Flackville, 2038.

The Sun had just rise from the east horizon and spread its bright rays into the town, causing everyone to wake up lazily from their comfy beds and went to prepare for the day. Inside a two-storey, red-roofed beige house, the family who lived inside were pretty much excited.

'Howie! Get up now! It's the day!' a deep, hearty voice boomed so loud inside the house that it almost shook as if having an earthquake. Only silence answered his call. The person sighed before he went to the stairs and started climbing the steps until he reached the second floor and knocked a room's door that could easily mistaken as hidden since the door and the upstairs' wall were having the same colour.

'Howard?' He knocked the door again. Still, there was no answer. 'HOWARD!' he shouted in his thunderous voice.

Immediately, the brown door swung open and revealing its inside; a standard teenager's room with trashes were on the floor. A stout boy with ruffled orange hair was in front of him now, stifling a yawn and the kid spoke sleepily, 'Dad, I'm already awake. You don't have to shake the whole house to get me up from bed!'

'That's my boy!' the person said and he entered his son's room. The kid however, took his towel and a pair of fresh clothes and went out, wanting to take a bath.

The former took a glance all over the rather large room. A blue two-seated sofa was at the corner behind the door, and a round wooden table was at the middle, having some books and a blue jacket on it. There was a television set at the left side of the light grey-walled room, a bunk bed at his right, two short bookshelves near the only window inside it with a digital clock on one of them, a computer below the bed and some posters were hanging on each wall, covering at least a quarter of the wall. Two brown suitcases were beside the table, slightly bulky. A pair of purple shoes was beside the suitcases, lying still.

He let out a deep, slightly miserable sigh at the sight of his son's room. It reminds him of someone, someone he was really close with...

A stump behind him made the person to wake up from his trance and he spun around in alarm, only to see the chubby boy had finished his bath, wearing a long-sleeved black shirt with a blue squid printed on it and a pair of long beige trousers and having his red towel hanging around his almost unseen neck. 'Dad?' he said, ruffling his wet hair with his towel.

'Get hurry, How,' he replied and took the two suitcases and headed towards the door. 'Your mom's gonna mad at any second from now.' The moment the last word escaped his mouth, a shrill voice shook the whole house again.

'DEAREST TWO HOWARDS UP THERE, GET DOWN HERE AT ONCE!' the voice spoke. 'Told you,' the person mumbled to the boy, who was next to him at the brown door before he went downstairs awkwardly with the suitcases. Howard only rolled his eyes before he re-entered his room, hanging his towel, wearing his shoes and checked if there was anything else he'd forgot to pack.

He picked up all the rubbish that was littering on the wooden floor and put them in the dustbin, closing his opened blue cupboard and went towards the window and looked outside.

His neighbours were in their lawns, dragging their young children who were bawling at top of their voices out of their house, their cars' boots were open, having a few bags inside as well. He could see some of the parents coaxed them with sweets and lollipops, while their elder siblings snickered.

Howard sighed and lifted his gaze to the east horizon of his town, Flackville. There was a large green area, with trees growing as tall as they could, which he didn't see around Flackville. There wasn't a small plant in a small flower pot at every corner of the town. Not even in his house. Or in everyone else's lawns. He had walked over the whole town to find one single green leaf of a plant, but no. Flackville was literally dying of oxygen.

He once wondered why he can't plant a willow seed he'd found at the backyard when he was a young child (he had found out about the "no plant in Flackville" fact) and asked his parents about it. "Did you see that Forest, How?" his dad said and pointed towards the trees. Howard followed his finger and he nodded. "As long as the Forest remains there, we're OK. No need to be afraid of not getting oxygen. You got it, How?"

"But what about this seed?" Howard showed them the willow seed, in hopes of his parents will let him to plant it. "We'll keep it in our house, in our science room," his mom replied. "After all, there is no soil left in here, Howard. Only the Forest has it." Since then, Howard had been hating the Forest. The annual camp to the campsite near the jungle during the second half of the Spring season only made his anger rose even more. However, it was his final year this time, and he won't set foot at the place anymore.

He felt sad about it since he had spent at least 7 Springs in the camp along with some of his schoolmates, happily doing activities given by the caretakers of the Forest, Bucky Hensletter and the woman who his parents called her "Flute Girl". The Forest was part of him now, and even though they were literally beside the Forest at the camp, they cannot enter it, which frustrated him the second he knew the rule.

The one and only rule of Flackville that was highly restricted was: DO NOT GO INTO THE FOREST.

"It was forbidden," his mother said when he questioned about it after his first camp. "No one has ever entered it. It was against the law." "How long has it been?" he asked. She paused for a long while before answering with a deep sigh, "Almost 25 years."

Once broken, one will get the unimaginable torture made by the mayor of Flackville himself:

Howard Weinerman. Yep, he was the man of town, and he was also the one who lifted his suitcases just now.

'HOWARD!' His mom's shout snapped Howard out of his thoughts and he hurriedly went out of his room, grabbing his light blue jacket on the round table and hastily wore it, almost skidding at the landing and went downstairs as fast as his pudgy legs could bring him.

He entered the kitchen, panting in every step and two people there were beaming at his sight. His dad, the spectacled Howard Weinerman Sr (since he was literally named after his dad and everything about the older man was also part of him that some kids at school called him "Father's son") was munching toasts while reading the daily newspaper delivered to their house. His mom, the purple-haired Theresa was having her hands at her hips, holding a ladle in one of them.

'All good, Howard?' Theresa asked and the young Howard pulled out a toothy grin. Despite the fact his mom can be a snappy housewife, she is very loving to her family.

'Nah, he's fine, Ress,' said her husband and gestured to his son to sit beside him. Howard only obeyed and took a toast before having a bite of it. His mom poured a cup of warm tea and handed it to him, in which he took it gladly and placed it on the table, which was full of breakfast meals. There was a plate of pancakes, some muffins and a box of cereals with a jug of milk.

'Have as much as you can, How. Still got some time,' said the older Howard and took his mug of coffee. He glanced at his old McFist Watch around his wrist and choked a bit.

'Dad?' said Howard in worry, seeing his father started coughing really bad. 'Finish your toast, Howie. We're already late.' said the older Howard, who then got up from his seat and walked out of the kitchen, pulling out a set of keys from his white jacket's pocket and went towards his car outside.

'Take care, Howard,' said Theresa and planted a kiss onto her son's forehead. Howard nodded and grabbed two muffins and followed his father.

'Ready for your last camp, How?' asked the spectacled man, arranging his boy's suitcases in the brilliant red car's boot. 'Yeah,' Howard mumbled half-heartedly and took a last look at the beige house.

The mayor of Flackville closed the boot and faced the orange-haired with a wide smile.

'Let's hit the road, shall we?'