The Rat Collector: A Dystopian Thriller (Age of End Book 1) by Chris Yee

knife. “Get away from him!” He raised the blade over his head and brought it down with all his strength. The dull metal pierced through the skin and sliced through the jellies of his eyeball. When Vince pulled it loose, blood and juice spurted out.
    The man dropped to his knees and clasped his face, screaming in agony. “My eye! You cut my eye!”
    Vince pulled Saul up from the ground. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s get out of here.” They turned their backs to the blood-soaked man and sprinted away. The painful screams grew faint in the distance until they were completely gone.
    The sun continued to rise. The morning birds awakened, filling the tranquil woods with their songs. The boys kept their pace somewhere between a walk and a jog. Perhaps it was the adrenaline pumping through their blood, or the dazed confusion of the whole situation, but the trip back felt shorter than they remembered.
    When they reached the edge of the woods, the sun had fully risen. They returned to Vince’s house. He climbed through his window and whispered to Saul, “How are you feeling?” He glanced at the mark on his arm. The swelling was worse, and the redness was brighter. “Are you okay?”
    Saul nodded, gently rubbing the mark. “I’ll be fine.”
    “Good. I’ll see you at school then.” He closed the window and jumped into bed. Hoping for just a little rest before school, he shut his eyes and began to doze off.

    Knock! Knock! His father burst through the door with loads of energy. “Rise and shine, kid. It’s a beautiful day. Hurry up. You’re going to be late.”
    Vince slumped out of bed, ready to face the day, completely exhausted.

FOURTEEN
    THE BOYS WANDERED into school like mindless zombies, arms swinging from side to side. The whole class, including the teacher, noticed their pale skin and vacant eyes as they took their seats in the third row. “What happened to you guys?” said a voice from behind. “Did you get beat up or something?”
    They turned around to see the boy sitting behind them. Long locks of curly brown hair dangled in front of his face, hiding his dark eyes. He wore a shirt slightly too tight for a boy so chubby. “Excuse me?” Vince said. “Who are you?”
    Before the boy could answer, Ms. Martin started class. “Good morning class. Now that everyone is here,” she glanced at Vince and Saul as if to point them out, “I can introduce our new student. Roger, please come up here with me.” The chubby boy stood up and made his way towards the front of the room. He stood at Ms. Martin’s side and turned around to face the class. “This is Roger,” she continued as she placed a hand on his shoulder. “He and his family just moved into town. I want you all to make sure he feels welcome. Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself, Roger? Where are you from? What kind of things do you like?”
    “It would be my pleasure, Ms. Martin.” He joined his hands together and excessively cleared his throat. “My name is Roger. I moved here from Vassor.”
    “Vassor?” Saul whispered to Vince. “He must be one spoiled kid.”
    Vince hushed him.
    “I enjoy reading and school. And of course, nice teachers.” He flashed a quick smile at Ms. Martin, who blushed and smiled back. Saul rolled his eyes. “I especially enjoy hanging out with kids who can’t defend themselves.” He flashed an identical smile at Saul, this time to mock, not flatter.
    “Is this guy serious?” Saul muttered to Vince as the rest of the class chuckled at the uninspired insult. “Is this what people in Vassor are like? You were right. He’s obnoxious.”
    “Relax, Saul,” Vince said. “He’s just messing with you. It’s just a joke.”
    “Okay Roger,” Ms. Martin said as the laughs finally stopped. “Enough of that. We don’t tolerate that kind of behavior, but it’s your first day. I’ll excuse it just this once. Don’t let it happen again. Now please, return to your seat.” He walked back, nudging