Lucas is dreaming. He's been dreaming a lot lately. Before everything started to change, Lucas had dreams once, maybe twice a year, and they were simple, detailing life as it was. These days, though, Lucas dreams of strange, frightening things: extinct creatures from his history textbook, like the birds; towering plants growing in every yard in the city; bright, beautiful colors that he's seen so few times in real life.

Currently, Lucas is dreaming of a sky he's never seen before. In reality, the sky is a pale gray-brown, with the occasional puff of white clouds, and a faint yellow circle for the sun. However, in his dream, the sky is big and blue and beautiful. Soft clouds dot the sky, and small birds soar. Lucas stands in the middle of the earth, staring upwards. The sky is so large it makes Lucas feel very small, but he's unafraid. He watches as the sun, bright and warm, sinks down behind his reach. The sky turns violet-red, and Lucas is in awe at the colors.

Suddenly, the dream is interrupted by a beeping sound. Lucas wakes up with a start. It's his alarm clock going off. He turns it off and slides out of bed, blinking his eyes blearily. He feels lulled by his dream.

The relaxed feeling dissipates as he focuses on the time displayed on his alarm clock. It's 7:40. I was supposed to be up a half an hour ago!, he thinks. He must have turned off the alarm in his sleep.

Lucas dresses quickly. He has one outfit for school (a white shirt with a black tie and black pants), two outfits for summer (white t-shirts and black shorts), and two outfits for winter (long-sleeved white shirts and black pants). It's simple, so Lucas doesn't have to think about what he's going to wear; additionally, he'll look like everyone else his age in the city.

After dressing, Lucas scrambles to gather his school supplies from his desk and shove them in his backpack. He looks at the clock again. 7:47. He only has a few minutes to eat.

Hurrying out of his room and into the kitchen, Lucas swiftly makes himself a half bowl of cereal. His mother is at the table, already half done with her meal. Her job doesn't start until 9; she has an office job.

"I was wondering when you were going to come downstairs," his mother says. "You're going to be late for school."

Lucas is, for a fleeting moment, angry at his mother, but he represses the emotion. Emotions are an unproductive burden. He quickly eats his food. "I was up late doing homework."

His mother simply nods as Lucas finishes his meal and kisses her on the forehead. "See you after school, Mom."

"See you after school," she says simply.

Lucas walks briskly towards his school. Thankfully, it's just down the street. Normally on a chilly day like this, Lucas would take the bus, which has a stop at the end of his block, but the bus has already left. On nice days, Lucas walks to school, and takes the time to plan future sketches and drawings in his head.

Hurrying into his school, Lucas is relieved to find that he has a few minutes before class. He goes to his clear glass locker and opens it. The lockers are all clear so that nobody can hide any contraband items in them, though Lucas can't remember a time where a student got caught with anything.

"You're late, Lucas," says a voice. Lucas turns to see his classmate, Lina, standing by his locker. She's wearing a white collared shirt and black skirt. Lucas shrugs. "I was up late doing homework."

"We've been getting more of it than usual lately," she replies with a similar shrug, as if it doesn't matter to her one way or another.

Lucas pulls a few textbooks out of his backpack and puts them in his locker. As he does, something falls out of his backpack and to the floor. His school notebook, probably. Lucas pays little attention to it.

"What's this?" Lina picks up his notebook, opening it. Lucas sighs and turns to her, closing his locker. "It's my school..." His voice falters. It's not his school notebook. It's his drawing notebook. His drawing notebook! He must have grabbed it instead of his school notebook in his hurry this morning. 

A sudden panicky feeling grips Lucas' heart, and he snatches the notebook away from Lina. "It's nothing!"

"You've been drawing?" Lina says this with distaste, as if Lucas were smoking crack, rather than making a few harmless sketches.

Lucas' mind scrambles for an excuse, but before he can blurt something out, the bell rings. Lina gives Lucas another disgusted look and leaves.

Lucas just stands there for a few heartbeats, fearful. What if Lina tells somebody? he thinks. He quickly shoves his drawing notebook into the very bottom of his backpack hurries to his class.