The shiny, black, suits and dresses of men and women alike, gleamed in the bright sun. And although the sun was out, it was everything but cheerful. Close relatives of Janith Walter, a mother of three, huddled around a deep pit, and the songs of the mourning crowd were heard throughout the barren graveyard. Then, slowly, a black case was placed in the center. The funeral leader then chanted: “May this deadly plague be stopped before any more lives can be rid of this Earth!”
    The crowd murmured in an agreement.
    “Let’s soon find a cure, and put an end to this crisis!”
    Everyone once again nodded.
    Then, dirt was slowly piled on top of the coffin, and patiently, everybody waited. Three children, ages 15, 12 and 5, were particular depressed, and the screams of the youngest could be heard for miles: “Stop it! Why are you burying Mommy? I said stop it!”
    “Be quiet Taya,” the eldest whispered, but his attempts to silence the child were useless, and her tears continued to stream down her face. The middle child, Cody, looked back at his dad, who was too depressed to say, or do, anything. Then, he broke from the grasps of his siblings and walked over to his father: “Why are you so sad?”
    “Cody, don’t freak out, but I have some news,” he responded.
    “Okay, what is it?”
    “I… am infected with the plague.” He looked down at the ground as a tear fell from his face.
    Cody looked at him, shocked. In silence, he then hugged his mourning father: “It’s okay, you’ll be fine.”
    “Thank you, Cody, but I don’t think I will be. I mean don’t expect me to survive. Plan for the future, in case I don’t. The orphanages are all filled up, so I need all of you to know how to live on your own,” and with that, he walked away.
    Cody was still standing there. He didn’t know what to do. Should he tell Gage and Taya? Is that what his father wanted? No, he thought, I should wait for my father to tell them. Then, he rejoined the ceremony and continued to cry with his siblings.
   
    The car ride back to their apartment was quiet. No one even dared to speak a word, even Taya, who was usually loud. The sibling’s father then rested his hand on the driving crystal, activating the car. It lifted into the air, just as silent as the children. Cody was still thinking of whether to mention the sickness. If he wasn’t supposed to, then his dad might be angry at him, but he still wanted to discuss it as soon as possible. “I think dad has some news.”
    “Yes I do,” he said. “It’s important too. I am infected with the same plague that your mother died from.” He fought to hold back tears once again.
    Gage stayed silent, trying to keep his dad calm. Taya, on the other hand, shouted immediately: “You can fight it! You’ll be fine!”
    A slight grin formed on their father’s face. “I hope so.”
    Soon enough, the car landed on top of the apartment building, in the parking lot. Their dad walked out slowly, but all the kids knew what they had to do: find a way to stop their dad’s sickness. People can’t be infected with the disease until they’re 20, which is also when they stop aging. The kids all knew that, so they had to stop the sickness themselves. Although it was a lot of pressure, the children could handle it.
    Everyone stepped into the apartment building and took the elevator to quickly get down to their own room. Right when they stepped in the door, Gage and Cody went into privacy, as they both were thinking that they had to find a cure. They talked, and talked until the two boys came to the conclusion of heading to the library for “studying”, but they would be saving their father's life instead.
    “Dad!,” yelled Gage as they stepped out of the closet. “We are going to go to the library to study a bit! Is that okay?”
    “Yeah, just keep your eyes out, got that?”
    “Yes, we’ll be careful.” And then the boys were off. Then, they heard yelling behind them.
    “Gage! Cody! I want to come too!” Their sister Taya caught up to them. “It’s no fair you get to go by yourself!”
     “Fine, but be careful, and once we’re there, you have to be quiet,” Gage said sternly.
    Taya nodded in agreement. They continued their trip to the library, and soon enough could see the large marble stairway, that led up to a round a dozen tall pillars of the same material. “Wow,” Taya said as she stared up at the towering building. “This is huge!” They then entered the library, and found polished oak shelves, storing thousands of books. It was very empty, as not many people read books anymore. Physical information was replaced with digital when new technology started to come out.
    Instantly, Gage and Cody rushed towards the “P” section. They had to find any book about the plague. Luckily, Taya was busy on a coloring book she had brought to the building, so the boys could go by undisturbed. Soon enough, Gage started finding books on the disease. One of them “The Covert Plague”, looked trustworthy, but once they took a look inside, the book turned out to just be a bunch of information on what it does. This was not what they were looking for at all!
    As time went on, the boys kept finding useless information. Everything was either just like the first book, or some crazy myths put together by Religious Zealots. And there was no way anybody would trust those believers of witchery.
    Finally, Cody looked at one book: The Truth Behind the Covert Disease, by Royal Walter. “Probably another one of those crazy religious freaks,” Cody stated.
    “No, this looks, different,” Gage responded. “There’s just something about it.” He cracked it open. The book started off like this:

The world is not what you think. This so called city has been lying to all of us for generations. What you think is technology, created by scientists, are just pieces of witchcraft created by mages. They were bribed by the government after the world was destroyed by nuclear weapons.

     “Hold up,” Cody interrupted. “Did he say mages?! I don’t trust this guy.” His eyes narrowed.
     “Let’s keep on reading. I wanna see where he’s going with this.” Gage responded.

      I know what you’re thinking: “This is crazy! Who would believe this nonsense?” But, I have proof. I used to be part of the central council, which I now regret since I know that tyrants are the only people there. They have hidden hundreds of secrets, and they have told the people none. You may think that you know something about this world, but you have no idea what happens. Now, you can either listen to me or fall back into the hands of the oppressors.

     The boys were in shock. All they had known, all they had done, based on this man, was a lie. Gage finally spoke: “We should take this book back to the apartment. Maybe dad will know something about it.”
“I hope he does,” Cody stated. “This guy sounds crazy to me, but I still trust you. At least, I do for now.”

     “Dad!” The boys yelled. “We’re back!”
     “How was your trip?”
     “Good. We found a book that we need you to look at! We weren’t sure what it meant. Would you know anything about it?”
     “Maybe. Just bring it over here.”
     Cody and Gage brought over the mysterious piece of writing. Then they held it out to their father. His eyes narrowed after he took off his thick-rimmed glasses: “Hmm, this name… it looks very familiar.” He flipped to the back of the book. “Ah yes, this book was written by your uncle, Royal. He always was a bit strange. He thought there were wizards and monsters and all sorts of crazy things. I guess his time in the council did something to him.” He laughed. “But, when he was executed for giving out this information a couple years ago, all of his writing was lost. Did you get this at the library?”
     “Yes, were they not supposed to have it or something?”
     “Giving out this information is illegal, so I am not sure why they would possess this.” He put back on glasses. “Oh well, maybe someone dropped it there by accident.”
     “Okay,” Cody said, obviously disappointed at the news. Then he walked away, but Gage stayed put.
     “Hold on,” he said, “this says it was published only last month, and the plague started earlier this year. So how would he have written it if he was dead?!”
     “Maybe it’s just a mistake,” their father replied.
     “No! He must still be out there, he has to be!” Gage rushed to the computer. He typed: Royal Walter and several articles popped up; Royal Walter Executed for Revealing Information to the Public, Council Member Walter Dead as of Today, Royal Walter Still Alive?. “Here it is!,” Gage screamed. He clicked on the link. Images of his uncle popped up everywhere. There were scouts claiming to have seen him way north of the city, in the abandoned Acadia National Park. “We need to go!,” Gage exclaimed. “We have to find him and save you, dad! I want to do this for you... I don’t want you to die.” A tear fell from the eager boy’s face.
     “No,” stated their father. “I will not have you risk your life just for me. I bet he isn’t even out there: it’s all a hoax.”
     “No way!” This was the first time Gage had yelled at his father in a long time.
     “If Gage wants to go, I will too,” Cody joined in on the conversation. “We lost mom, and all we have left is you.” He started to choke up, and his voice became shaky.
     “I understand that you don’t want to lose me, but you still have so much to live for. I am old. You have many years ahead of you. I know you will be fine without me.”
The room was silent, except for the quiet sobs of everyone. “Fine,” Gage said. “I guess we won't go.”

     This, in fact, was a lie. Gage and Cody started to gather supplies immediately. Pocket knives, fuel, fire starters. All of these were on their huge list. Soon enough, they had gathered enough resources to last for at least two weeks, with proper rationing. They had no idea how long their journey would take, so the boys had to play it safe when preparing.
Whenever Gage and Cody talked to their dad, they got very tense, and they tended to stay away from him. His sickness was getting worse, fast, and they knew that they had to find their uncle, no matter what it took. But, they had a problem. Taya would be at the house with only a sick father as a guardian. If anything, he could die while they were gone, and she could starve. They came to a conclusion later that day: Taya would be coming.

     Everyone packed up their things after Taya received the news of all of them leaving. Everyone was quiet, and the siblings were once again reminded of their mom’s funeral, that was not too different from the situation they were in. But now, their dad was the one on the line.
     Gage gathered up a piece of paper to leave a note. His voice was shaky as he wrote the letter.

     I am sorry, but we have to go. The sickness is getting to you, and we can’t stand to see you suffer. I know you don’t want us to go, but it is for your own good, and for our happiness too. You are all we have left, the only person to love like family, and the only person that can take care of us. We want to stay. We really do, but we are doing this because we want you to stay even more. I am sorry that all of us are leaving. We are going to tell Mrs. Emerson to take care of you for the time being. I know we will see you again. I promise.

Goodbye,
Gage      

    And that was the last time the siblings the siblings took steps in their apartment.
    Before they left on their journey, they stopped at Mrs. Emerson’s, like they promised. Taya played a short rhythm on the white-painted door: “Hello?”
    “Be there in a second! ” Mrs. Emerson yelled as she raced toward the entrance. She then cracked open the squeaky door. “Why hello there.”
    Gage got right to the point: “We need you to take care of our dad while we are gone. Can you do that?”
    “Oh my. Where are you kids going to?”
    “We are going to look for someone to help our dad. He needs it.”
    “I can surely take care of him while y’all are gone.” A smile developed on her face. “Have a great trip, and stay safe.”
    “Thank you,” said Gage. “We will be off now, bye.”
    “Okay, no problem.”

    The walls of the city were enormous and looked down at the children like a monster. This was their starting destination, and the siblings would have to climb the behemoth of a wall. Luckily, Gage and Cody had brought climbing gear, so they could go up fairly easily. Gage took out the grappling hook: “This better be worth our money.”
    Cody chuckled. “Yeah, those fifty dollars we paid sure was a lot.” He laughed even harder.
    “This is serious.” Gage looked at his brother sternly. He then took out the grappling hook and the coil of rope along with it. He knew how to use the device, as he had looked up all sorts of information online. Gage had been interested in the internet ever since he was born. The web of information was like a store, but everything was free. He could find information about any little topic, no matter how obscure. His hobby of his already had helped them on their journey.
    Gage then wrapped up the rope loosely, like the manual told him to. Then he spun the hook around in a wide circle, being careful to not hit his siblings. After a couple seconds, he gathered enough momentum and launched the hook up to the wall. The sharp points did not stick. They fell as quickly as they came up.
    Gage sighed in disappointment. He winded up the rope, gathered the hook, and spun it once more, but it just fell down. This time, Gage was determined the get up the wall. He gathered up the cord and focused. He closed his eyes and only the slight breeze made any noise. Then he launched forward, hook in hand, and tossed it all the way up. At last, it stayed put. The spike was securely fastened to the concrete, and the siblings should be able to climb up safely. Cody, the strongest of the three, grabbed Taya. Then, they walked over to the dangling rope, grasping on to the fifty-foot wall.
    Now, time to actually get up. All three of them looked up at the wall like it could reach the sky. The first step was taken by Cody: “Okay. This is it. There is no turning back now.” He paused. “Are you all ready?”
    Gage nodded, and Taya went along with it. Cody walked over and picked up Taya again, this time carrying her to the wall. Gage followed and grasped the rope. He checked it’s sturdiness and made a loop to put his foot in. His siblings watched as he climbed up slowly, carrying the rope up with him. Finally, he reached the top and cast down the cord for Cody and Taya to tie themselves to.
     Soon enough, their belts were complete, and they both jumped into them, tightening them around their waists. Then, they ascended. Gage used the small machine on the grappling hook to wind it back up. Suddenly, the hook was dragging! It lost its grip on the dirt and Gage grabbed at it frantically, only fumbling it around. The hook was almost out. Gage was looking for a way to stop it, but he couldn’t. Then, he found a boulder, and adrenaline filled, Gage lifted it into the air and threw it onto the cord. The hook stopped, and the children below breathed heavily. 
     “Is everything okay up there?,” Cody asked nervously.
     “Barely,” Gage responded. “But how can you get up now? Do I have to pull both of you by myself?”
     Cody frowned: “I guess so, unless you'd be able to somehow use the grappling hook again.”
     “There is no way I am using this anymore; It’s all beat up, and it doesn’t help that I threw a rock on it.” He could hear Cody laugh down below.
Taya started to scream, and she obviously did not like heights. “Get me down from here! I’m getting scared!”
     “We will get you up soon. Okay?,” Cody reassured.
Gage tried tugging on the rope, but it would barely budge. He tried, and tried, and tried, but the rope stayed put. He got stressed out. Would his siblings have to drop? They could break bones from that high of a fall! Suddenly, Gage felt a rush of strength. He took the grappling hook in his hand. Then, he kicked off the rock, and just managed to hold on. His muscles got tense. Sweat poured from his face, as his siblings lives could be in his hands. With one burst of energy, Gage took the hook and ran over to a small garden on top of the wall. Then, with all of his might, pulled the hook around a tree stump. It was lodged.
Cody and Taya cheered for their brother as they felt the rope stiffen. Gage, still panting, smiled for the first time in a while. He could then safely use the machine, that was barely working.
     After around a minute, Cody and Taya were up and taking off their harnesses. Cody looked down on the other side. After getting up, they would have to get down too. “Wait,” he said. “Keep the rope on. What about getting down?”
Gage then remembered the steep cliff on the opposite side of the structure. He opened up his supply bag. “Here it is.” Gage held out a long mechanism. The snake-like cord stretched, revealing it’s sturdy structure. “I thought we might have to get down a couple cliffs, so I brought this.” After he attached the rope, and Gage pressed a button, making the claws let go of the concrete.
     “Wow,” Cody awed. “When did you get this.”
     “When we were shopping, I just snuck it into the bag,” Gage smirked. “You’re lucky I did too. With this, we won’t have to lose any material.” The eldest brother was already attaching the claw to a good, strong area. This time, he pulled the rope as hard as he could, leaning back to put his weight on it. It stayed put. And this time, there was no way it was coming loose.
     Gage had the harness on in an instant and helped his siblings put theirs on too. “Are you all ready to go down?” he asked.
    They nodded.
    “Alright.” And with that, they slowly descended to the ground.
    Their feet lowered onto the grass. “Finally,” said Taya. “We must have been up there for hours.”
    Cody and Gage both smiled at their sister’s comment. They looked at the horizon laid out before them and prepared mentally for the long, treacherous journey ahead of them.

    The first day was a smooth day of travel. Although fatiguing, the children managed to make it the whole day without stopping for very long.
    They were all sore that night, and stretched out in their beds, hoping the pains would go away. By the next day, both Gage and Cody felt stiff, and they forced themselves to walk. This day was not as casual as the last. They constantly had to stop for short breaks, and couldn't bear traveling for more than an hour at a time.
    That night, everyone was in their beds, just like the last. Gage, who was still very sore, decided to take a short walk not too far from camp. He picked himself out of bed and wandered off. He sighed in relief as his muscles got less tense, but he sensed something; something strange. Then, something rustled in the bush beside him. Gage stayed put for one moment and looked at the plant. This time, he could easily see it move. Must be a squirrel, he thought to himself. But, his thought quickly vanished as a large beast emerged. It stood on its hind legs and roared as loud as a train. Gage ran as fast as he could, yelling along the way: “Cody! Taya! Run now!”
    Cody was woken by the yelling and looked up, to see a monster chasing after his brother. He ran to Taya and shook her: “Get up! There’s something here, we have to run!”
    She too looked up to the same image. They gathered the bag of food and water and sprinted away from the beast. Cody had to pick up Taya, and the adrenaline flowing through his body made her feel like a feather.
    Soon, the monster caught up to the camp and Gage went in a separate path. The monster decided to not follow him, but now the other siblings. They looked back in horror as a giant wolf-like creature pursued them. His eyes lit up; the little girl would serve a great morning meal. Then, he burst. Cody and Taya could never outrun the monster, and they knew it. Cody thought of his end. No one would know where to look, where to find his corpse. Maybe the beast would just devour him anyways.
    The next time Cody turned around, the monster was only a few feet behind him. Soon, it would catch up to him, and he and his sister would be done for.
    The wolf leaped, and Cody closed his eyes, but nothing happened. After, he heard a groan of pain. When he opened his eyes, his brother Gage was lying on the ground. A giant claw mark was scratched across his chest. The monster stood above him, licking his paws. Cody was in shock. His brother had fallen victim to it, and not him. He had saved his life, and Taya’s.
    “Run,” Gage managed to say before the monster was upon him again.
    Cody did exactly that and tried to wipe away his tears.
    “What happened to Gage?,” asked Taya. “Why are we running from him?”
    “He’s gone Taya!,” Cody barked. “He won’t come back.” Another tear fell, and kept coming. This was the second family member he had lost in the past week. Cody didn’t know what to do!
    He eventually ran out of breath and sat down, continuing to cry. His brother had always been there for him, no matter what. But now, he was gone, just like his mom, and possibly his dad. “What are we going to do?!,” he screamed to himself. “He can’t be dead, maybe it was just a hallucination. Maybe he is still alive out there, and the monster didn’t hurt him at all. Cody believed himself. Somewhere deep inside he knew his brother was alive, but he also knew, he wasn’t.

    The next day was a blur. Cody and his sister held hands the entire trip. They were silent. No jokes, no laughter, no happiness. Everything happy was lost. Cody couldn’t handle the pressure of his brother being gone, and grew stressed as time went on. He didn’t know what to do. How could he ever find his uncle? It was like finding a needle in a haystack. They no longer had a map to navigate, and they were just traveling through the woods like a blind man. The siblings had just the food and water; nothing else.
    Time passed slowly, and the day of walking felt like a week. Before settling down, Cody thought about his brother and started to cry again. All of Taya’s efforts to calm him were useless. The now oldest brother fell asleep in that position, only to be woken again to the sound of rustling.
    “Taya?,” Cody asked nervously. “Get up, now.”
    “What is it?”
    “I said get up! ” Cody was angered.
    The bush settled down, only for them to stir up again. This time, the same beast emerged. Cody knew what was happening. He was going to end up like his brother; dead! He burst up and grabbed his sister and the remaining supplies. This time, he knew what the monster was. He sprinted as fast as he could, finding as many small passages to try and lose the monster at, but every time he turned around, it was still in pursuit. There was no use trying to run; the beast would catch up anyways. But, Cody then felt a surge of courage. He picked up the pace. This time, Cody felt like a bird as he soared through the forest. For a second, he thought he saw a glowing white figure, but he passed it by as a mere image in his head.
    A loose tree was coming up, and Cody saw an opening behind it. There was nowhere to go! The beast would easily catch him in the plains, but then, Cody saw a shimmering metal plate in the opening. More and more revealed, and formed a building! Was this the lab? Then, he passed under the tree and made his way to the field. He heard a crash and a scream behind him and looked back to find the monster, crushed under the falling tree.         How lucky am I? he thought. Cody smiled. Maybe that wisp was the one that did it. Anything was possible considering the events that had just occurred. Cody slowed down to a walking pace, now that the beast was trapped. “We did it Taya,” he said to his sister.
    “Did what?”
    “We saved our dad,” he responded with a laugh. “We saved the city.“