She opened her screen door and didn’t see her roommates inside. Serenia got on her hands and knees and pulled a shoe box from underneath her bed. I watched attentively.

"What’s that?" I asked, coming towards her and sitting on her bed.

"Oh, this old thing? Just has a few pictures in here. You know, family pictures." She let out a deep sigh, and sat next to me. She opened the lid, and picked up the first picture she saw.

"Who’s that?" I asked, looking over her shoulder and at the picture. A bald man with a thick mustache.

"Him? Oh..." a smile broadened across her face. "That’s my uncle Feriago. He was such a crazy man. One time, when I was little, he brought me to that lake behind his house. He was trying to teach me how to swim. So he’s holding me above the water, telling me to kick it, and he accidently lets me go. I thought I was a goner! It’s funny now though when you look back on it," she handed me the picture, so I could get a closer look at it.

"Awww, my little cousin. I haven’t seen her in years. I was like her role model, ya know? Someone that she could look up to. I was doing a good job at it too until she started mixing with the wrong people. It’s a shame. Got popped in the head a couple times. Drive-by. Claimed her life," she sighed, and put the picture down, going to another one, giving random summaries of each person. I didn’t want to be rude, telling her I didn’t want to know anymore of who these people were, but how she confided in me made me feel good.

She then turned her attention to me, after completing the whole shoe box and placing the pictures back inside. She moved the box back under her bed and sat in the same position.

"So lover boy, I see you got yourself a lucky lady," she smiled knowingly, and tapped me with her elbow. Curious as to what she was saying, I made her linger more into the subject.

"A lady? Me?" I pointed a finger at myself. She nodded her head and grinned.

"Yea, who is she? You never told me about her. Tell me all the details. What’s her name? How did ya’ll meet? Why do you like her? You know..." she continued on, blabbering by the mouth.

"I really don’t know who you’re talking about," I told her plainly. She groaned and laid down on her back, with her knees in the air.

"I’m talking about the girl who was laying on your shoulder in the cafeteria," she lifted her head and moved her hands under them.

"Oh! You’re talking about Magenta."

She raised her eyebrow. I saw her say ‘Magenta’ quietly to herself, then she looked at the bunk above hers.

"Well, yea, that’s her name I guess. I didn’t know you two were going out. How come you never told me?" her voice sounded as if it were distressed, cracking when she asked me the question.

"Me and her aren’t going out," I placed my head in my hands, chuckling quietly to myself and moving my head from side to side.

"Well explain why she was giving you that...dreamy look in her eye. I saw it from all the way across the cafeteria! Really, I did," she sat up and kicked me with her leg softly.

"She was giving me dreamy eyes? What in the world are dreamy eyes?" I inquired. Serena rolled her eyes and got off the bed. She got on her knees in front of me, placed her palms on my knees and pressed her face in front of mines, almost hitting me in the head.

"These are dreamy eyes," then she demonstrated. I stared at her, not really seeing any difference, just her not blinking, and a little look of pleasure present on her face.

"What’s the difference?"

"The difference is, Wayne, how you just stare and stare at the guy and not blink! Then, your eyes start to shimmer and gleam. A smile pops on your face from no where, and before you know it BAM! You start thinking you’re in love." She moved back in her spot.

"Um....o...k..."

She rolled her eyes and rubbed on her forehead.

"You seem a lot better now," I noticed. Compared to her shaking at the control room and her twitching fingers. She shook her head agreeing.

"Yea, I do." She turned and looked at the clock, me doing the same. 6:57. I rotated my head looking out the door, seeing the sun setting.

"It’s kind of weird how it looks so beautiful out over here, but many miles stretching across this country, there’s some kind of stupid little fight startling up. I just don’t get it," she didn’t look at me while saying those words, just stared off into space. I softly said ‘yea, you’re right’, then dismissed myself. I needed to make it to my bunk so I could see Magenta in time. I’m sure Big Rubin was having his little spotlight now, and I didn’t want to be late.

"No!" she jumped up and stood in front of the door, stretching her arms in front of it. I raised my eyebrow.

"No what? Excuse me Serena, I need to go back to my bunk. It’s getting late."

"Please, just a few more minutes," she begged, sorrow in her eyes and voice. I didn’t want to upset her or Magenta.

"Serena, I need to meet up with someone. Come on," I tried walking out the door, but she just locked it, and threw down the blinds, blocking a good vantage point for the nosy people in the facility.

"Serena?" I didn’t want to harm her by grabbing onto her arm and moving her out the way. This was a good proposal, but she was my friend. That’s something I would never vision myself doing.

"Wayne, please," she whined, grabbing onto my arm and moving me closer into the depths of her bunk. I sighed, and gave in. She smiled. I knew if I missed getting a chance to talk to Magenta, she wouldn’t be that angry, but probably would avoid talking to me for a couple hours, or days.

"But what about your roommates?" I asked, looking back at the door, seeing the lock still on it. She flicked her hand in the air.

"They always come in late. Doesn’t matter. They usually spend time at the equipment base and training room." She laid back down in her bed, and I walked to the bunk across from hers.

"Whatcha doing sitting all the way over there?" she asked, laying up with her heels touching the floor. I honestly didn’t know the answer myself. I shrugged my shoulders. She rolled her eyes, got up, and dragged me across the room, where I fell with a plop! on her bed, laying on my back. She giggled and laid next to me, rolling over on her stomach.

"You know, you’re the only one at this facility that I’m really close to. I mean, you know...," her cheeks blushed and flourished with a scarlet color. I widened my eyes, not knowing how she felt.

"I mean....you know....I hardly spend time with my roommates, they’re usually too busy going out somewhere getting fitted up and prepared. Me, on the other hand? I’m really not about this stuff. This whole place I’m not about. But...I’m glad I came," a feeble smile crept along her lips. I wanted to hear more.

"Like...I bet I sound so stupid saying this, like a little teenager," she laughed quietly and persisted talking.

"Magenta’s her name, huh?" she didn’t look at me, rather at the wall. Well, not even the wall, just in the midst of her eyes, those brown spheres. She sighed sadly, then wiped her face. I couldn’t speak, couldn’t even think of some appreciative or caring words to say. I just watched her, breaking down inside.

"I’ve got nothing, nobody, no one. Not even my family. They’re all dead, well most of them anyway. Some just don’t want me. Some never even heard of me, don’t know of my existence. This stupid place is just making things worse. I actually thought I came here for the right idea. Save the world, make this country a better place. But, nope! Everything’s blowing up in our faces. Right under this guy’s nose!" she broke off into a dramatic scene, throwing her head from side to side and opening her mouth wider, emphasizing her words. I knew the guy whom she was talking about was referring to the President.

"It’s only gonna be a matter of time before they start spreading to vast areas. Their gonna touch Mexico, hit California, bomb Washington, plan some fatal attack on Mississippi, until they come here. Stupid ol’ New York. As far as I’m concerned, this place is already destroyed. Destroyed me along with it." She went on and on, never stopping. I took one glance at the digital clock. 7:49. Well, the sun’s not on Big Rubin anymore. Poor fella. Poor Magenta. She’s probably in a rage. Coming to the lodge and not seeing me in it, just my roommates. She’ll wait for a couple minutes, sitting on the steps until I arrive. But when I don’t, she’ll leave, angry. Serenia finally turned and faced me, her head above mines. I blinked my eyes, and looked into hers.

"You’re thinking about her aren’t you? I can tell. I wonder if it’s possible for guys to have dreamy eyes. I’m sure anything’s possible. It has to be."

My stomach growled, loudly, and she heard it.

"You can go off to get your gal. It’s way obvious that you’re thinking of her. Tell her it was my fault for keeping you up. You can leave, I don’t care anymore," she rolled over, her back facing me. I heard the sniffling noises coming from her seconds later. Her back arched. She was rolled into a ball, the ‘womb ball’ as people would call it; you would always roll yourself up, compacting your body just how you were inside your mother’s uterus. A baby waiting to be born. Feeling sympathetic, I crawled towards her, laying down behind and wrapping my arm around her waist, pulling her body closer onto mines. She didn’t decline the comfort.

I nuzzled my nose gently on her neck, and she whimpered at my touch, jolting me. She took one of her hands and rubbed my fingers with her thumb, taking her time on each finger. I watched, amazed, and not wanting to get up. This was what people would say, ‘too close for comfort’, if they just so happened to barge inside. I shifted a bit, trying to inch away, but not wanting to make it too obvious.

She made a low laughing noise, not opening her mouth, but keeping it inside. My eyes looked at hers, wondering what that noise was for.

"Sometimes, at night, when I’m going to sleep, I pray," she rubbed my fingers some more, "I pray to be her. Be that same girl you talk to everyday. Be the same one who creeps into your lodge at night. The same one that’s able to lean on your shoulder when she’s feeling tired. The same one for you to lay in bed with at night. Sort of like this," she stopped running her fingers over mine and flipped over, so that we were staring at each other.

"I wish it was like this every night," she beckoned me to come closer towards her, kissing her tender lips, rolling my own across the collar bones of her neck, my hands roaming all over her, as if it were searching for something. I didn’t give in. She lifted her arm and stroked the side of my cheek. Her soft palm feeling light and caring.

"It’s still hard for me to take this in. Wayne and me? Little miss Serenia, Serena. You know, you’re the only one who I let call me that. I’m not saying I don’t like the name, I’m just saying you’re the only one that’s given me a name besides my real one. A name that has...some sort of affection in it," she giggled, darting her eyes down, but looking back up into them.

"It’s too bad this country is some kind of," she fumbled trying to find the right words, "dystopia." I shook my head, agreeing with her, her soft hands still caressing my cheek with love. She glanced down at my lips, and I knew then exactly what she wanted to do. She hesitated at first, her cheeks blushing again.

"Can I..can I...I don’t want to like creep you out or anything but...can I?" she stared deep into my eyes, singling out the pupil. She knew that I knew what she wanted. I tried to open my mouth and ask her, but I didn’t have enough strength to. I felt incredibly weak next to her.

"Seren...," her index finger touched my lips. I stopped talking, keeping my mouth closed. She smiled, and climbed on top of me. I was laying on my back, and she saddled me laying down. She looked as if she just won something she always wanted, with a little mischievous pinch to it. She lowered her head, her lips millimeters from mines; our breath emitting and touching the others. She sent sensual shivers down my spine, and goose bumps on my arms.

"I-I hope this won’t change anything between us you know. The uncomfortable feeling when we see eachother just walking on the campus. I don’t want that to happen." She whispered those words on my lips, then grazed them slowly, back and forth. She didn’t really kiss me yet, but I knew she was planning on it, maybe even doing more. She rubbed her fingers through my hair and giggled again.

"Serena," I was able to finally say a whole word. She blinked her eyes, taking her hand out my hair and leaned up.

"Don’t do this. You know it’ll mess us up. Just stop before it happens," I sat up partially, with her still on me. She simply stayed on my lap, her arms coiling their way around my neck.

"But Wayne, she doesn’t deserve you. I do more than anyone at this dump. We’re so close, I don’t see how..." she stopped her sentence, then looked to her left, staring at the little hole that poked all the way outside and inside. A spot where someone could easily look inside. A spot I feared someone took advantage of. She widened her eyes and jumped off of my lap. She straightened her clothes and walked towards the door. She let up the blinds, then unlocked it. Without any other words, she opened the door, and I walked out, without even looking at her.

I walked all the way to the lodge and opened the door, not running into Magenta. Tag and Jotan were still up when I walked inside. They could sense I was uneasy and just told me Magenta came. I smirked lazily and changed my clothes, climbed in my bunk, and went to sleep.

The bugle woke us early in the morning around five o’clock. I yawned, washed up, brushed up, and changed into some fresh clothes, getting ready for the morning workout. Tag and Jotan were already out the door, giving me time to myself and time to contemplate my thoughts. I tried forcing what happened between me and Serena to the back of my mind, but every time I tried, it just moved even closer to the front.

I walked out the lodge, agitated and needing to see Magenta to apologize. I spotted her talking to a group of ladies around her age. She was smiling as if she was enjoying herself, giving off the impression that she wasn’t terribly miserable like I knew she was feeling. I came from behind, smiling casually to them all. Magenta took one look at me, rolled her eyes, folded her arms across her chest, and began walking away. I sighed and started following, hoping she wouldn’t do this.

"Magenta! Magenta please! You know I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to not make it in last night. Honest!" I yelled, not caring if I made myself look crazy in front of everyone. I ran in front of her to block her path, but she just walked around, as if it were nothing.

"Oh, is that right?" she asked, not looking at me. I went after her.

"Come on, don’t be this way, please," I begged, not wanting to have to gain her trust, which may take a couple days. She chuckled to herself, irritably and continued walking towards the work-out grounds.

"Magenta, come on. I swear I tried to make it in. It’s not like I’ve done this many times before. This is my first time, and you’re mad?" I walked alongside her, rather ran, trying to keep up.

"Yes I’m mad! I specifically told you I was gonna come to your bunk when the sun hits Big Rubin. We both know what time that is. What was so important that made you not go to your bunk at that time, Wayne?" she stopped walking, facing me with aggression and sadness on her face. My mind flashed back to last night, my talk with Serena and the incident we shared.

"I-I...I was in the training room, lifting weights and boxing. I lost track of time when a few friends of mine wanted to exercise with me. We started talking, and I completely forget." I lied to her, not wanting to do it, but doing it anyway. She squinted her eyes, looking in mines, searching for the truth in them.

"I don’t believe you," she said sharply, stabbing her finger into my chest. I took a step back, but advanced, removing her finger and placing it to her side.

"Magenta, come on, please..."

"Well, well, well, who do we have here?" Alejro’s voice came from behind us. He walked in between us, his arms folded over his chest and a sinister look on his face.

"Good morning Magenta," he said sweetly to her. She rolled her eyes, causing his to open wider.

"What’s wrong with you on this great day? You should be happy. The sun’s shining brightly, its rays stretching across the campus, giving this place a..." she hollered at him, shutting him up immediately.

"Whoa..." his voice was low, and he turned looking at me.

"What you do to her?" he asked me in a whisper. I tsked, pushing him out the way so I could get closer to her, but she wouldn’t permit it. I tried reasoning with her but she just held her hand up, silencing me.

"I’ll see you at the courses. Don’t get your hopes up too high and think I mean I’m going to talk to you, because I’m not," Magenta told me before walking away. Groaning, I turned around seeing Alejro still there, with that same look on his face when he walked towards us.

"What do you want?" I said harshly. He smirked then started laughing. He shook his head from side to side and left me, standing there. I walked alone, angrily, towards the work-out grounds. I walked through the wooden gates, seeing Alejro, Tag, and Jotan there already. Tag and Jotan were talking, as usual and Alejro was loading his equipment. This part of the campus was for the guys only. The area was wide, stretching many feet across, with neatly trimmed grass. There was only one tree in sight, standing tall at the very end of the plain, in front of the gate that surrounded this place. Every morning, we had to get up and march here, setting up the equipment, and doing what our officer instructed us.
There were crates on the grass, filled with gun parts that weren’t assembled. I knew then, what we had to do.

"Hey Wayne, glad to see you make it!" Tag yelled across the field, his hands waving at me. I half-smiled and stood in front of the crate that was assigned to me. I peered inside, and saw eight separate parts. I studied the material of the gun, a modern day, formulated, highly-equipped sniper rifle, the aim precise.

"Alright, everyone get ready. Stand in front of your crates, you all know what to do..." the officer instructed us when he checked everyone off who walked inside. He was standing in front of the tree, under the cool shade. He was speaking in a megaphone, his voice louder and being able to carry itself across the field of open grass. We all did as he said, almost fifty of us, dressed in our uniforms from head to toe.

"You’ll be given only ten seconds. Those of you who are able to pass this test will advance to the next round," he moved his megaphone down, leaned against the tree, shot his gun in the air, and looked down at his timer.

And the race begins...

I hurriedly got on my knees, grabbing two objects at a time, comparing them in my hands and figuring out where they should go. I looked up briefly at our instructor, still looking at his timer with his gun in the air, getting ready to fire it off when time was up. The clattering noise of gun material filled the air, rushing movements accumulating where each piece went. I bit the bottom of my lip and picked up more parts, shuffling them around in my hand, connecting portions as I went along. I threw my hand in the crate, grabbing the last piece and connecting it, hearing that final click! letting me know I was finished. I put the gun down on the grass, hearing the gun fire a fraction of a second afterwards. I sighed, relieved, and wiped the sweat collecting on my brow.

Looking to my side, I checked and saw other people still trying to assemble it, but giving up. I smiled, feeling as if I were the only person who was able to complete the task. Standing up, I dusted myself off and waited until the instructor walked past all of us, checking our names off on the clipboard.

I waited impatiently, wanting to hurry and get through this so I could see Magenta. I wasn’t paying much attention to what was going on, looking past the wooden fence, seeing some familiar faces walking past. The officer was still several feet from where I was, giving me enough time to daze off, like everyone else was doing. I turned around and leaned against the fence, my chin resting on top of the heel of my open palm. I looked at the sky and silently agreed to what Alejro said earlier. Today did seem like a great day, despite how I was feeling.

Remote from where I was standing, I saw the silhouette of Serenia walking inside the first aid center. She wore a plastic apron and some thin gloves. I frowned thinking back to last night. Why did I even choose to stay there longer? I knew what I had to do, but I didn’t do it. Serenia is one of the last persons I want to see. I turned around a couple minutes later, hearing the instructor walk in front of my crate with his pen and clipboard ready. I smiled and saw my gun laying on the ground.

"Let’s see what we got here," he held his clipboard under his armpit as he began flipping my gun over in his hands, scanning every piece that I had assembled. He smiled fancying my work. As he continued rolling it over in his hands, that smile slowly faded away, my smile fading along with it.

"Your trigger, it’s missing, and the bullet dock. Wayne, how can you forget the trigger? If we were on the battle field and I told you to load me a gun, and you forgot to put the bullet dock in and the trigger, what do you think is gonna happen to me?" he inquired. I stood there speechless with my mouth agape. I knew I put the trigger and bullet dock in it! How can I forget those? Like he was saying, those are important when it comes to loading a gun.

"Sir, I-I..." I didn’t know what to say, just stand there and take what he was saying to me in.

"I’m sorry Wayne, but you don’t make it to the next round. You can occupy yourself by going to the training room’s backyard and running ten laps for me. By that time, when we’re ready to start the course, you should be finished." He narrowed his eyes as he talked, then shook his head. He dropped my unfinished gun in my crate and walked on. Angry, I walked out the gates, being followed and following other people who failed along with me. Some didn’t even seem like they cared, others however, acted as if they failed the biggest examination in their life.
Luckily, Jotan and Tag were able to pass, going on to the next round. Even Aljero, which surprised me.

We all were headed to the same place, being told to come here and do some punishment. We went in the back of the training room, eyeing the track that stretched fifty feet wide and a mile long in length. I gritted my teeth, and was the first to start running, setting my pace to a regular jog, not wanting to loose energy quick like the others did. They all followed, rather walking, but still followed lazily behind. When I made it to my seventh lap, I felt extremely dizzy, and excused myself to get a drink of water. I walked inside the training room, the cool air hitting my face. I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand and walked to the water dispenser perched in the corner. I walked over and stood in front of it, looking for cups that were usually placed to the right, but there being none. I emitted an angry groan, and was about to walk back outside to finish the rest of my laps, but stopped seeing Serenia. She saw me too, a stack of paper cups in her hand. She walked right past me, and set the cups where they usually were. I watched as she walked out the room, without saying anything.

I began to think if I should just talk to her, making sure things were still how they used to be with us. I canceled that thought off and ran back to the cooler, grabbing a cup and filling it with the cold water. It filled my mouth and I swallowed, filling the cool liquid travel down my throat until I couldn’t feel it anymore. I drank a few more cups, feeling regenerated and went back outside, finishing my laps so I could go to the course, where I would see Magenta, and hopefully persuade her into talking to me.

"Breaking news! The whole state of California has been claimed by these invaders! They’ve confiscated all of it’s national treasury, leaving the country in an economical demand. The president sent our finest men in the state, but they have yet to return. We fear the worst. More news coming so..." before the news anchor could finish his line, the five televisions located in the facility had cut off. I gritted my teeth, and slammed my fist on the table. Heads turned in my direction, and I cursed under my breath.

"C’mon man, calm down, it’s not that serious," Tag said by my side, sitting with me at the table. I had finished running my laps, and went to the Facility Lounge to wait until it was time to start the courses. Other people were with me as well, some including the people who accomplished the task that I failed earlier. We were all waiting until the courses were prepared.

"Tag, what do you mean it’s not that serious? This is our country for goodness sakes! We’re being attacked and all you can say is that it’s not that serious? I want to know when are we moving out!" I shouted, venom flying out my mouth. Tag rolled his eyes, turning his attention somewhere else. I sighed, letting my anger fade away. I closed my eyes and shook my head.

"What’s gotten you so upset?" a soft voice said behind me. I turned my head slightly, looking over my left shoulder, but felt a hand on my right side. I turned the other way, to find a smiling Magenta. I widened my eyes, then squinted them. She sat in the seat to my right, crossing her legs.

"Hey, I’m surprised you came here to talk to me," I said, staring straight in her eyes. She smiled her pleasant smile.

"I came here, so you could apologize." She smirked, and crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for that apology. She leaned her back against the chair.

"Oh, is that it?" I bit on my bottom lip, then turned around, with my back facing Tag. She grinned as I clasped her hands in mine, and kissed her thumbs.

"You know I’m sorry right?" I asked, looking at her sincerely. She rolled her eyes at my antics, then shook her head ‘yes’. She pulled her hands out of mines playfully, and wiped the kiss on her baggy jeans.

"You know I can never be mad at you for so long. I’m actually surprising myself. I mean, usually I wouldn’t talk to you for a while, but I’m sure you suffered plenty already. I...I..." she paused, to gaze down at her boots, then back at me. "I heard you didn’t pass your test today. What happened Wayne? You always do. What made today different from the other days?" She asked, moving her locks of hair behind her ear. She heard me sigh, and I moved my head away from her, towards the televisions once again.

"Wayne, what is it? You’re not telling me something." her small fingers rubbed on my back, and I sighed once more, trying to refrain myself from telling her. I continued staring at those blank, black screens until my eyes started to water. She followed my gaze and looked back towards me.

"Wayne, what is it? Why are you staring at those television screens?" she asked, forcing me to turn around. I shook my head, and bit the nail on my thumb.

"It’s nothing Magenta. Really," I lied, getting out my seat and walking towards the door. I felt her eyes watching me the whole time. Maybe I shouldn’t have left here there. Magenta may become mad again. As I was about to walk out the glass doors, I saw none other than Alejro walking towards the facility I was presently in. He smirked seeing me, and that same sinister look appeared on his face.

"Why, if it isn’t my best friend Wayne. Nice to see you," he said sarcastically as he opened the door and stood in front of me. I clicked my tongue on the roof of my mouth and was about to head out, but stopped when I heard that familiar tone the televisions made when they were about to turn on. Everyone’s head in the facility all faced in the same direction, and people rushed towards empty seats so they could hear the news that would befall upon them. I was the only one still standing, not in the mood to walk anymore. I glanced in Magenta’s direction, and my seat was taken by Alejro.

Figures...

"Good afternoon everyone. This is Lt. Creek giving you new information regarding the destruction upon the U.S.A. When we get the word, you’ll be hauled down to aid in the war that will mark a turning point for all of you. Some of us will be lucky, and some of us, unfortunately will not. But whatever the situation, remember, we are fighting for our country. At this present time, I ask for you all to gear up because our technicians and mechanics have made something special for you all. A new course has been set!" The lieutenant of the whole facility announced on the television, wearing an army cap, covering his short tufts of hair. I rolled my eyes, watching the whole room blow up in a fit of joy and eagerness. I brought my attention towards Magenta, who was smiling and hugging her female friends. I shook my head at them all.

Minutes after, I was out the facility, walking towards my cabin, wanting to change into something fresh and different. I still heard the annoying shouts of joy gnawing in the back of my mind. I bit my lip, and struggled putting the shirt over my head. I stopped my actions, hearing the door swinging open, and closing back. My head was still inside my shirt, so I looked out the sleeve of it, and saw Jotan going towards his bunk.

"Man, what’s your problem?" he asked, eyeing me suspiciously. I clicked my tongue on the roof of my mouth and just turned around, not facing him so I could finish dressing.

"So, you excited about this new course they have set up for us, Wayne? I know I am. Boy, I’ve been waiting for something like this ever since..." he paused to look up, his eyes appearing as if they were far away, "ever since I can remember.." He chuckled and put on some new socks. I gritted my teeth, and ferociously changed into some fresh baggy jeans and new boots. I wore my chain with my name and administration code: 0W34Y9Z. When I was finished, I walked out the cabin, seeing everyone else headed in the same direction. I even caught sight of Serenia, who still wore her apron around her neck, and her thin, latex gloves.

We made eye contact for a few seconds, before she looked away, down at her hands, and continued walking, not paying mind to look my way again. I sighed and followed behind everyone. When we all made it to the spot we were supposed to be, which was far away from our usual courses and facilities, we saw about four commanders standing side by side, waiting for our arrival. They all snickered at us. They were standing in front of a huge, steel gate. None of us could see what was beyond what they were standing in front of, so we waited.

"Attennntion!" the shortest commander shouted at us all from nowhere, scaring some people who jumped. We all shuffled into place, and stood at ease, with our fists balled behind our backs, our chins in the air, and our feet spread apart. I noticed Magenta doing the same, or at least someone who looked like her; those same curly locks of hair. I also noticed Serenia and a few of her friends scramble to the front of us all. Those friends were in the same activity as her, nursing, and doctoring.

"Straighten up sergeants! All of you. This course here was built for the sole purpose, and only purpose of preparing you for the war awaiting this country. Sergeant Hawks, chin up! Theodore, why aren’t your feet apart?" he walked back and forth in front of us all, at least fifty of us in total. We were standing side by side, so we were in one long line, facing the commanders. He continued to talk about this course, and I found myself zoning his voice out.

"Now all of you already know that this country is suffe..." he stopped in mid-sentence, his two-way walking and talking device went off, with that same tone as the televisions. He grabbed it off the table nearest the gate, and talked to the person on the other end.

"Yes sir...they’re here...yes sir, we’re about to send them in any minute...I already told them...yes...I know sir, I told them about what we need to do already, sir...yes sir..." he stopped talking, clicking the device off when the voice, who we all knew belonged to Lieutenant Creek, stopped communicating.

"Alright, now back to business. We’re going to split you all into two teams. One team, the blue, and the other, red. This course is to prove your willingness, strive, opportunity, skills, both mental and physical, and your determination, which you all need when on the real field. Now, let’s see who we have here..." he approached the table, which had two clipboards laying on it. He picked the clipboard to the right up first, and flipped through a couple papers, folding them over the front, to get to the page he wanted. He peered over the clipboard, looking at us all again, then started announcing the teams.

"Team Blue, first names, Ricardo, Sharon..." he continued on and on, "James, Theodore...Claudio, Wayne..." as soon as I heard my name, I zoned out again, but zoned back in when I heard him call out Magenta’s name. So, she’s on my team, not bad. "...Gergeon and Natalia." A 25 member team.

"Who’s ever name I didn’t call, that means you’re on the Red Team. Now, line up, so we can gear you up, and give you your weapons," the same commander said, placing the clipboard back on the table, and picking up the other one which was on the left.

"As usual, we have our wonderful staff of doctors and nurses, who will assist you if you’re harmed. Now everybody, line up one behind the other. The Red Team, you will luckily be the first to see what we have behind these gates. The Blue Team, you will have to wait for ten minutes, until the Red Team is settled inside, then you will enter. You will each get an understanding of your assignment once inside this course that Lieutenant Creek has so generously given to this facility."

With that said, the whole Blue Team let out a sigh of relief, and we all waited on the other side of the gate, as we watched the twenty-five individuals walk inside. I moved from the crowd, and spotted Serenia again. She was talking to some girl who looked like she was new to this whole facility. Serenia was obviously uninterested with her, so she looked away, and for the second time, our eyes met. I wasn’t quite sure what I should do, so I slowly smiled at her, and she smirked somewhat, her eyes appearing apologetic and sincere. I began walking towards her, and her smirk disappeared and a smile instantly was pasted on her face, making me smile even more.

"Hey Wayne!" Magenta came up from nowhere, stepping right in front of me. I glanced over her shoulder briefly, and saw Serenia still in her same spot, but with a frown on her face.

"Hey, so I guess since you’re still out here that means we’re on the same team, huh?" I questioned her, acting as if I didn’t know. I looked over her shoulder, and Serenia wasn’t there.

"Yep! I am so excited about this course! Aren’t you? I’m sure this is gonna be so much fun!" her smile intensified, and I smiled back.

"Yea. I’m sure this is gonna be fun too," I said, almost sounding excited. She giggled and grabbed on my right arm, turning me completely around so I was facing the gates.

"So, what do you think we’re gonna have to do?" she asked, leaning her head on my arm, and pushing her hair out her delicate face.

"Um, well, they said this course does require a lot of skill, so, I don’t know what they have planned for us. But I hope it won’t be too difficult," I turned my head around, seeing if I saw Serenia, but there was just too many people blocking my view.

"What are you doing?" she removed her head from my arm, and looked up at my face. She turned her head around, and looked in the same direction I was looking in.

"Huh?" I asked, turning my head back around looking at her. She narrowed her eyes and turned back around, still looking in the direction I was previously looking in.

"You looking for somebody?" she asked, scanning heads and bodies. I was about to open my mouth and tell her, but one of the commanders cut me off.

"Alright! Blue Team! Line up! The Red Team’s geared up and loaded, awaiting your arrival. Once inside, you each will be given your assignment and the things necessary to successfully complete and pass this course." He walked up and down the line, eyeing us, as if he were trying to provoke fear. Magenta was behind me, and I felt her cool breath hit my neck several times. I felt the uneasiness of us all, lined up. My tongue seemed completely dry, and my heartbeat started to quicken. The person standing in front of me seemed more nervous than I was. His whole body was shaking slightly, and his leg couldn’t stop bouncing. I wanted to place my hand on his shoulder, and assure him, but what would I be assuring him of? That this course would be easy, that it wouldn’t be too hard to pass? Heck, I needed assurance myself. Just the thought of what I would have to do in a few minutes made my skin crawl. Will I have the skills needed to do well? Am I really ready?

"Open the gates!" the commander shouted, and just as he ordered, they opened seconds later. I jumped, and felt my heartbeat start to quicken even more. I heard a gasp from Magenta, and looked over my shoulder. Her eyes were wide, and she had her hands balled up into a fist, by her side. She wasn’t looking at me, but at the gates.

"You ready?" I asked her in a whisper. She darted her eyes from the gates, and to me. She gave me a fake smile, and turned her attention back towards the course.

"I’m ready," she whispered back.

I slowly entered the cabin, not having the strength enough to undress myself. I managed to kick off my shoes, and sat on my cot, ripping my ID tag and throwing it on the nearby night stand. The course was completely unbearable, leaving everyone who was able to succeed, entirely exhausted–I was proof. My muscles ached at the slightest movements, my tongue was dry and I was dehydrated. I leaned down, placing my open palms on my knee caps. My sweat formed beads on my forehead, and they slid towards my chin, falling below onto the wooden floors of the cabin. My chest continued rising and lowering, as I tried to control my breathing. Some of my open wounds were penetrating my body, but I couldn’t do anything to heal them.

"What did I get myself into?" I questioned myself. I leaned towards my cot, ever so slightly, and let gravity do the rest as my head gradually fell onto the pillow. My blooded wounds stained the sheets, but I didn’t care. Everything would be cleaned in the morning. My eyes slowly began to feel heavier and heavier as each second passed. The constant calling of the cricket outside the cabin lured me to sleep, as I closed my eyes, and answered its call.

The annoying tone of the bugle woke everyone the next morning. I slowly slid out of bed, still feeling the wounds on my body, but noticing that most of them were slightly healed. I walked towards the bathroom facility within the cabin and began to refreshen up. Tag and Jotan were still sleeping so I tried my best to not waken them. As I cleaned up, I clenched both sides of the sink, with water dripping from my face, and slowly, lifted my head so I could stare back at my reflection in the mirror. There were small scratches on my face and I saw the scars running down my arms. I gritted my teeth, tightening my hold on the sink. I felt like yelling at the top of my lungs so I could let out the steam, but I was too tired and still, I was considerate of my cabin mates.

Minutes had passed and I was finished, walking out of the cabin and towards the first bunker that stored all of the camp’s supplies. I grabbed a few things and headed towards the gun house. There were already quite a handful of people inside, either practicing to improve their aim, or just conversing with others inside the gun house.

I moved towards the first empty booth, slid the earmuffs over my head, and began aiming at the target. Within twenty minutes of target practice, my attention was diverted towards the entrance of the gun house where I noticed Serena talking with Magenta. I couldn’t see their facial expressions, but I could read their movements, and how they reacted with one another. Magenta seemed to be doing most of the talking, while Serena listened. Serena was leaning against the door frame, with her arms crossed over her chest. Magenta, on the other hand, was still standing, with both feet planted firmly on the ground, and continuously pounding her fist into her hand, obviously emphasizing something to her; whatever it was, I had no idea.

As I was watching them, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Alejro watching me. I turned around sharply and our eyes immediately met. He swiftly turned his head around, back to the targets he was shooting at. I grimaced.

Once I turned my attention back towards the entrance, they were no longer there. I turned a complete three-sixty [360] but they weren’t inside of the gun facility. I gritted my teeth and continued with my target practice, all the while, thinking of what the two were talking about.
Whatever it was, I would know about it.