A farmiliar metallic clang sent the boys running in different directions, each aiming to get to their bunk bed as quickly as they could.
Working seconds , all the group at the slots had melted away, there was some disturbance just outside the huge metal gate to the dormitory which made Zell suspect that something was not right .
The gate was being opened a full hour before it normally was, he knew because the tower clock had chimed six o’clock just after he had climbed back into his bed , and they were normally let out at seven.
Earthmix lobster Farm was a high technology environment and even the dorms were not spared, there was a hiss of escaping air, the metal frame slowly unhinged itself off it’s locks and began to slide to one side .
A thin shaft of early morning light cut into the semi-dark room through the little gap, Zell could hear the muffled barks of the beasts he had just seen through the slot as the shaft of light grew in size slowly sweeping back to darkness in the dormitory, as the gate continued rolling to one side .
The muffled barks were replaced by loud barking as three huge dogs barked into the big , hollow space .
The noise bounced off the walls creating eeric echoes.
Twenty two children stood to attention by their bunk beds as they did every Morning, all eyes looked toward the three huge men handling the dogs and a forth man with a short stature standing a couple of steps in front of them .
“I think I have wet myself” Brian whispered to Zell looking down at the small puddle of liquid beginning to gather around his feet .
“Man up, boy” Zell whispered fiercely.”You have peed in your short just at the sight of dogs?”
“What’s happening man?” Brian whispered, the fear in his voice very evident. “… Iam terribly scared of dogs, I had a bad experience with them when i was a kid “.
Zell said nothing, though he was best friend with Brian, he felt he had to act macho in situation like this .
“What have you been doing to earn you so much money ?” Zell boldly asked his mother.
She looked up and went back to counting the wad of notes she was holding
“Is it just me or you throw in Philip as well ?” Zell probed in a much softer voice.
“Where is your brother?” She asked in thesame cold tone Zell had known since he first met her, sometimes he wasn’t even sure whether she was really their mother or not .