Eclipse by Smiley sn (epub e reader .txt) 📕

Prologue

“Come on, let’s go to the beach today. There is going to be a solar eclipse.” The Dad said

The baby in the Mom’s arms giggled as if in agreement and fingered the one of the mom’s curls in her light blonde hair with a chubby hand and small fingers. The mom looked at the baby lovingly in her arms and nuzzled his cheek causing him to squeal.

They walk the short way to the crowded pier with people wanted to witness the spectacle and settle on the nice warm sand. The baby reached for the seagulls that hopped around trying to reach them. They took off their shoes and put themselves on the small ratty blanket far enough from the small waves that licked the wet sand.

The baby looked at the shiny sea shells buried in the sand looking at them in fascination. He giggled grabbing the san that spilled through his tiny fingers.

“Come here, Jax.” The mother said to the baby. “It will begin soon.” The baby didn’t want to move away from the sand and didn’t understand why he needed to go to his mom, but he came towards her anyway.

Jax was bounced on his mom’s leg watching the bright sun be swallowed slowly be a black circle and he blinked away and whimpered looking at his mom who was watching in fascination.

“Wow.” She whispers in awe, blinking fast to escape the bright light of the sun without missing the experience. The father looks at her face in adoration and kisses on her cheek.

She elbows him without looking at him making him smirk at her and looks down at Jax who giggles again despite feeling uneasy. Jax tugs on her hair again. She rearranges him to be facing the eclipse.

The moon slowly slides into place in front of the sun creating a ring of white with a black center, making the light dim drastically. Jax clings to his Mother’s hair trying to find comfort that she was there.

There was absolute stillness, like everybody was watching in silence, holding their breath in awe. Even little Jax, still too young to understand what was happening, watched in reticence.

 Then there was a boom, a blast of white light exploding from the center. The aftershocks from the boom came towards them, reaching them faster and faster, causing the water to come towards them in a huge wave. The father was the first to move out of his stupor and rush to his feet, dragging them to their feet. Jax started to cry and his mother cradled his body to her chest to protect him from the harsh wind raising the sand and spraying water at them so fast it was like little bullets. They ran trying to get past the huge crowd of people trying to get to the safety of their home and cars.

People trampled each other, jumping over another, not caring about anybody, but themselves. Kids screamed and cried, dogs ran running ahead with their leash still attached, Jax and his family ran down the streets hoping to outrun the danger, but they were too far and the wave from the blast was too fast.

Jax’s father fell down first, tumbling to the ground, as he was behind his wife making sure no one bumped her and caused her to fall with his beloved son. She ran faster seeing that, but she too crumpled to the floor unconscious.

Jax cried in his mom’s limp arms, tugging at her shirt, totally ignored by people yelling and running away until they too fell silent.

Chapter 1

I woke up suddenly from the nightmare, breathing heavily. I fumbled with the flashlight switch drowning out the darkness slightly while I try to catch my breath.

Sea rested her head on my lap looking up at me with her head slightly tilted, as if to ask me what’s wrong. I rub her golden ears and she licks my hand gently.I hold her to my body real close, not only to relax me, but to get some body heat. It was really cold, but that may have been from the fact that I was in a forest. The place that I had decided to rest for the night.

I bury my head into her soft fur, breathing in the scent of it. Rain and earth and a scent that as uniquely dog. “Its not real. It’s not real. Just a dream.” But even as I said it, I didn’t completely believed myself. It seemed real, like a memory. That didn’t help ease my anxiety, shivers that racked my body and I rubbed my arms to cease my discomfort. Sea nuzzled at my chest.

I looked around the forest bed and leaned my back on the tree trunk. I kept looking at the darkness that my flashlight couldn’t reach as if someone has caused the resurgence of memories, it has been a while since I have had dreamt of my past, of my parents.

It was still dark and I knew I had to go in town to get supplies. Food for us, batteries for my flashlight, and a few other necessities. I had been putting it off because I was not looking forward to constantly watching my back to make sure someone dosen’t stick a knife in my back just to obtain my rank.

As a purebred ten, I was a rare breed. I have not met another Ten since the beginning of the new age. We are killed not just to get our lengendary abilities, but they fear us. We could be dangerous, abuse our power, used to bring down cities. No one knows the true extent of my powers. No one, not even me and I don’t want to know. If I had a choice, I would make sure the eclipse never happened, no one had abilities and powers. Man is not meant to be powerful.

Then maybe my parents would still be alive. Then I wouldn’t have to hide from people. Maybe life would better.

But, for right now, I just wanted to watch the first signs of sunrise. Listen to the world wake up to a new day. When the first birds made the first notes of the morning, I knew I had to move. No matter how much I didn’t want to and dreading have to go to the city I had long since abandoned, I had to take care of Sea and in doing that I had to take care of myself.

I debated taking Sea. If I take her to the city, she could get hurt by someone and I couldn’t be as stealthy. But, if I left her behind she could wander off and get lost or fall of a cliff or worse, run into a pack of wolves that definitely ran in these woods. I would hear them communicating in the dusk or in the dead of night.

I would rather risk myself than risk her, so I decided to take her with me. I cleaned up camp and packed up the few things I owned. A small solar-powered lamp, my flashlight, a metal bowl, a water bottle, and a navy blue lighter. I packed it into my black leather backpack and hoisted it on my back, making sure to not leave any clues we were here in the first place.

I followed the small x’s I had made at the base of the tree every few feet to make sure I didn’t get lost in the forest, but low enough that someone wouldn’t be able to see it unless they knew where to look. We kept on going down until we saw the road, then we kept going, but still kept near the trees. Just incase a car comes by. I don’t want to be seen.

I wish I could give Sea a better life with a better owner, but I was selfish. I didn’t want to be alone again.

Before I found Sea, I would spend time in abandoned buildings. I couldn’t eat. All of it felt like ash after the death of my parents. I would be in illegal power fights trying to vent out my anger in another person with a lower rank than me and drown myself in alcohol to numb the pain. The emotional not the physical. The physical pain was a welcomed distraction from the hole in my chest.

Until I found Sea. Well to be technical I found her mom one night and siblings when I went to one abandoned building. There she was, the runt of the litter, pushed aside by her own mother. Her mom growled at me and Sea looked at me fearfully until I coaxed her with some cooing.

When I finally got her in my arms and she licked at my fingers. I had felt…a light, a flicker inside me. I was hooked. I vowed to always protect her, to take care of her.

I felt what I hadn’t had in a long time.

A reason to live.

And Ill be dammed if I let anything happen to her.

As we got closer to the city, there were less trees and more cars driving into and out of the run-down buildings. It used to be a full, healthy bustling city. ‘The Eclipse ruined everything’ I thought remorsefully.

We had struggled to function with now everybody now more powerful. The Eclipse was not biased. It gave it to everyone, no matter status, class, how rich, how poor. The thieves got stronger, the murderers more blood-thirsty, absolute chaos ensued. They broke out of jail and were determined to have their revenge and run the rich to the ground. They did run and abandoned the world. Creating the perfect Elysium, the perfect cage, to protect themselves from the world. The cowards, running away like a couple of wet scared kittens. No one can leave or enter. Leaving us who were not rich, not part of the government, not a priest, not famous, not anyone who they deemed important to fend for ourselves, leaving us for dead.

Selfish bastards.

Sea puts her black muzzle on my clenched hand and licks my fist. I instantly relaxed myself and pat her gently. “Im okay, girl.” I wasn’t sure if I was lying or not.

When the trees thinned out to about thirty yards of open field before we can hide between the first houses. “Were going to have to run.” I mumble more to myself than Sea. She wags her tail in anticipation to running and I can’t keep the small sliver of guilt. She deserves better. An owner that could let her run to her heart’s content and eat her weight in food. I push it down, though. I don’t trust anyone to take care of her and I don’t know if I could survive without her.

“Ready.” Sea jumps next to me, her tail whirling so fast, it makes her butt wiggle.

“set.” I hunker down next to her, my body ready to take off. To stretch my legs, to run for pleasure. Not because someone is chasing me down.

“Go!”