Birth Day

"Why can't we go out Father?" A curious child suddenly asked the busy teacher out of the blue.

"{Gasp!} He talked about it!" another child pointed her finger at the boy who asked, what ensued was many other gasps by the other children.

"I mean, he's always told us about these wonderful things that he once did at the outside world! So, why can't we get out and do the same? It's just, this place is so boring…"

The children soon retaliated against the curious boy.

"Hey! Don't talk about it! We're forbidden to go outside AND talk about going outside remember?"

"That's right!"

"Yeah!"

Eventually, the entire class grouped up against the poor kid.

The man, whose looks are in his late forties, shushed everyone before smiling at the curious boy.

"Josh, why don't we answer that question-"

He rummaged through the drawer underneath his desk before pulling out what seemed to be an old-looking, but not dusty book.

"-With a story?"

"OoOOOoh!" The children howled like wolves. The stories of Father were always interesting. It is mostly about his experiences on the outside world and how colorful and bright it is.

Soon, multiple children with sparkly eyes swarmed the man. It was to the point that Josh was getting pushed outside of the crowd.

"I can't remember, but have I told you guys about 'The Story of the Rocket War'?"

"No, Father, You haven't-"

"Tell it! Tell it!"

"What is it about Father?"

"{Chuckles} Okay! okay! I'll tell the story, but only when you guys behave-"

In an instant, the children formed a perfect circle around Father, encircling him with everyone sitting on the floor. He chuckles lightly as he shakes his head. They were so angry earlier, but now they just forgot all about it. They are just children, after all.

"Josh-" Father calls the hesitant boy at the very back of the class.

"Come. Sit beside me." He gestures by tapping the ground beside him.

Josh was wary on walking towards him with all these sharp gazes pointing at him, but the kind smile of Father gave him the courage to walk up to him and sit. Josh stared intently at him. Amongst the children, Josh was the most curious one.

"There. Perfect! Now, it goes like this-"

Once upon a time, there was a big, fertile land. It was round, it was green, it was called Earth. Later on, this land was visited by a man and decided to stay here and spread his kind. Soon, the vast lands were filled with his kind.

His kind is smart! They can make all kinds of strategies and plans when an incoming threat has appeared!

His kind is creative! They can make towers of unfathomable heights or get out of any seemingly impossible situation!

His kind is strong! They can have weapons that no living being can defeat-

"Not even a lion?" Asked a girl whose mouth was open.

"Not even a lion." He assures her with a smile before continuing the story.

But his kind was… selfish. They don't care about one another. They steal against one another. Cheat against one another-

Father looks at Josh, with a grim expression, before continuing-

"Kill. One another."

{Gasps!}

So one day, two young but ambitious brothers found a solution. They would create something that even the men themselves would fear. And they did. They create a rocket! They called it, a Nuke-

"NuUUuke!" The children repeated in awe. Father's expression, however, turned even more sour.

-This Nuke however, was so powerful that it destroyed the lands. It destroys the Earth whenever it is used.

But his kind didn't care. Soon, the Nuke was used throughout the world. After the explosions and death, monsters and demons sprouted. And then, the entire world- DIED!

{Gasp}

"-Now, do you know why I'm preventing you from ever going outside?" he smiled kindly in contrast to his rather gloomy story-telling earlier.

"Yes Father. It's dangerous to go outside." Josh frowns. The brilliant idea of going outside seems like a stupid idea to him right now, but he's curious nonetheless. "But how do we get food and all that?"

"Ooh, lookie here, a smarty! Of course, we get our food by going outside. But, that's a dangerous task! Which is why we train everyone, including you, in this warm and loving home first before your adventure to the outside world." he replies enthusiastically, followed by the cheers of the children.

"B-but, the training sucks. I don't do good at training, paramedics, or anything that involves moving my body. What am I supposed to do then?" he asks bitterly. The children did not like that.

" Hmm… You're smart, you can do a lot more than you think. You're still young! Now cheer up because Tony gave us fried chicken!"

{Gasps!}

"Really?!" Josh's expression brightened, followed by gasps of excitement from the other children. Mister Tony's fried chicken comes rarely in this shelter, but when it does, it's a worthwhile wait!

"Yep! Let's go eat!"

***

(More than 4 years later)

6:21 PM, 5th Sun of the 8th Moon

"{Cough} I feel hot." Josh talks to himself while lying perfectly horizontal on the bed, hugging the pillow instead of leaning on it like usual.

He could hear the loud laughter of his fellow children, disrupting him from further sleeping and convinced him to ponder instead. He stares at the faint, flickering yellow ray of light that passed through the glass window pane above the door that barely lit the wide, dark room he's in.

"They're having fun, huh." he spoke as if he was venting to someone, but he was alone. This fact made him even more inclined to feel lonely and worried than he already is.

{Grunt~}

A butt. There's a butt peeking out of the glass window pane, along with a wriggling pair of legs. He recognizes this butt. This butt is the very same butt that he sees when the boy would slip during training.

"John! What are you doing! You're not supposed to be here!"

"Shh! D-don't shout! We'll get caught!" He whispers nervously while fixing his pants.

"They won't be able to hear us with all that fuzz anyway. Still, why are you- WOAH!"

It's another butt. But this time, it wasn't the butt he noticed. It was the legs! These legs are the very same legs he used to sleep on one time.

"{Blush} E-Ember! What are you doing here! You might {cough} catch my cold! (Plus, I can see your {cough} panties!)"

"Oh shut up! You can't even last a minute without getting in trouble and now you ask why I'm here. Gosh, I can't leave you alone can I-" she said while panting and dripping in sweat. It seems that they rushed their way here.

"Ah, y-yeah. Thanks." Josh chuckles, scratching the back of his head while flushed. It's like all of his negative feelings were robbed from him.

John couldn't help but get slightly disgusted over his best friends. It makes him wonder if they really are just 10 year olds, 11 now because of Birth Day.

"J-just get married already-" He whispers by accident, but they have sharp ears.

Ember: "What?"

Josh: "{Blush} What?"

"J-Josh, what do you want to be when you grow up?" John desperately changes the subject.

"Hmm- I want to be like Sherlock Holmes." Josh bit the hook.

"A detective? (That's kinda cool~)" Ember too.

"I… guess that works? The idea is, I wanna be smart." Josh spoke earnestly.

"But you're already smart. You're the smartest out of all of us. Excluding me of course." Ember boasted.

'Really? We all know that's a lie.' Is what John wanted to say at the moment but he isn't fond of ass whoopings, particularly Ember's.

"I want to be smart enough to protect everyone when all of us goes outside eventually." John's words changed the mood.

"Protect everyone? Why not be a soldier the- Ah that's right, you have a frail body. You can't be a doctor either…" John brainstorms.

"What about you, what do YOU want to be when you grow up? YOU'RE the one who's gonna be a doctor right?" Josh asked John.

"I wanna be a brave superhero! Like V for Vendetta! Wahshing!" John exclaimed, his eyes sparkling and his arms doing an awkward slashing motion.

Ember simply chuckled.

"Such a childish dream. You're already 11 years old!"

"Why not? I'm still a child…" John pouts. "It's just a stupid dream. It won't be bad if I think about it, even though it won't likely become true. Also why did you point me out and not him?" He points at Josh, who was flushed.

"Your case is a little unrealistic is what I wanna say." She crosses her arms.

"{Annoyed} Ugh, you just had to kill the mood don't you?" John scratches the back of his head.

"{Annoyed} Shut up would ya! And John, you still haven't explained what you meant earlie-"

{Creak~}

Suddenly, Father comes inside the room to check on the ill Josh. He's brought medicine and blankets.

"So, how are you feeling?" He asks the smiling kid, also with a smile as to return the polite expression. However, behind this smile is but an anxious act for John and Ember are underneath his sheets shivering-

"{Whispers} It's hot in here! And I can only see this guy's stupid face! (Which makes me even more nervous!)" Ember bickered but John shuts her off.

"{Whispers} Yeah but we can't go out right now! Bear with it!"

(Back to Father and Josh)

"I-I'm fine." The nervous Josh replied to him.

"That's good. I will bring food to your bed since you're not feeling well. {Sigh} This is what you get for hiding in the closet when it's dirty there. Make sure to rest well okay? Oh, and I'm gonna talk with those two rascals later."

"!!!" They know that he knows now. The sheets trembled.

"…Y-yes Father."

"{Sigh} Josh, relax. I won't scold you, only those two... Though we will have a talk later about why you ended up like this." Father gently stroked Josh's head, who simply nodded.

Father leaves the room with a final glance at him accompanied with a smile. Josh finally removes the sheets.

"Hey, you can come out now."

"He knows." John smiled blankly, crouching in fetal position.

"He does." Ember followed, also bent like an infant.

"A-anyways, you guys should eat. I… I'll be fine on my own. Plus, if Father saw the two of you again when he comes back, I doubt that he'll be lenient."

"That's a good idea actually." John hops out of the bed.

"Well, we'll be going now. Bye Josh!" Ember followed.

Josh stared at them with a dispirited look before returning the farewell.

As Ember and John walks for the door that leads outside, Josh interrupts them-

"H-hey!"

"What is it?" John replied.

"What? You suddenly feeling lonely again?" And Ember followed.

Josh paused, as if thinking for a moment, and then settled with a deep breath.

"No-nothing."

"… Alright then. Get well soon." John smiles.

"{Annoyed} Ugh, let's go! (Wasting my time… and making me worried…)" Ember commanded.

After one final peek by John (and by Ember, discreetly), they left, leaving the sick Josh alone again.