not always here to protect you, you would've been eaten by hungry beggars."

"Hey, that's mean! Why would anyone want to eat me?I mean I know I taste good and all" I reply, playfully pulling at the two short antennae on each side of Aiko's forehead.

Aiko smirks seeming to find my reply w

Funny. Within minutes, plates of potatoes and meat are served. I observe our cousins, uncle, dad, and mom eating heartily and chatting.

"They all eat like animals, maybe because we only eat once a day," I smirk, slowly savoring my meal.

30 MINUTES LATER

"That wasn't much, but it tasted good," I remark to Aiko as she starts clearing the dishes. "Both of you should go to bed; it's 9 PM, and tomorrow is your first day of school," our mom insists while collecting the dishes from aiko.

"Ugh, why do we have to go to school? It's only fair if Kai and Kei come with us," I grumble quietly.

I feel a sharp pain as my mom tugs at my antennae. "Ouch, that hurts! Stop it," I protest. "Your cousins are still 4 years old and can't start school until they're 10, so stop being stubborn."

"Okay, fine, I hear you. I'll go to sleep now, just stop pulling my antennae," I concede, heading to bed with Aiko.

I look at "Aiko, don't babysit tomorrow. I want everyone to think I'm a big boy, not someone who needs a girl's help for everything," I declare as I lie down, trying to sleep.

I hear a slight stutter from Aiko, "then act like a big boy and not a cry baby".but I assume she's already asleep.

I slowly slumber off.

AN ALARM FILLED WITH A LOUD SOUND THAT COULD REACH MILES AWAY WITH SOMEONE TALKING THROUGH A SPEAKER "THE HUMANS HAVE INVADED OUR LAND, I REPEAT THE HUMANS HAVE INVADED SO PLEASE LEAVE WHEREVER YOU'RE STAYING AND HEAD TO LAND PATRICK FOR PROTECTION"

I wake up to the most distressed face Ive ever seen my parents in, waking me and Aiko and our cousins up to pack our things and start moving "Aiko, hazuto, Kai, kei. Wake up and start packing, we have to run now or we will all be slaughtered like animals"

"Slaughtered" That word kept ringing in my mind as I look around and noticed everyone packing in panic, I follow cue and do the same. Humans was never really a topic for the people of this villages, just rumors here and there on how evil they are from the villagers

I pack rapidly alongside Aiko and getting ready to leave our house in such little time, as our family exit from the house. I noticed screams of women, men, children, animals from all directions, fire consuming the village. I could taste scent of fresh blood in the air and roars coming from a meter away from us

I look back to see the most horrifying figure on top the roof our family house. A A 7ft creature.It's face was hideous, it's mouth was wide open with numerous teeth sliding back in and front and it had two antanneas like our people.

I heard a scream so loud and so close. I realized this terrifying creature was much closer to us than I thought. Within matter of seconds it grabbed the hand of my mom. Opening it's spaceless mouth ready to bite the forearm of my mother.

My mother, a young woman who would give her life to see everyone happy was about to get devoured by this monster. I couldn't do anything I stood there completely scared, my legs shaken, my face filled with fear. My flight or fight response decided to choose stand still

I closed my eyes not wanting to see my mom being devoured by this creature.

Within a matter of seconds, I hear a munching sounds so horrifying it sounded like my dad in the toilet. I open my eyes not wanting to but the curiosity and fear overcomed my will.

I was shocked to realize my mom was sitting on the floor and my uncle kokei was being eaten by this creature. With fear and excruciating pain on his face as his arm was devoured up bit by bit with his last words "RUN"

We all started running leaving my uncle behind who risked his life to save my mother. My mom and dad picked up kei and Kai in their arms and ran like animals with will to survive, I followed along side Aiko.

"My legs, they are failing me" I whisper and realized Aiko heard me. I was never really good at athletics I was very bad infact but Aiko, my mom, dad, uncle, and cousins we're all good at it and almost perfect at everything they do. Sometimes made me wonder if I was really born by them.

Aiko rushes to me trying to lift me up and give me support, I looked at Aiko "I thought humans didn't look so hideous, what the hell was that. It had antennae like our people". Aiko with concern on me slowing down didn't care about what creature was that whether it's human or us

"Hazuto, you have to keep running fast, only God knows how fast that mutated creatures are. So please hazuto run" Aiko says while holding my body through my waist and running fast.

"I'm trying but unlike you guys I'm useless and not like you even though we are the same right?". I look down and realized I'm on the floor laying flat realizing I tripped over a rock in my attempt to run.

My mom notices this and drops Kai down and head over to me trying to bring me up "Aiko, make sure your cousin and your dad reach land Patrick safe. I will bring hazuto by myself"

Aiko in an attempt to decline notices the resolve on our mom face and accepts and they take off leaving me and a bruised leg with my mom picking me up.

"Goddamint mom, what are you doing leave me alone. If you fall behind what happened to uncle kokei will happen to me and you, atleast we should only only loose two people in our family"

I stare front in distant noticing people from the villages have already reached the gate of land Patrick. "No hazuto, I will never leave you behind. Even from your birth I never left you behind" My mom says with tears in her eyes.

I didn't have enough time to comprehend what she said and noticing a hideous creature behind me and mom stretching his hand to grab me. I scream out loudly in fear

In an attempt to save me, my mom pushes me out of the way. Within seconds I noticed a pool of blood and the neck of someone who stayed with my all through out 10 years in that hideous monster mouth.

I run towards the monster charging with my little body and bruised leg to punch the monster, how stupid I am. I murmur to myself.

As my fist comes in contact with the creature strong and bloody arm.

A dark room filled with blood and a king sitting on a throne with tears in his eyes "Move forward" a small voice ringed

I felt a sharp pain on my stomach as I realized my mom used whatever strength she had to kick my stomach as she was being engulfed by this monster slowly to snap me back to reality. "Run hazuto, promise me you will live and meet your dad and aiko to find the truth about you" with her last breath she dies off

A confused look appears on my faces mixed with horror, despair and fear as I get up with bruised leg noticing this monster is almost done devouring my mom which means I'm it's next feast

I start running fast with tears in my eyes fulfilling my mother death wish, and with two words in my mind move forward. As I run faster to land Patrick.

END OF CHAPTER.