I wake in a cold, dark room. My family is poor, we live in a 2 room house, My dad died from a mountain lion, so it's just me, my mom, and my 4 other siblings. They all have to sleep in a queen bed we were given by a rich man that used to know our father. In there, it is warm and bright because of a fire that is also in that room. I, Dylan Grand am the oldest sibling of our 6 person family, have to sleep on the cold concrete of this room, the one we work in, because our rooms are so small our queen sized bed takes up the whole room in that other room, though there is a little room for a fireplace. I look out our "window", it was really just a small opening in our wall. The sun was rising, almost dawn. I only have one possesion. A sword. I made it myself when my dad worked at the Blacksmith, years ago. Then I was 7. Now I am 14. I am responsible of gathering food for the family, because my mother has to watch the children. We are told the extremely large land we live in was once called North America. Now there are broken roads, burned or burning buildings everywhere, and occasional houses. Our currency is..well... We trade. I usually find a rabbit and a few squirrels every time I go hunt. Usually I get about 2 loafs of bread every 3 days. I have developed skills to sneak up on these creatures because my sword is for close range combat. Also, where we live. We live next to two other houses, familys like ours. Both familys have kids my age. There is Thomas, he is very muscular and uses very heavy and long swords. Then there is Brandt, he is mid-sized and has a bow with many arrows. Perfect accuracy. We are all friends and hunt together occasionally. Next to all our house, there is a not-so-steep mountain people call Death Point. Anyone who dares to travel up there never returns. No one has lived to tell us whats up there.


To be continued