The dim lights overhead turn on and the faint buzz from electric current runs. There are a handful of children here, ages ranging from 6-14. After you turn 15, you are officially an adult and move to the next bunker room and transfer your belongings into a different locker. I have four years here. I have time to make myself situated.
A cute boy next to me climbs down from the top bunk. His jet black hair matches his enchanting hazel eyes. I've seen him around. He works on the computers with Bonnie. I doubt they're related. Her tanned skin, platinum hair and green eyes look nothing like him. The boy looks around my age. He has a green shirt on. "You're the new kid?" he asks.
"Yeah, they told you?" I ask.
He shrugs. "News is the chatter. Who's on our side? Any casualties? What's the status on BL/ind? That kinda stuff. Anything else isn't much to talk about." I nod. The boy sticks his hand out at me. "I'm Frank, code name Fun Ghoul. You?"
I smile a little bit. Frank? I like that name and he had a cool code name too. "Gerard, Party Poison. And up there is my kid brother Mikey." I say. I take his hand and we shake. "So, Frank, how long have you been here?" I ask nervously. I don't know what is okay to ask or not if the news is the only thing they really talk about.
Frank stands still for a moment. "Well, my mother was injured when she was carrying me. She died before I was even born but I was okay so they operated on her after she died and yeah. My pops didn't know what to do but he did his best. We wandered in the zones scavenging for whatever we could use or eat. Then we were found and couldn't run. They took us and questioned my father. I didn't see him for a few days while he was tested. Then when we were cleared they took us here. That was a few years back."
"What does your dad do here?" I whisper. I feel that I am treading dangerous water asking that question but I asked anyway.
"Before the apocalypse and the rising of BL/ind, my pops worked at some tech company. He knows all the computer mechanics and programming. He easily became the computer technician here. He taught me everything I know about computers. I am a trainee."
"That sounds exciting. My parents are..." I stop myself and take a breath. "My parents were Killjoy Fighters. They never told us, though, because Mikey and I are unregistered."
"That's really good. You are very lucky," Frank said in awe.
"People keep telling us that but I don't understand why."
"My pops registered when BL/ind came to power. My mother didn't and she asked him not to register me. He wasn't for it but he kept his promise after she died. It was no longer negotiable and he didn't want to deny her wish without her consent."
"Well, your dad seems to do well if he's the computer technician here. Why is it so bad?"
Frank looked at me. "BL/ind had him on the record. He was marked. And if he isn't working for BL/ind and not a present civilian there, that means he is against because if you support them, you would have been working or living there already. Registered means that they know you are out there, know everything about you and put a threat to everyone else. They found us and injured my mother. He was registered and they knew he was married."
"So they kill you basically and put a threat to everyone else."
"Almost a year ago, he went missing. We looked for months. He was a valuable asset and a father and he took care of everyone. After three months, they found his Jacket. The sleeves were burned, shot, and tattered. There was a bullet hole over where his heart would be. That was it. He was dead and the only thing we could find that's left of him was his jacket in horrible condition. They gave it to me and my friend patched up the hole with some T%t patch and cut off the tattered fabric. It looks like a nice vest. It's going to be my jacket when I'm older."
That's what happens when you are registered. They kill you and anyone you are associated with. They know.
First things first, we must know the place. We go over everything again where all our supplies is located. Mikey and I must memorize where it is. It takes about an hour but we know the way around the dinner like our old home. Then we talk about protocol. If Draculoids were to come into the dinner we go on shut down. We take cover with the other children in our bunker. When all children are in the Bunker, it's sealed tight and the outside looks like it's a wall not a door. We stay quiet while they kill the Draculoids. Any Draculoid that has stumble across the dinner and started investigated was killed. That is why it is off the grid, if someone finds it, they won't survive. Once we are 15, we train for a specific job. There are many. You could be a radio trainee and become the next Dr. in line. There are scouts, fighters, technicians, drivers, the computer technician and their trainees, strategists, nurses, messengers, surveyors, etc. With a year of training, we officially become a Killjoy. I think about all the different jobs. I know that Mikey would start with learning to be a fighter but it's hard to say if he will get that job. He is scrawny and doesn't know how to defend himself with the example of yesterday morning when we thought we were found. But on the other hand, he is only seven and this is the place to learn. He has eight years to figure everything out, plus another year to actually be a Killjoy.
I have no idea what I am going to do. Nothing in particular stands out to me. Scouting requires to be capable of living in the zones by yourself or with one person if you're lucky to get a partner for months or years at a time. Survival skills must be something you are great at. Fighters must have great physical strength and technique. They must be capable of protecting everyone in the group. Computer technicians and just the technicians must know something about technology but I grew up in a house with candles, oil lamps and everything we had we either build or made from scratch or we found it. The radio was the one thing electronic in our home but I wasn't even allowed to touch it. Driver, well, they first must know how to drive and I don't. Strategists are smart and can form brilliant plans. I am not good under pressure. I could barely decide what to do after Mikey and I fled the house. Nurses need to save lives, treat the sick and wounded. I've never seen a person dying but I doubt I could rely on myself to save their life on an operating table. It's one thing in the field. In the field, it's possible but as a doctor, that's a whole different story of impossible for me. I hope that there are a lot of positions and I'll be capable of at least one of them.
We start off in the survival part. Plants to eat, how to find water, how to tell the time of day, tell which way north is, how to set up camp for the night. This is a training course of a week. Towards the end, I think I won't be completely helpless left in the zones.
After the survival part is over, we can learn about whatever we choose. I have more access to the skills than Mikey. If you are under ten, you can't drive, shoot, modify weapons, or fight as a safety precaution. Over ten, you can. I decide to stick with the things Mikey can do so he isn't alone. I would feel horrible if my older brother left me by myself to do things I couldn't. I wasn't going to leave him. Once he makes some friends and he can manage without me, I'll look at the other skills. For now, we study maps. The zones of California and where the base is, Draculoid hot spots, where near water is, vacant factories filled with abandoned supplies we use, and where BL/ind is located. We must stay clear of there at all costs. If you go near that building, you will get caught. It's a death wish. I make myself promise to never let myself or Mikey go a mile near BL/ind.
After a month, we seem to fit in feel. Frank and I have become really close. We know about most of each other's lives before we came here, our skills, and little things about ourselves in general. We hang out together at meals and train together. His best friend is nice. Woody has short cropped black hair making him look a few years older. He could pass as Frank's older brother. Woody's parents abandoned him when he was a toddler. Draculoids were coming for them and they couldn't keep going with a kid. They dropped him off at the diner and left. Another kid named Ray hangs out with us. He is the smartest kid here and he is my age. He has a perfect in the strategist skill and he is asked by adults a lot of times what to do in situations and he will come up with genius plans that work.
Mikey has his own friend group. Addison and Cole. Addison has light brown hair she wears in two braids. Cole has green eyes peek through his black bangs. This kid covers his face so much I don't know what he actually looks like. The three of them get along well and I can train with my friends.
Frank takes my hand unexpectedly. I look at him nervously but he just smiles and leads me over to the weapons modifier. Alec is over getting his blaster adjusted. He sees us. "So, Gerard? You're ready for a blaster?"
"Yes, sir," I reply.
Alec smiles. He takes his gun and walks out and over to the radio station. He ruffles my hair when he passes. The guy over there has an arrangement of guns. "What color would you like, son?" the man asks. He takes out a bunch of sample color cards. There is every color of the rainbow. I scan the cards and one pops out at me. I pick up a yellow card and give it to the man. "That's Canary." He goes back to a cabinet and takes out a pure white blaster. He measures my hand to the gun then makes adjustments. He rolls the barrel off then flips in around. It clicks in place and he slides the handle up than forward. It clicks then locks firmly. He goes behind a counter and takes out a can. He sprays the gun and it turns to the bright, golden color. He transfers it into some case and closes it. He comes back over. "It'll be done in about five minutes, son. Go over to the shooting range and learn the rules. By the time you are ready, you will have something.
Frank and I go over to the range. Woody and Ray are already there. There were targets at varying distances away. Some 10 feet others 100 feet. Ray and Woody were at the 20 feet mark. Woody makes it to the middle ring but Ray hits dead center every blast. Frank takes out his green blaster and goes over to the 15 mark. He shoots dead center of the blaster. "Still got it," he chuckles.
I read the sign about the rules. Don't aim at any person. Don't point at yourself. Turn off the safety before firing. How to hold the blaster properly. Etc.
I go back over to the gun just as he is taking out my gun. He checks it and then hands it to me. It fits well in my hands. The man smiles. "Now, son, if it gets too small to hold and needs adjustments or if you just want a color change, then bring it over." I nod.
When I make it back to the range Frank sees me. "Hey, that's wicked!"
"Yeah, it is." I hold it properly and then stand at the 10-foot mark. I fire and completely miss the target. I stand there disappointed.
"Don't feel bad Gerard. It takes more than one hit to get it right," Frank says. "Today, just concentrate on hitting the target."
I fire again and this time farther away than before. I fire again and again. I move my arms slightly in the direction of where I need to aim and on the sixth or seventh blast, It hit the outer end of the target. I look at Frank and he smiles. "You hit it!" he exclaims jumping in the air. He's more excited than I am. I smile and try again but miss, only slightly, though. I keep practicing and figure out how to aim accurately. I pass 10 and 15. I am scoring in the 80 percentile for 20 feet range. Tomorrow will be more shooting. I make in downstairs and store my blaster in my locker on the top shelf. I make it to my bed. Mikey is already up in the top. Addison is two beds over. She and Mikey were pretending to be driving cars, racing each other. Cole sits in his bed which is across the aisle. He makes commentary as the announcer of the race. The three of them laugh.
Frank sits on his bed and we talk. "You're getting pretty good at shooting. Passed two ranges in on your first day."
I smile. "I take it that's good," I say.
"You're pretty good. Almost as good as me and Ray."
"Ray is good at everything," I say. "And you have a knack at anything electronic. Technology, blasters, cars, the computer system. You even fixed a hand radio!"
"Yeah, I am the best," he says, "but only with things that are electronic. You tell me to be a Surveyor or a Scout, I would fail. And I can't do everything to do with cars. Sure, if the engine needs a tune up, or the battery is dead, I can tell you how to fix it. But I have tried the driving course and it is not something I can do."
"Seriously?" I ask shocked. I excepted him to know how to drive too. He looks like one of the kids that would be into going fast.
"I'm telling you. I can turn up some engine models but if I need to drive, I can't do it. The pedals are confusing, I don't know when to shift stick, and the turning concept when going reverse, that's out of the question."
"Well, you can do everything else, so it makes up for it."
"Yeah, I guess. Tomorrow, we will work on shooting more." Frank lies down and pulls the covers up.
"Definitely," I say. "Night."
"Goodnight, Gee," he whispers. I can't help but smile at the nickname.
When the lights turn on, it's time to get up. I crawl out and stand on the edge of the mattress. I reach up and shake Mikey away. "Hey, kiddo. It's time to wake up," I whisper. Mikey sits up and stares at me. His dark hair stands up. I chuckle. "Let's go."
He climbs out of the bed and comes down. We go to our lockers and take out a new outfit. We change by our bank as does everyone else. Today we were going to the river to wash our clothes. Once a week job. We have enough pairs to make it through. We also get to wash. Boys go in the morning. Girls go in the evening. The hike to the river is about a mile.
I wait for Frank to hurry up. He takes the time to comb his hair. We take our stuff upstairs and eat breakfast. They distribute different cans out. I get some chicken soup. We find a booth and sit with Ray and Woody. I make sure Mikey has a seat but when he is with Cole and Addison, I turn back to my friends. We pass around a can opener while making small chat about when we are going to do today. We decide to keep up on our shooting since that will be the most important thing. No matter what skill becomes your job, you must know how to shoot, although it can vary on how well you have to shoot. If you become a scout, shooting is vital. Out alone in the zones, you can stumble across Draculoids at any moment. If you aren't able to shoot, then being a scout, scavenger, messenger, or a guard isn't something you should too because then shooting is a mandatory skill. Now a technician, strategist, or the computer technician you don't necessarily need to be a crack shot. At this point, I'm not sure what I should train for. I tell myself I have plenty of time but it still bothers me. I know Mikey will turn out to be a fighter. He has the energy and the enthusiasm like one. Frank will become a technician like his father thought he would be. Ray will definitely be a strategist. He's brilliant but then again, Ray can become anything he wants. Woody wants to be a scout or a messenger. He wants to travel around and explore the zones. I don't know what I want. Sure, I know my way around the maps but a surveyor doesn't sound like something I want to spend the rest of my life doing. I couldn't rely on myself being a fighter. If I were to fail, that could cost someone their life. I would never live with myself. Scouting, scavenging and being a messenger isn't right for me either. I like making roots. I don't want to constantly be on the run and move, always looking behind my shoulder. I don't want to depend on survival skills and being solo. Loneliness is the world's worst kind of pain for me. I don't want to feel alone.
After breakfast, we grab our bags and get in the cars. We drive off to the river bank and make it there in a minute. The cool water sparkles in the morning sun. We throw our bags in and let them soak. Mikey and Cole race around the edge. They collide into each other and fall in together. They come up laughing. Static breaks over on the comes. "Quiet everyone!" Steve yells. Everyone with a radio listens. It's so quiet that you can hear the water sloshing. Over the static, I can barely make out the words. You learn to get an ear for reading the static and hearing the radio manager's voice. The first time I heard a radio was my mother holding it in her hands right before she destroyed it. At the time, all I heard was white noise. Now I hear Alec's voice. Something Draculoids something car something driving fast something hide. It isn't the whole message but I knew enough before anyone had to say it. Draculoids are coming fast in one of their cars and we need to hide.
Steve and the other Killjoys throw the minors into the river bank. "Stay down and if you hear anyone, submerge!" someone yells. Draculoids are coming in our direction possibly. This would be the first time I've seen them in three or four months. It's not something you look forward to; it's something you dread.
I look around for Mikey. I spot him a few feet down and paddle over to him. "Party Poison!" Frank yells, grabbing my arm. I look at him for a second confused but then I remember he's talking to me. I forgot about that. We are officially in a threat zone and out code names are in use. "Where are you going?"
Mikey and Cole swim over to me. I wrap my arms around my brother and hug him tight. "Nowhere," I say. We all crouch and stay silent. The Killjoys put on their masks and take out their blasters. I look for mine and spot the canary yellow in my bag. It's too late to run out and get it. I'll be scolded at if I do. If I really need it, I'll get it. Ray and Frank have there's in their hands. It looks like they have been modified where water doesn't ruin them. I shouldn't have taken it off my belt then.
We all wait. There is a handful of us, not much armed. Ray is probably the best shooter. Frank knows how to shoot too. If I had my gun, I could do some damage... but only if they were in close range and not moving. We continue to wait. Mikey looks at me. He doesn't say anything but I know he wants to ask me what's going on but I won't have an answer. I do my best to just comfort him.
A car engine breaks the silence. Is it the Killjoys or is it the Draculoids? We look around and all silently agree to go under. I hold my breath and submerge. Part of me was very calm and the other part aggressively confused. I was very calm and but irritated at myself for being this calm. I should be freaking out but I'm not. I wait for the fear to hit but none does. I think to myself and I believe that the Killjoys are here. I'm calm because I believe we are all safe, but it doesn't feel right. I feel like we all are in danger. Shots fire into the water. I should have been panicking. I was right. We get out of the water and the kids with blasters start shooting the Draculoids. White suits and Halloween masks. I get out of the water and run to get my gun. Something burns my right shoulder and I let out a cry. It's smoldering. It stings so bad my eyes start watering. The pain is excruciating. This is what it feels like to get shot with a ray blaster. I pick up my gun when another blast shoots right past me skimming my neck. I yell in agony. I fumble with the trigger in my left hand and shoot a Draculoid in the knee. They fall over and Frank shoots them.
"Party, you're hurt," Frank says distressed. He has a mask over his mouth. I really need some sort of disguise. I'm not about to argue with him about how I'll be fine because I don't feel like I'll be okay. My shoulder is smoking and my neck is burning. Frank stands in front of me and shoots at Draculoids that are around. With my left hand, I fumble and sloppily hit some Draculoids Frank doesn't hit. Two vehicles speed towards us. More than we can handle. This is the end.
The cars stop and the doors fly open. We are going to die. But it's not more Draculoids, it's the Killjoys that are here. They hijacked the other two vehicles and start shooting at the vampires. They fall to the ground. They are hopelessly outnumbered and they all fall to the ground dead. There are a few wounded children. My heart drops when it hits me that Mikey is not at my side.
I try to get up but Frank doesn't let me. "I'll find your brother. You stay here. He gets up and runs to the river bank, avoiding the fallen bodies. He helps a little kid out of the river bank but it's not Mikey. He looks down and my thoughts race. Please don't be dead. Please. I need you. Now I feel the panic. Anxiety pulses through me. Frank pulls up another kid. Cole. Maybe he was with him and if Cole is still alive, then Mikey should be too. Frank pulls up another child. My brother. A huge weight lifts off my shoulders. Mikey runs over to me.
With my good arm, I hug him. "I'm so sorry I left you," I whisper.
Mikey's eyes are wide, but not filled with fear. Excitement. "Did you see the way they get rid of all the Draculoids? That was so cool!" I smile.
"Yeah, it sure was cool, Kid. I'm glad you're okay." I hug him again with my good arm and look at Frank, our eyes lock. "Thank you," I mouth. Frank smiles at me and nods.