1 Bad news

"MARA!...MARA!...MA-"

"I'm coming mam! Stop shouting!" I Shouted to back to my mother, as I threw my door open with way to much strengthening, the bang it made against the wall left me cringing. I hope mam did there that, the collection of dents in the wall from the meany years of abuse was starting to become an eye sore to her, each time a new one appears a new bump would find itself on her head... I ran down the old worn hallway purposely stepping harder on the creaky floor boards just because I liked the noise it made. I was still in my pyjamas because it's Saturday, meaning I have no school. So it was ok to still be in my pyjamas, especially since I wasn't planning on going anywhere and if anyone disagrees then their wrong.

As I flew down the stairs I slipped once and giving myself a small hart attack my fluffy slippers did nothing to keep a grip of the old wood that's been polished with abuse. I didn't know what Mam wanted but by the tone in her voice I knew it was urgent, and bing a strict mother with two sets of twin brothers with myself bing the oldest only daughter she had to be less chaos ensues... not that it doesn't but at least it's more of a manageable level... kind of...

Looking into the living room I found Josh one of my little brothers and the family dog, happily surrounding himself with the Saturday mood. He's most likely trying to forget the homework that's sitting in his abandoned school bag in his room.

"Where's Mam?" I asked him in disgust upon noticing the pile of sweet rapers he was half submerged in. How could eat and eat without getting fat? I was jealous at his ability to eat and eat without gaining an inch of weight!

"In the kitchen." He stated bluntly not looking up from the TV on witch was the news talking about how the war is tipping in our favour. They always say that it's getting better but nobody believes it, because it once has the war stopped in 247 years maybe longer nobody knows the exact time it started... well at least not us civilian.

"Thanks." I turned to walked out of the room but before I did, I stoped and said. "Lay off the sweets, you'll lose your teeth." I wasn't lying he had the most cavities in the family.

As I made my way to the kitchen, walking out of the living room and into the hall I heard Josh shout "NOT ON YOUR LIFE!" I huffed then smiled, it'll be on his life not mine, I chuckled He'll grow up to regret it I'm sure.

As I neared the door to the kitchen I could hear Mam and Dad arguing with two other people. I could only make out the two other voices to be male, everything else in their voices was void of any hint of emotion.

What should I do? it was obvious that these people my parents were talking to are important so I really shouldn't interrupt... but Mam did call me down. Should I knock or just walk in? Looking at the peeling paint on the off white door I couldn't make up my mind. The two other voices in the room put me on edge for some reason I didn't like it, it was foreboding. Well I'm gonna have to go in eventually so I'll knock it's at least polite, a word that doesn't often come up in my family but we have guests so it's the least I could do. So I knocked on the kitchen door three times and waited. Who the hell are they? The council? New neighbours? as my thoughts spun my fathers voice boomed through the door scoring the shit out of me.

"Nathan, I swear to god! If you don't stop knocking the door you'll be grounded for a week!" my Dads voice frightened me half to death I hated it when he raised his voice like that. Bloody hell Nathan! Can't you behave!? Why'd you have to get dad in a bad mood?! Fucking brat!

"Umm... you called?" I squeaked. My Dad was a kind man but get him angry and well... lets just say its not nice. He doesn't hit us or anything, but the look he gives us and his stern voice is enough to make any kid cry like he stole their balloon.

"Oh! Mara? come in, come in. You should have just walked in." My Mam's voice answered putting me at ease. I opened the door slowly slightly annoyed that the door screeched as I open it, drawing the looked of the two strangers sitting in the room I winced the sheer presence they exuded was huge.

The two men were dressed in black formal army uniforms and had badges and medals displayed proudly on their chests, they seemed to carry themselves with authority and pride. Interstellar soldiers!? What are they doing here!? Was it Adam!? Did he do something again!? I swear that boy is a criminal in the making, I've always vowed to help him burry any body he comes home with... secretly of corse I don't actually want him to murder and won't encourage him with my promise of help.

"Miss Drake, we've come to talk to you about your future." Said one of the soldiers the one with the least stars on his uniform collar. Wait... ME!? They want ME? WHY!?

"Umm... am I in trouble? Because I swear I haven't done anything!" I barley managed to say but it came out panicked making it sound suspicious. You can't blame me, they're very intimidating. You know that feeling of when a police officer passes you on the street and you panic? You think oh shit the police! Then try not to be suspicious even when you haven't done anything but still end up looking suspicious because you're trying to hard? Yeah I was getting an intense feeling like that.

"No, you haven't done anything wrong." Stated the same man. Oh ok so I haven't done anything, that's a relief... wait I know I haven't done anything so why am I relived? Why am I even panicking? Most importantly why the hell am I here!? "Come, sit down and I'll explain." He gestured to the chair besides my father. I slowly walk towards the chair not taking my eyes off of the two of them, as soon as I sit down he immediately starts talking. Jeez talk about impatient.

"You have been chosen to be a..." the man looks down his dark brown hair covering his eye, and his hands that were on the table clenched tightly turning his scared hands white at the knuckles with his sheer grip on them. The man beside him looks at him sighs then picks up we're he left off in a rehearsed practiced voice.

"... Interstellar soldier" he finishes.

Wha...?

Wait... What the FUCK!?

An interstellar soldier!? But I'm not cut out for that! I don't want to go to war! "We know this is sudden but it's not an option to refuse. We can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way." His voice was one you wouldn't disagree with and if you did... well let's say people would picture blood, lots and lots of blood. But I wasn't in my right mind so I didn't pick up on the tone like my perants did. Nope my brain did a stupid, a very big stupid... it decided to open my mouth.

"WHAT!? But I can't fight! Why can't I get a choice!? THAT'S UNFAIR!" I shouted as I stood up suddenly causing the chair to screech on the tile floor catching on one of the chipped tiles and falling over with an unpleasant smack to the floor. I ignored the noise I was used to this happening all the time a common occurrence in an old batters house with five kids. The man with brown hair whipped his head up so quickly I swear it would have snapped off, he looked panicked and scared, at what I didn't know but my attention didn't stay on him for long. His boss, the man with blue hair that seemed to reflect the light like fragmented peaces of glass, was now also standing towering over me easily his bright blue almost a sickeningly white eyes bore into mine with such cold ere it could freeze a city. But guess what? My dumb ass didn't recognise the danger, I wasn't going to cave in, I was angry and he was going to learn that wether he wanted to or not. Consequences be damn!

"You don't have a choice. You will be coming with us." His calm voice was eery and full of out right malice. The room seemed to drop in temperature and freeze my next actin of screaming in his face. Now I recognised danger, a bit late but I now knew it was there not that it changed much, I was still a stubborn brat and proud of it! It did take me me a couple of seconds to get over the sudden change of atmosphere though to notice the room did actually drop in temperature, I watched as my breath as it came out in white clouds as I breathed.

What!? This isn't right! Did he do this!? My attention immediately when back to his startlingly blue white eyes that seemed to be holding a blizzard. I shivered, this man is dangerous and my instincts were screaming at me to get away but I couldn't. "Now be a good girl." His condescending voice was more than enough to snap me out of my sudden fear. It put a fire in my heart. It made me FURIOUS! Who was he to look down on me?! Don't take me little ice princess!!

Glaring at him I replied with a sickeningly sweet smile. "If I'm forced to go, I will kick, scream and bite the entire way!" My smile twisted into a wicked grin just thinking of taking a chunk out of his arm with my teeth, I was not willing to back down. "I will NOT be a 'good girl'!" I growled out.

He obviously wasn't expecting that because his face took on a look of utter shock, the first emotion I've seen except smugness so far. He recovered quickly looking angry and ready to smash my face into the wall. Not that he could... yet. I was still technically a civilian and until I officially registered with the academy I was not allowed to be harmed.

"You will regret that." And with that he left the room. I knew I would I wasn't untouchable at the academy, I knew people died there often. But that was a bridge I would burn when I get to it.

"We'll come to pick you up tomorrow at 18 hundred hours." The brown haired man got up and followed his boss. Slightly incline is his head in my parents direction.

"Well I'm officially going to die." I threw my hands in the air and flopped down into my seat. The room was filled with a silence so thick I'd probably suffocate before they came to pick me up. The table was freezing it had a thin layer of frost coating the surface but it helped cool off the rest of my temper.

"MAM! TURN THE HEATING UP IT'S FREEZING!" Josh's annoying voice filled the room and I sighed, well I most certainly am not going to miss that.

[Well this is the first chapter, I hope ya all like it! If there are any massive mistakes I do appreciate having them pointed out even if English is my first language I never said to anybody that I'm perfect at it, far from it! On that same note though please don't be to harsh...

we'll anyway enjoy!]