Waking up sucks. ESPECIALLY if you have that annoying beeping alarm clock. After all, nothing wakes you up better than to have a heart attack. My morning routine is much like it is every morning. Wake up with a heart attack, smack the alarm until it shuts up, get up, stretch, change my clothes for the day, put on the ring my grandma gave me, head downstairs, make myself breakfast and eat it, grab my backpack and head out for school. Yeah that pretty much sums up my average morning.
You see, my mom died giving birth to me, so it was just me and my dad. He has stayed with me for sixteen years. He has been incredibly busy with work so he is almost never home. I don't resent my dad for doing that, because he doesn't have a choice. He has been single for way too long. Providing for me has been running him into the dirt. Once he even contacted a drug dealer to ask for a way to gain money to help provide for me. The deal they struck made our situation even worse than it was before he struck that deal. But surviving is what we do best.
My grandma gave me a ring when I was ten. She said it was my mother's and she wanted me to have it. It was a elegant ring. The metal was 24 Karat gold. The gem in the middle held a petrified sapling of a plant. Which plant, I wasn't sure. The one thing I find most interesting about the sapling, is the leaf. At the change of the seasons, it changes color. When it is spring, its a dark green. In the summer, it becomes a sparkling bright green. During the fall, it turns to a bright Red. And during the winter It turns to a sickly brown color.
Whenever I'd wear the ring, I'd feel more tuned into my surroundings. My father always said that It must be from my natural survivalist instincts. I come from a long line of expert survivalists so getting this ring is definitely the best thing that has ever happened to me.
I reach the side walk where the school bus would pick me up. As I wait, I see one of my best friends wave at me from down the road. It was Jordan. He was a nice kid. Tall and very good at sports.
When ever I stood near Jordan, there was always a slight breeze. No matter where he was, there was always a breeze. Other people noticed this strange event but no one else cared enough to figure it out. He has a ring much like mine. The metal is made of 24 karat gold. the gem on the ring was most peculiar. The gem looks hollow. and there seems to be a never ending air current inside of it. If you stared at it, it was sort of like a kaleidoscope. but it moved in a circular motion. Jordan told me he got it from his grandma as well with the same story that my grandma told me.
There Is one strange thing that all four of us have in common. My story, is the same as theirs. They have the same routine as me, they have the same ring as me, although the gem for each of us is different. Our mother's died giving birth to us, our fathers love us to death and is never there enough due to their need to provide for us. We even take the same fucking bus.
I explained that to them one day and they thought it was strange too. Okay, so there is Myself, Joshua. I am a short haired 16 year old. I have black hair. I am about 5 feet tall. yeah a little short for my age but whatever. Okay, there's also Ian, and Andrew. Ian was a short kid, but very pleasant to be around, he would crack many jokes as well. He was 16 just like me. His ring held a bright blue sapphire that looked like it held the ocean. Andrew was an averagely tall kid. he always wore jackets. He was a very skinny kid as well. He loved playing games. And like the rest of us, he was 16 years old too. The ring he wore was a dark red ruby that glowed brightly under the sun. The ring also emitted a bit of heat as well.
Now, aside from our stories being strange, each of us had very different personalities. I loved the outdoors, the trees, the fresh air. I also had a green thumb. Probably the best in my area. Jordan loved the air. He owned a hang glider, which he would take to his roof and he would jump off of it. He crashed into the window of a neighbor once and was threatened with a call to the police if he didn't stop playing with it. Ian came from a long line of expert surfers. He is also really good at surfing too. He won at his very first surfing tournament. Everyone says it was beginner's luck, but I don't think it is. Ian also loved to go to aquariums and he knew a lot about all of the sea creatures that were there. He even impressed the tour guide by how much he knew. And finally, Andrew. He is a averagely tall kid, like I said before, He loves playing with fire. When his dad won a contest and they flew off to Hawaii, he stood still on hot burning coals and he walked off minutes later, with a slight burn, the medics had no idea what to make of it.
Unfortunately when everyone knew about these strange events, they started avoiding us completely. They alienated us and called us freaks, but the four of us stayed together as friends.
We all got on the bus and sat together. "Hey Ian!" I called. He looks at me with a raised eyebrow.
"What?" Ian asks.
"After school, lets all go over to my house."
"Uh, sure I suppose I have no problem with that."
"Great. I hope our history teacher Is having a good day, i didn't finish my homework."
Ian winces. "Ouch bro, Mr. Richards is very strict about that late homework."
"Yeah. I had quite a lot to do yesterday." The bus slows down as we arrive at the school grounds. The other kids in the bus rush out and into the school. We wait until we're the last people on the bus before exiting.
Upon exit, I see my ring light up and glow with energy. I see Ian's ring do the same. Ian and I share a glance before walking into school. our rings still glowing with energy.
"Whats going on with our rings bro?" I look over and see that Andrew's ring and Jordan's ring ar both glowing as well.
"I have no idea dude." We all took a step forward before getting struck by a white beam of light.
"What's happening!?!?" We all shouted. Our rings glowed even brighter. We simultaneously got picked up into the air. We were floating momentarily. I looked around and saw a few kids standing at the door of the school staring at us in shock and awe.
We shot upward into space. "WHERE ARE WE GOING?!"
We left the troposphere and into the stratosphere, Still screaming. And soon entered the mesosphere. Weirdly enough we could still breathe.
A voice came in, almost like static. "Hello? Can you hear me?" It was a shy female voice. "You are going to be safe. We are protecting you."
"Where are you taking us?" I yell.
"You will see later." Another female voice says.
"What are your names?"
The first voice speaks again as we enter leave the thermosphere and lapse into the complete darkness of deep space. "My name is Fluttershy, There is also Rainbow dash, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie pie, Applejack, and Rarity."
"Wait, from my little pony?"
"My. Little. Pony?" Six feminine voices say at the same time.
"Oh right. never mind."
"Well sleep well. Its a very long journey." I feel myself drifting off. I glance at my friends who are traveling beside me as my eyes close and I fall asleep.