The Kim's

The Kims, breakfast, and fear.

With every sun comes a new day. A new beginning. A hope that things will be better today than they were yesterday. But not for me.

My name's Taehyung. This is my family, the Kims. If you weren't clued in already by the animal skins and sloping foreheads - we're cavemen. Most days we spend in our cave, in the dark. Night after night, day after day. Yep. Home sweet home. When we did go out, we struggled to find food in a harsh and hostile world. And I struggled to survive my family.

We were the last ones around. There used to be neighbors. The Lees, smashed by a mammoth. The Chois, swallowed by a sand snake. The Dongs, mosquito bite. The Byun, common cold. And, the Kims. That's us. The Kims made it...Because of my Dad. He was strong... and he followed the rules. ... the ones painted on the cave walls. Anything new is bad, curiosity is bad, going out at night is bad. Basically, anything fun is bad. Welcome to my world.

But this is a story about how all that changed in an instant. Because what we didn't know was that our world was about to come to an end. And there were no rules on our cave walls to prepare us for that.

A huge caveman, Namjoon, rushes forward, screaming, growling, and throwing handfuls of dirt in a threat display. He blinks in the bright morning light. He lifts and hurls a large boulder.

"Raaaaar grooooOOOOoooowwwll ERF ERF Glaaaaaabbbbllllllllthhhh!"

As suddenly as he began, Namjoon stopped. Panting, he waits for the echoes of his outburst to fade. Namjoon turns to the cave entrance, he prepares to bellow a signal, but before any sound escapes his lips-- a cave boy, Taehyung, bursts from the cave.

"You're supposed to wait for my signal Tae, Tae?"

Tae scares a pack of nearby Liyotes away. They pounce on Namjoon briefly before scampering off. Tae spreads out on an overhanging rock. He basks in the sun.

"Dad we've been in that cave forever."

"Tae, three days is not forever."

"It is with this family." Tae replies with a groan.

"Tae, would you come down here? You're being so dramatic."

A little boy, Jungkook, charges out next. His display is more terrier-like.

"No, no, no Kookie, come back here. Remember the signal. Good boys wait for the signal." Namjoon scolds.

A caveman, Seokjin, scrambles out next. He is mostly focused on catching Kookie, giving only cursory effort to his display.

"Jinnie." Namjoon groans.

"As soon as I get Kookie, I'll go back in, and you can give the signal." Jinnie reasons.

"No, I mean, you're already out now." Namjoon sighs.

"I am waiting for the signal, dad."

We hear the voice of Namjoon's nine-year-old son from inside the cave. Hoseok is eager to please his dad and emulates his every move.

Namjoon sighs, "Never mind, Hoseok. Just, come out."

Hoseok hesitates, "Uhh, but if you don't give the signal, how do I know you're my dad?"

"The signal isn't so you know it's me, it's so you know I wasn't eaten by an animal."

"Then why is the signal an animal noise? I mean, doesn't that just confuse things?"

Namjoon sighs.

Hoseok, still hesitating, "I don't know... I'm still waiting for the signal."

Sigh. "Hoo hooooo! Hoo hooooo!" Namjoon signals.