The Humans. by Patricia Silva (phonics readers .TXT) 📕

THIS BOOK IS UNFINISHED.

EVENTUALLY, EVERY PART OF IT WILL BE SLIGHTLY CHANGED.

Audrey combed her fingers through her lengthy hair. She thought about how her dad always said that her hair matches her name perfectly, a deep shade of red-orange.

The wind blew against her bare arms. She would go inside to get a jacket, though she was afraid her mother would bawl at her for something that wasn't even her fault. She always tried to be respectful to her mom but it was obvious that her mom hated her, and secretly she hated her mom as well.

She sat and waited for her father to arrive from work. This was going to be the last day Audrey would spend in this aweful house. Her mom and dad had just gotten a divorce, so she was going to live with her dad from now on because her mom had a court trial coming soon. She was going to be tried for domestic violence and child abuse. Audrey's mother hated the both Audrey and her father, and the proof was on their bodies.

Audrey watched the sun set just before her dads car pulled into the driveway.

"Daddy!" Audrey called as she bolted over to her dad. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

"Hey, sweetie. How are you, okay?", he asked. Audrey nodded.

He leaned in closer, "She didn't do anything to you, did she?", he asked in a quieter voice.

Audrey shook her head. "Good." he said, kissing her head and standing up.

She followed him into the house and upstairs. After a while Audrey went to her own room and locked the door.

She heard her mom come into the other room and begin to say something to her dad. After a couple minutes the arguing turned into yelling, just like it always did.

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Audrey woke up and looked around her new room. She was in her beautiful new house with only her dad, not her wicked mother. They now lived in a small apartment on the planet Calgon, where there were plenty of others like them. She was excited, she was going to start learning how to use magic. She walked into the living room and went up to her dad.

"What are we gonna do today?" she asked.

"Well, there's alot to do," he replied.

"Are you going to teach me anything?"

"Well, there's alot to teach, what do you want to learn?"

"I want to learn everything!"

"Everything? Well, that's gonna take a few years, but-"

"Years?!?!"

He chuckled. "Yes, years. You're only eight, Audrey, you have plenty of time."

Audrey blew on a strand of hair to get it out of her face and her dad kissed her on the cheek.

"So, do you know what you wanna be when you grow up?" he asked.

She nodded, "I wanna be like you."

He smiled, "You'll get there someday."

Audrey watched as her father made an orb of magic in his hand and swirled it around in the air. She tried to imitate him but failed, so she tried again and again. Her dad was about to say something when she attempted a last time and a bright spark glowed in her hands.

"You didn't know anything at all and you're already getting better," he said to her and they both smiled.

 The Calgon council meeting-hall was filled with conversation as the council members waited for the meeting to begin.

"Where's your daughter, John?", asked William Anderson, the President of Calgon and leader of the Calgon council.

"She should be here any minute now," replied Mr. Harris as he watched the door, nervously waiting for Audrey to appear.

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I pushed through the crowds of people as they cheered on the football teams playing in front of them. I could've sworn I saw my history teacher watching me frantically sprint through the crowd, but I didn't care. I can't believe I had completely forgot that I had to be at a meeting almost an hour ago. How was I ever going to aquire a high reputation in the council if I couldn't even show up to meetings on time.

Andrea and Dawn hadn't noticed that I had left, and I hoped they wouldn't notice for a while. Everyone stood up and cheered for their team that just scored a touch-down, and I scrambled underneath the bleachers, trying to avoid all the wrappers, cans and used condoms that littered the floor. Looking around to make sure no-one was watching, I opened a portal and stepped inside.

I stepped out the other side of the portal, into a busy street that was surrounded by skyscrapers. I headed straight, towards the biggest building of all. I entered the lobby and walked over to the elevator.

"You're late again, Ary," said Mike, the guy who worked behind the desk, as he flipped through a magazine.

"Gee, thanks, Mike, I didn't realize," I replied sarcastically, then pressed the 'UP' and '50' buttons in the elevator.

"You're welcome," I heard Mike say just before the elevator doors closed. I fumbled to get my nametag on while the elevator began upward.

I stepped out of the elevator into a short hallway with one door on each side and a door at the end. I walked to the door at the end and opened it to a large room with huge, circular desks, each inside another, with chattering council members sitting all around. Quickly as I could, I took a seat next to my father, hoping that no one noticed me sneak in late. After a minute, he turned around and saw me sitting to his right.

"Where the hell have you been?" he asked in a deep, quiet voice.

"At school," I answered in an equal voice.

" 'Till eight o'clock?!?"

"There was a football game."

He grunted.

"I'm sorry, I forgot..."

"Audrey, you are going to have to start being more responsible. I thought you wanted a good position in this council."

"I do. I am going to be more responsible, I promise, I just forgot this time."

"Well, you better not forget again, you're only sixteen, you technically shouldn't even be here yet, you're lucky, you know."

"I know..."

We both sat in silence for a while, then dad began talking to someone next to him. I continued to stay silent. 

I  began to have a strange feeling, as if someone was watching me. I looked up and saw David Carlile sitting at the opposite end of the room, staring right at me. I turned my head away, the last thing I needed was to be tormented by that foolish vampire. I wondered why he was even there, he was the same age as me. However, I guess he was probably just as smart and skilled as me.

I just didn't like the presence of David in the same room. I, under any circumstances, did not trust him.

"You're late, Ms. Harris,"  said a voice in my head. It was David speaking to me telepathically.

"Shut up, Carlile. Mind your own business,"  I replied in my head.

"Now, now, is that any way to speak to someone who is helping you to be aware of the situation you are in?"

"You're not helping me, I was already aware, and it doesn't seem to be a big deal, anyway."

David's lips curled into a grin and he chuckled in his mind.

"What's so funny?"  I questioned, though David didn't reply.

"Whatever..."  I then turned off our telepathic conversation.

After a few minutes, the president spoke to everyone.

"Attention, council members," he began, "I know this meeting is starting a bit late, I'm sorry for the delay, we were waiting for a few members to appear, however, since it's getting late and a couple members failed to attend on time, we shall begin without them."

I payed close attention to the presidents words, the dicussions, and votes occuring between each topic. When the meeting was adjourned, most of the council members left, though I stayed and waited for my father to finish his conversation with a couple other council members about one of the latter topics.

"Good evening, Ms. Harris," Said the president as he came up behind me.

"Oh, good evening, President Anderson," I replied politely.

"I've been speaking to Queen Alyssa recently."

"Oh, about what?"

"Well, she told me she wouldn't be able to make it to the meeting today, also about the Anual Grand Dinner next weekend, we were just discussing what will be going on then, topics to be discussed. Hah, discussing what will be discussed!"

"It's always good to plan for the future...?" I tried to say in a cheerful manor.

"Yes, indeed, though back to the point. We eventually ended up talking about her son, Prince Alex."

I nodded and President Anderson looked as if he expected  further reaction.

"Umm, what about him?" I asked to break the awkwardness.

"Well, his birthday is coming up in a few months, he will be eighteen, about around the same time you'll be seventeen, correct?"

"Umm, August 20 is my birthday..."

"Ah, just a week away, the prince's is August 13."

"Oh... so, was he planning to, like... share a party with me, or...?"

"Well, that was part of our conversation, yes, however, the main point was the royalty-ring law. You've heard of it, right?"

"Yes... a prince or princess in line to a throne must be married for one year before aquiring the throne," I stated.

"Indeed. And, well, his uncle, King Jeffory is turning rather late in age and becoming a bit tired of the throne, Prince Alex is next in line for his uncle's throne, being that the king has no children of his own."

I nodded, feeling that there was no subject of this conversation, except for Prince Alex in general.

"However, to aquire the position of king, Alex must be married a year before."

"Mmm-hmm." I nodded.

"And, well, you are seeking a high government position, are you not?"

"Indeed, I am..." I said, completely confused on what this conversation was even suppost to be about.

"And your eighteenth birthday is in about a year..."

I nodded, still confused.

"Eighteen, being the legal marriage age of Calgon..."

Now I understood where this was going.

"I'm sorry," I said, "are you suggesting, the prince plans on marrying me?"

"Well, maybe he doesn't, but it is an idea storming in other people's brains."

"Oh," I said a bit too nervously," Well, does the prince even know about this idea?"

"Well, not quite yet, it is one of the topics to be discussed at the grand dinner."

"Oh, but is it really fair if not both of us-"

"I'm sorry, that reminds me!" President Anderson said, reaching into his coat pocket. He handed me an envelope that said Audrey Harris in big, cursive letters.

"What's this?" I asked, taking the envelope.

"It's your invitation," he stated cheerfully.

"My invitation?"

"Yes, to the Anual Grand dinner!" he smiled.

"Oh, well, thank you... but I thought the invitations were already sent out."

"Yes, however, I can make an exception every now and then," he said with a wink.

"Well, thank you very much."

"Oh, you're very welcome, Ms. Harris," he said with a smile, then walked off.

Dad walked up to me and nodded to the envelope in my hands.

"What's that?" he asked.

"An invitation