The story is about a dysfunctional family. The story takes place in the future in a strong hold of soldiers that sort of keep them prisoner. The boy Mathew is a prankster, and he often pranks a sergeant named Willis. After being introduced to the family members and toward the end of the story the dad leaves to look for a way to be  emotionally closer with his family. At the end there is a cliffhanger that leaves Mathew's dad face to face with death.