Chapter 2

A loud foghorn was blown in the distance. It's horrible blare washing over the foggy morning. Groans and yelling could be heard throughout the small plane. This side of the world belonged to the males. Indeed, everything had a system and the very design created an atmosphere that was cold and bitter. Unlike the females, the males focused on order and precision. One even might perceive that it was a military camp for the youth.

Ray rolled right out of his bed at the sound of the dreadful foghorn. He grumbled to himself as he changed into his typical uniform, a black shirt and camo pants. He glanced in the mirror as he made himself presentable. A tall boy, about 15, stared back at him. He had tawny hair that was sticking out in all directions. Harsh and piercing gray eyes seemed to look over his roman nose and through the wall right in front of him. Ray quickly fixed his hair and exited his small cubicle. He walked quickly to the assembly room.

Right as Ray walked in, another figure approached him. The boy was none other than his cheerful and bright friend, Lemma. Lemma had golden hair that sat on top of his head in curls, and wide vibrant blue eyes that seemed to light up the whole room. He flashed a huge smile at Ray and practically skipped over to meet him. "Good morning Ray!" Lemma sang.

"Hello Lemma." Ray said in a deadpan voice. "Why are you so cheerful this early in the morning?"

Lemma ignored Ray's question and continued to flit around Ray with a lopsided smile. "It is such a beautiful day! Wouldn't you agree?" Lemma asked with his eyes sparkling in the dim-lit room. Ray rolled his eyes and scoffed. "We live in a swamp. There is no such thing as a 'beautiful day'."

Lemma sighed. "Why can't you at least try and be optimistic?!" He was shaking his head when a man in military uniform walked up and onto the stage. The whole assembly quieted down at the sight of the man. Ray and Lemma quickly turned toward the stage.

Every day, the boys would have a roll call, and then they would be given their assignments for the day. Most times, the assignments were small because they had to attend school, but occasionally the boys would be sent into the fields. It just so happened that Ray and Lemma were put on a mission to collect necessary resources for their small commune.

Lemma bounced up and down in ecstasy at the thought of skipping school. Ray quietly observed his loud and voracious friend. What an interesting pair the two made! And it would stay that way. In the male's society, each boy was assigned to a squad. Each squad consisted of four boys. Ray and Lemma had just so happened to be in the same squad.

But, of course, you will want to know where the other two are. Well, most boys will not meet their squad until they reach the age of 16. The boys have a list of members in their squad, so it was only a coincidence that Lemma and Ray had found each other. But, you should know by now, was it really a coincidence?

Lemma and Ray approached the stage after the usual announcements and awaited their captain. The boys would occasionally go on these missions to gain experience in the field as they would need it later when they lead their own missions. A sharp looking man strode over to where Lemma and Ray were standing. To the boys, he was known as Captain Nine, or Nine for short. After Nine welcomed the boys, he led them to the outskirts of the commune.

Vast fields of brownish-gray, sprinkled with misshaped black blobs, surrounded the small town. The dreadful fog was the cause of this dreary landscape. It also made it increasingly difficult to survive because your range of vision was secluded to a couple of feet. A team of five could be seen with backpacks that contained a couple day's supply of rations. They trudged through the mud and fields drowned in water.

The team was searching for food for the rest of the commune. Since Ray's town was only a small commune, it didn't receive weekly food packages like the big cities. This forced the males to hunt the wild beasts. The animals of ancient times had evolved to savage and ferocious predators that could knock out a whole village. Hunting these creatures took great skill and Captain Nine was responsible for passing down the knowledge and techniques of the wild beasts to the younger generation.

Suddenly, a sharp cry was heard from the back of the group. When Ray turned around, there was no one there. Immediately, he cried out to Nine, alerting him that one of their men was gone. Captain Nine quickly herded the rest of his team into a cave to hide from the beast that was lurking in the fog. As the captain kept watch, the males mourned the sudden death of their fellow brother.

There was nothing they could do. Missions were already a dangerous job and most did not come back alive. This was only Ray and Lemma's second mission, but they clearly understood the danger of them. Close by, a deep thunder-like roar rolled through the dense air. The whole team involuntarily stiffened.

They knew that they needed to kill this beast in order for the commune to make it through the incoming drought period where all the beasts would vanish and little to no water would be left on the ground. The men sprang to their feet, quickly exiting the cave and slipping into the shadows. The loud breathing of the beast could be heard from a distance away and Nine signaled to the group to approach with caution. Ray and Lemma brought up the rear, keeping a healthy distance from the other pair ahead of them.

Suddenly, a giant paw with gruesome claws smashed the ground directly in front of them. Nine quickly ushered the boys to a safe place and disappeared back into the fog. In the distance, guttural cries could be heard. Lemma visibly shivered and his face seemed even more pale in the dense fog. Ray noticed his poor friend's behavior and tried to reassure him.

"Don't worry Captain Nine knows what to do. He will protect us." Ray said.

Lemma only gave a small nod, not saying anything. He stared off into the distance. His eyes seemed to become as thick and misty as the fog. They remained in silence for what seemed like hours, waiting for Nine and the other man to come back. By now it was probably mid-day, but the boys had no way of determining the time. Suddenly, a lone figure emerged from the fog. His clothes were torn and he was clutching his arm. Nine limped over with a sad yet very much alert face.

"On your feet," Nine said. "We must move quickly."

Opening one of the backpacks, he grabbed a first aid kit to patch the gash on his arm. Ray and Lemma only watched in growing despair. Neither dared to think about what happened to the other man. Finally, Nine motioned us to move. His grey eyes scanned the fog, obviously wary of something. He started off at a jogging pace, but he was much taller than Lemma and Ray, so they had to run to keep up. They heard distant crashing and rumbling behind them and ran even faster.

Nine had increased his pace from a jog to a run. Now, the boys were full-on sprinting to keep up. Beads of sweat raced down their face due to the high humidity. Nine noticed the boys lagging and practically picked up both if them and broke out into a sprint. The crashes were getting louder. Lemma and Ray understood the grave the situation was. They didn't quite understand where Nine was running to, but they certainly didn't want to get caught by the beast.

All of a sudden, the trees disappeared, the fog cleared, and Nine burst out into a sunny meadow, carrying Lemma and Ray in both arms. They collapsed into a heap, the captain too tired to do anything and the boys too frightened to ask anything. Eventually, Nine got up and started walking further into the field and the boys had no choice but to follow him. Out of nowhere, Nine got down on his stomach and stared into the distance, waiting for something. The boys followed his lead and layed on their stomachs.

Then a figure raced towards them. The human had long black hair that danced in the wind as it ran. The human had a long white shirt that stretched to it's knees. The figure paused at a distance and gently reached out in front of it. Ray gasped as vibrations rippled through the air.

Ray knew immediately that this was the fabled barrier. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nine wave to the figure. Ray then realized that the human was... a girl! Ray eyes widened at the distant female. Ray remembered that what the girl was wearing was called a dress. He mused to himself what Lemma would look like if he ever wore one.

The girl raised her hand to wave, but stopped short. Confused, Ray lifted his head a little higher. The girl's eyes widened and she immediately retracted her hand. With wings on her feet, she grabbed her bag and ran away. Her dark hair was stark against the golden landscape as she was reduced to a black and white speck.