(1) The Invincibles: Trial and Error

Chapter 1: Saturday Surprise

Authors Note: This is my first try at posting a story online. I hope someone likes it. Please ,please tell me what you think! Even if its bad, I want to know! This first chapter might be kind of slow, but it gets better, I promise! Read, comment, vote! Thanks!!

*          *          *

CHAPTER ONE

The ocean licks my toes. The sun warms my face, and every few seconds I feel a cool breeze stir my hair. I want to stay in this moment forever. But a part of me knows I will have to go soon. In the distance, I hear a faint beeping. I ignore it and try to focus on the sun, and the sea. The beeping gets louder, intent on getting my attention. The sky cracks, shatters. Then it slips away entirely. I struggle to hang on; squeeze my eyes shut and will my dream back into reality. But it is not so. My legs won’t move. It seems like I am trapped in a net, and I struggle to get free. Suddenly I open my eyes and it is not the ocean licking my toes, but my dog; Pom-Pom. When she sees that I am awake, she comes to lick my face. The beeping persists so I roll over and turn off the alarm clock. Pom-Pom nibbles my nose and I smile.

“I know, I know. You’re hungry, huh?” She yips in response. “Okay, gimme a minute.”

I get myself out of the tangle of sheets on my mattress, and sit up to see 8 pairs of eyes staring up at me.

“Oh, I see how it is.” I say to my pets, “Everyone is gangin’ up on mommy today, hm?” One of the cats purr, the dogs lick their lips. I crawl to them on all fours.

“Who’s hungry?” I ask, “Who?Who?” They look at me pleadingly, and finally I give in. “Okay, let’s go!”

I jump to my feet and they watch my every move. I throw the covers back onto my mattress on the floor in a sad attempt to straighten up. I pick up the candy wrappers, empty soda and tuna cans from the night before, and the room looks much better. I walk to the kitchen, throw the junk in the trash and get to work. I munch a banana while I pour out five bowls of dog food, and three bowls of cat food. I feed the dogs first, in order of age.

Lady, my eleven year old Golden Retriever, has been mine since she was born, and I was six. Pick of the litter. Hotdog, my 9 year old Beagle—I found him in a box on the side of the road when I was 8. The twins, Fang and Fiona, are two 4 year old Husky’s that I adopted a couple years ago. And then there’s Pom-Pom—my cute little ball of fluffy white fur. She’s a Pomeranian and the newest addition to my family. She’s only 8 months old, and is the first dog I’ve actually bought. I can’t forget my cats! There’s Garfield my fat orange tabby. He lives up to his name by being able to digest pretty much anything. He’s seven, and I caught him eating a mouse in my tree house when I was 10. Next up is Sabrina; a kitten given to me for Christmas 3 years ago. The year after Sabrina, I got mittens, my black and white male American Shorthair.

After I feed the cats and dogs, I go into the other room to feed my other, more unusual pets. Along with my normal household pets, I have 2 young Teddy Bear hamsters named Prince and Princess, a seven year old female Cockatoo named Rose, 4 salamanders, a full gown seventeen year old male tortoise, and Harry the tarantula. What can I say?I’m an animal lover. And since I tend to bring out the worst in people, it makes sense that my friends are animals. My parents, of course, can’t deal with all my animals. Which is why, when I was sixteen, my dad built me my own apartment off the side of our house. A three bedroom, 2 bathroom, with living room and kitchen apartment. The master bedroom is mine; I use the second one for the caged animals. The third I use for when my friends—human friends, that is—come over. Stella, my best friend, always spends the weekends at my place. And sometimes my baby brother, Zeke will stay over, too, to get away from the chaos at home (My parents are doctors, and our home is a walk in clinic, so it can get a little crazy sometimes).