[ WP ] Starting at age 10 , humans are given companion animals that develop along side them . These animals can range anywhere from a goldfish to a horse to even a dragon . The only catch is that they are assigned based on your behavior during childhood .

The doorbell rang at the worst possible time. 
 
 “ Marcus? ” 
 
 Oh, go away Mum, I ’ m almost on a seven kill streak, I think to myself as I virtually lob a greande off the roof of the graphically neglected comman and control bunker. The screen suddenly flashed up with large yellow text and I screamed in excitement as I realise that I ’ d gotten a triple kill. 
 
 “ OOOOOOHHHHH YEAAAHHHH! TRIPLE KILL! ” I yelled, almost throwing the controller out of the door that, incidentally, still had someone waiting behind it. 
 
 “ Marcus! Get the door! ” yelled my mother, voice muffled over the noise of the washing machine. 
 
 Grumbling to myself despite my kill streak, I tried to navigate myself to a spot where I might not be found ( in order to have a chance of topping my high score ) and went to answer the door as quickly as possible. No matter how many times I ’ ve told my Mum, she still doesn ’ t understand that online games can ’ t be paused. 
 
 Grabbing the handle and twisting it with practised grace, I pulled open the door to see who was there. 
 
 It was two men in suits. In front of them lay a box. 
 
 “ Marcus Fletcher? ” asked the bald one. 
 
 “ Yes? ” I replied, foot tapping impatiently in the doorway. 
 
 “ Happy tenth birthday. This is your spirit animal, courtesy of the government. We hope you like it, ” said the bald one, smiling without much warmth. The other one still hadn ’ t said anything yet. 
 
 I ’ d forgotten about my animal. Excitement suddenly flourished within me, making me almost forget about the game that was still flashing away on the TV in the room behind me. 
 
 “ Thanks, ” I said, grabbing the box and slamming the door. 
 
 “ Marcus! ” yelled my Mum, her voice sounding closer than before, “ Who was that? ” 
 
 “ Some guys, ” I yelled back, too obsessed with opening the box that held ( what would become ) my life companion. 
 
 It felt like Christmas and my birthday all rolled into one as I unlatched the lid and pulled it off and saw what animal I had. 
 
 “ You have to be joking, ” I said to myself, dumbstruck. 
 
 My mother had chosen that exact moment to walk into the room with me, her cat tailing her as it always did. 
 
 Before she could help herself, she burst out laughing. 
 
 “ A sloth! ” she cackled, laughter quickly finding a higher pitch, “ A sloth! I can ’ t believe it! ” 
 
 It just sat there. I didn ’ t know if it was asleep or not. 
 
 But as my mother laughed and laughed, I decided that it wasn ’ t all bad. So I picked up the box and carried my sloth all the way back to the TV. 
 
 Trying to shut my Mum up, I yelled out to her, “ Can I get a sandwich or something? ” 
 
 I heard a brief “ Ok ” before she collapsed into another round of hysterics. But I didn ’ t care. I sank back into my beanbag and continued to blast away at the other players on the screen. 
 
 It momentarily occured to me that I had some homework to do, but I tossed it from my mind. 
 
 Who could be bothered to do homework?
