Hello Everyone, I was looking through my folders on my computer today and found this short story. I'm not really sure as to why I wrote it. May have been a project for my creative writing class. Rip me to shreds if you have any qualms with it. “Archie, come down for breakfast!” he heard his mum bellow from the kitchen. Archie looks out of his window at the Terra-Martian landscape, and the reddish black sky, and remembered that today was The Day. Since it was The Day he had to be on Omega Base at 06:00. Archie walked down the stairs slightly nervous for what his future held for him. His favourite breakfast, cheesy grits, 2% chocolate milk, and raspberry jam toast that his mom made calmed his nerves.Despite his nerves and the butterflies in his stomach he managed to clear his plate of the meal becuase for all he knew this was his very last one. After eating Archie went up to the bathroom and hopped into the shower. He got himself up at 04:00 so he could take all the time in the world. While he was in the shower he once again thought about his future. Often times when people left for The day, they never returned, or were heard of again, no emails, video calls, not even a letter was sent back to their loved ones. However, on occasion, some people did return. And the ones that did, came back five to ten years down the road. They also came back in all sorts of conditions. Some came back tall and proud, while others came back as if they had been brutally tortured. Missing arms and legs, or gapping holes where their hearts should be. The strangest cases were the people that came back not a day older than they left, or people that were fifty or sixty years older. All of this scared Archie, gave him chills that resonated throughout his body and rattled his bones, but he knew he had to. He didn’t even allow his imagination to entertain the idea of what could happen if he didn’t go. Archie remembered seven years ago when the last Day happened. A family tried to send their daughter away, tried to stop the Unknowns from taking her. The next day everyone was talking about it in class. Tiffany, the girl that tried to run, was sitting in class away from the other kids. It looked as if she was still crying, but no tears were falling. Red eyes, a runny noes, and streaks in the grime on her face was the only evidence of her endless crying the night before. Archie heard rumors of what happened, but he didn’t believe them. He decided to prove the rumors wrong. After school he walked past Tiffany’s house, or rather what was left of it. Instead of the house, there was a pile of burnt debris and charred timbers. The horrifying thing was what was on the curb. Three body bags, two adult bags, and on child bag. Behind them was a sign, that sign read: “HOC SIT COMMONITIONEM” -The Unknowns translated into English it meant, “let this be a warning” The message was writtenin blood and the individual letters dripped down the sign and formed a small puddle. Despite all of the horrible and gruesome things Archie had heard, he was excited. Archie re-thought his feelings and decided that excitement was not the correct feeling . He settled with curious and proud. Proud because every seven years one person from each city was chosen. He was one of 1 million people, he assumed that he must have been special somehow. Others looked at it as if they were unlucky, but Archie was just “half glass full” type of guy. He had grown up without a dad, but was extremely grateful for his amazing mother. A knock on the door snapped Archie out of his mind. “Archie you have to leave in fifteen minutes, you don’t want to be late”. Archie let out a sigh and let the water run down his body like tributaries for a short while longer. “Shower off” Archie said the stream of water stopped. He got out of the shower and grabbed the towel off of its hook, dried off and wrapped it around his waist. He threw on a ThermaSkin shirt, athletic shorts, and pants. He looked in the mirror noticing his extremely rare amethysts eyes and smiled. He opened the mirror and grabbed his ElectroContacts, tilted his head back and popped them in. After blinking once or twice a soft women’s voice echoed from within his head. “Good morning Archie, what colours are you feeling today” Athena asked. “Scotty Black, head to toe please” replied Archie. Archie looked in the mirror quickly enough to see that plain white clothes turn a rich and magnificent black. “Will that be all Archie?” Asked Athena. Archie thought for a second or two and silently thought, “everything is fine as it is right now” and with that Athena said goodbye and left Archie alone. Archie began walking down the stairs and was joined by his dog Scotty. Scotty was the closest thing that he had ever had to a sibling. Sure he was a big black dog, but Archie loved him like a brother. Archie stopped mid flight, knelt down, kissed Scotty on the nose, and scratched behind his ears and said his farewell. While doing this Archie felt a lump the size of an apple form in is throat. He realized that this was likely the last time he’d see Scotty, with one more kiss on the noes and a pat on the stomach, Archie stood up and continued down the stairs. He looked at all of the photos on the wall and called Athena up. “Athena, mind helping me out here? “Of course Archie, what do you need?” “Could you scan that photo off of the wall” pointing to a family photo, the only family photo. “Might I ask why you want this photo? “It is the only one of me, my mum, and my dad. Also can you scan the one of me and Scotty too?” “Of course. All requested photos have been archived and are available on your BYH.” With that Archie finished what would more than likely be his last time walking down those stairs. As he rounded the corner to the entrance he noticed his mother crying in the living room. He lightly called out to her. “Hey mum, I’m on my way out.” She sniffled her noes, and wiped away the tears, and joined him in the entrance. Archie went to the closet and with drew a plain cardboard box that was sent to their residence one week ago by the Unknowns. Out of the box he withdrew a ThermaSkin track jacket, a pair of perfect fit shoes., and a set of dog tags, He put the jacket on and Athena matched it with the colours Archie was wearing. On the back of it in big pearly white block letters was his first and last name, “ARCHIE SMITH” and below 77 in the same font. He put the shoes on and noticed that on the sides it said AS77. His mom took the dog tags from his and and draped them over his head. She looked up and asked: “Hey bud, you ready?” Looking up from his shoes he says “As ready as I’ll ever be.” Archie took a deep breath, tenderly gave his mother a hug and said “I love you.” Archie’s mom pulled back a bit, holding him by his shoulders, kissed him on his head, and “I know, and I love you too.” Archie turned to the closet one last time and grabbed his dads old leather jacket, and dawned it. He walked towards the door and it slid open before him. Archie turned his upper body and said, “I’ll see you soon.” She gave a weak but evident smile, croaked out a goodbye, and the door slid shut behind Archie. She walked to the living room and collapsed to the floor like a sack of bricks. Tears began streaming from her eyes like water pouring out of a broken dam, great sobs rocked her body as she laid on the floor, face in the carpet. She was looking up at the very same photo that Archie scanned a few short minutes ago. The only family photo of her, Jeff and Archie. The photo was taken exactly fourteen years ago, shortly after Archie’s first birthday. The words “see you soon” bounced off the inside of her head, repeating themselves over and over. It wasn’t the first time she heard those words. Jeff said them too, just before he left for Omega base. The Day has taken not one but two loved ones from her. First her husband, and now her son Archie. She whispers “Jeff if you’re still out there, please for the love of God, find Archie and keep him safe. ***