It has been a little over a month since I left on Big Sister’s boat. The whole time she and the crew treated me just like a prince and made sure I had lots of fun. When we made it to Muron, she even walked me into the academy to make sure all of the papers were filled out and sat through this thing called orientation with me. It was super cool. I do not think I have ever spent that much time with Big Sister in my entire life. And all the adults around kept sweating and acting nervous every time they looked at her. I always thought she was awesome, but I guess everyone else does, too. She’s so cool that the academy’s security followed behind her after we said goodbye to make sure she got back to her boat safely. Though, they followed pretty far behind her, probably just so she did not get nervous or anything.

But now it is just me on my own. I am only seven and it might seem like a young age to leave home and attend a military academy... sorry, Mommy says it is “an international training institution for emergency services and securities.” I do not know what all that means, but I am sure they will teach me that while I’m here. Anyway, some kids have been at this place since they were only four or five. That means I am actually starting a bit behind. It is okay though. I do not think everyone starts that early. My cousin Anon, he is a soldier in the Thamian army, said that some people do not start here until they are already twelve. That means I get to meet so many different people of different ages. That is pretty cool.

After that orientation thing, they said that we would be in introduction classes for the first month before we had to decide on a career path. That sounded pretty heavy at first, but they said we do not have to decide on a given field or our specialty or anything like that for a long time. We just have to figure out if we want to be in services or securities. I think services are like search and rescue and doctors and stuff while securities is where all the fighting happens. Anon told me that nothing good comes from the life of a soldier and to stay away from combat, but I kind of want to be a big marshall for the IBKP when I grow up. Oh well, I have a month to decide. Right now, I just have to find my room.

Dormitory Wing; room number 637. Floor 6; hall 3; room 7. It’s a good thing this place is easier to find my way in than my hometown. Instead of all these complicated street names that loop around up and down hills, the entire academy is laid out like a grid and everything is numbered very clearly. You don’t even need a map even though they’re on the wall by every stairs.

“Wahhh!” I cry suddenly falling forward to the floor. What happened? I do not think I tripped. It felt more like something hit my back.

“Look at this freak!” a gruff boy’s voice comes from behind me. “He looks like a little kid but he’s got hair like an old man!”

“And look at those ears,” a snotty-sounding girl chimes in. “What are you, an elf?”

“He’s too pale to be any elf I’ve ever seen,” croaks out another boy with a froggy voice.

“Maybe the freak’s an albino,” the first boy retorts.

“That’s gotta be it!” a boy with a whiny voice blurts out. “Just look at those ugly red eyes. Don’t albinos have those, too?”

“I’m not albino,” I finally work the nerve to softly speak back.

“What’d you say, freak? I didn’t hear you,” the gruff boy mockingly asks.

“I said that I’m not albino!” I cry back. “My mommy says I just got all the recessive genes... whatever that means.”

The boy picks me up by the collar and says, “Look at you, gotta be about ten and still a momma’s boy.” He throws me into my room and I hit the floor bad. I panic and don’t even manage to break my fall. I look up and a good glance at him for the first time. He is taller than the other kids he showed up with. His face looks young, like a twelve or thirteen-year-old, but he is already the size of most of the men in the school’s staff. Almost as tall as my mom, actually. He is definitely human, just like his entire gang. He has long rusty hair tied back in a ponytail and under a grey cap. His eyes almost match his hair and he has a slight tan. He is wearing an outfit that looks a lot like the military uniform my cousin Anon always has on, but it is grey and looks like a cheap knockoff like he made it himself or something. It is definitely not the issued uniform for the school, especially since they said during orientation that we are only allowed to wear those when we eventually get sent out on assignments. Maybe that is why he is being so mean to me. My mommy made me an outfit like cousin Anon’s uniform as well, but mine looks so much nicer than that boy’s. Plus, mine is black with gold trim because those are Mommy and Big Sister’s favorite colors. I can not really make out the other mean people now that I am in my room and they are in the hall being blocked by the big boy who is taking up my entire doorway.

“I’m seven,” I mutter.

“What?” he asks back.

“I’m only seven, not ten,” I reply.

“Wow, you really are a freak,” he says laughing. “You suck on your mommy’s tits too long to end that big so young or something?”

“No, everyone in my fam-” I try to explain how even my Big Sister and cousin look a lot older than they are but I suddenly feel my breath taken from me when he kicks me in the belly and I hit the back wall of my room. Why? Why did he kick me? What did I do? It is not like when I play with Big Sister and I start the trouble; I didn’t even do anything this time. I would not start trouble with a stranger because I know Big Sister is tough enough not to get hurt and nice enough to make me feel better if I get hurt. But this guy is so mean and I do not even know him.

“What’s the matter, freak? I thought you were saying something,” he giggles.

“I’m sorry the outfit your mommy made you does not look as good as the one my mommy made. You can have it if it will make you stop, but I do not think it will fit you.” I cough out hoping to get him to stop being mean to me.

“What the hell are you even talking about, freak?” he asks laughing right as he kicks me again just as hard. This one hurt even more since I was already on the wall and had nowhere else to go. “This is just what freaks like you get for existing. It’s bad enough they let those other dirty species into the institution, but you’re such a freak that I can’t even tell what you are.”

He keeps kicking me a few more times before he lifts me by the collar and presses me up against the wall. He gets super close to my face and looks me in the eye as he says, “What, too scared to fight back, freak?”