City of a thousand lakes: Sacrifice.

The young boy studied the orange mark on his wrist. it's larger than it was last night. He thought. When it had appeared three days before his mother had told him to leave it alone. But, as he would lay in boredom at night his fingers would wonder upon the mark and pick. Close by he could hear the sound of a single drop of water falling from his bedroom ceiling. father said he'd fixed that. "Sam." He turned and saw his older sister, Celeste standing in his bedroom doorway. "Come, baby brother, they're about to leave." Sam wasn't thrilled for them to be departing, no one was. It was the first time he knew of his parents ever leaving their fortress. "I don't even feel sick." Sam told them. " I know, but you are." His mother replied. "Won't it go away on its own?" He pleaded. "No" His father answered. The entrance to their fortress was small, but large enough for them all to gather underneath it. The second oldest, his brother Jacob, was the first he saw. His demeanour and the expression on Jacob's face were somber. You're always like that. Then Sam saw his mother. He glowed as bright as a star when she smiled at him. Her warm face and enchanting blue eyes made all the fear in the universe leave him momentarily. "You are so strong." She said. "Then why can't I come?" He asked almost begging. "Its dangerous out there,son." His father answered. Sam looked beyond and saw his father readying up the ladder to the hatch above. Mesmerized, Sam looked at the hatch and knew the curiosity of what laid beyond did not escape his siblings. There would be times when Sam was alone staring at the hatch and he would edge ever so closer toward before someone always stopped him. "Are you coming back?" His mother carressed his hair and face. "Always." Two days had passed since then and the three children were still alone. Not long. His parents had told them. Not long. Sam found himself again looking at the hatch for an eternity it seemed. The fear, the anxiousness, crawled from within his stomach and up his throat. Do it. Sam moved forward and for the first time in his life he placed his hands upon the ladder. He climbed then grasped the handle to the hatch. Father makes this look easy. For a moment he didn't know if he could open it, but at last he heard a click and he pushed the hatch open. The world beyond was dark and many droplets of water like from his room fell from above. He felt a great brush of air as he climbed out. Sam's feet touched the ground and he was overwhelmed with . . . "SAM!" Quickly he turned back to where he came and Sam saw a Monster. Celeste stared at him as she raced out of the hatch. The water melted her skin away and all that was left was her hair, eyes and orange metal like from his mark to replace her skin. "It's going to be . . . okay." She stammered. Shakingly, Sam raised his hands before him to see the last bit of his skin melt away, vanishing like a mist in the wind, He screamed.