Steven came downstairs at about 10.Typical 16 year old sleeping pattern; up late, sleep late.
He opened the doorway into the kitchen and rooted around the cupboard looking for food. Pulling out a box of cereal, he stuffed his hand inside and took out a handful of sugary grains.
His mom looked up at him, smiling nervously.
"What?" Steven asked, mouth full of cereal.
"You and your sister got the letter." She pulled out two large red envelopes from the draw beside the seat she sat on, and handed one to Stephen. He put down his cereal.
"I don't need to read it. We got shown them at school." There was a cold silence in the air. "Does Elle know?"
Elle was 18. Blonde and popular. He knew this would hit her harder. "Yes, she has. You've both got to go down to the centre next week to get an animal chosen."
Stephen opened up the information booklet despite knowing what it contained anyway. It contained smiling pictures of human cows and human chickens. Teenage couples of bulls and cows. It was all made to look so normal, even on the double page about the slaughter process.
For some people, the transformation was great. Breeder animals got a life of sleep, food, and sex. But there was always the chance of being assigned a meat animal.
***
"I hope I get a horse." Stephen sat waiting in the Regeneration Centre, tidying his clothes.
"What do they do in there?" His sister Elle sat anxiously. She was next.
"Check your weight, health... stuff like that. There's a fat dude with the vet though. I think he's a farmer. Checking to see if you've got enough meat on you for a Thanksgiving dinner, probably.
Elle was worried. She didn't even like the idea of undressing in front of strangers. And tommorow, she would recieve a call telling her that she would be an animal.
***
The phone rang. Elle answered. She'd be waiting all morning.
"Hello?... Yes... It is............. Okay..... Right..... Yes, I'll tell him... Thank you. Goodbye."
She was shaken. Stephen entered the room.
"So... what are we?"
She looked up at him.
"Well..."