Preknowings: Success Always Fails (PUBLISHED ON AMAZON)

Setting Off

After finishing our training, Pauline and I had a large meal of juicy steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, and steamed and salted carrots. It was delicious. After that, Williams sent us to bed. When we walked into our little hallway, Rosenbaum was waiting for us. "Come, children," she cooed in a soothingly evil voice. Unintentionally, we walked toward the woman. I sensed a mysterious energy around her. Suddenly, the energy faded. "Birche, Pauline, how was your training?" "Hard," I answered. "Fun," Pauline said. "Good, good. Anyway, for tomorrow, I have made a list of things that you will need to pack." She held out what looked like a shopping list. The mysterious energy came back, "Read it!" She yelled coldly. The energy vanished. Her outburst startled us. Quickly, mine and Pauline's shoulders were pressed against each others' and we read the list:

Food

Water

Sleeping Bags

Blankets

A pillow (1 each)

4 flashlights

Vol. 1 Survival Guide Book

2-Way Radio

Grappling hook gun

Toothbrush + Toothpaste

Toilet paper

Clean clothes

First Aid Kit

I nodded. So did Pauline. Rosenbaum continued, "Almost everything you need will be in your rooms. We will provide the food, water, sleeping bags, and the radio. I believe Pauline has a grappling hook gun on her bookshelf." Again, Pauline nodded. "There's a duffel bag in each of your rooms. Pack your things in those. Goodnight children!" "Goodnight," we replied. We went into my room and packed my duffel bag with everything but what the military would provide. Then we went to Pauline's room and did the same. Then I went to my own room and went to bed. It would be a big day tomorrow. I slept.

A new dream came. This time Pauline and I were in a thick forest. We were standing on a strong tree limb high up in the vast canopy of trees. Men with guns were running around below us . It seemed as though they were looking for something. Pauline pointed to a thick branch in another tree. She pulled out her grappling hook gun and shot it to a branch in  another tree. She tugged on it. It held. Pauline handed the gun to me. I held it tight. My other hand wrapped around Pauline. She held onto the cord. Finally, my feet left the limb and we soared over the men below, gracefully. Suddenly, something went wrong. My hand slipped, and my heart dropped to my stomach. We fell to the ground. I woke with a start. It was just a dream, I thought to myself. My heart was pumping so hard I thought it would explode out of my chest. I laid back down and went back to sleep. Dreamlessly this time. I woke up and opened my eyes. "Hhhooonnnkkk!!!" Someone was holding an airhorn in my face. "Aaahhh!!!" I shouted. Middleton chuckled good-naturedly. "Time to get up!" He yelled with a grin. I looked at my clock. "But it's only five A.M.!" I protested. His grin turned into a melancholy frown."It's not gonna kill you." He said. "Now get up! It's almost time to go! You leave in ten minutes!" Middleton left the room. I got out of bed, reached for the doorknob, but then remembered not to open the door because I wasn't dressed yet. I put on camo pants with lots of pockets and a faded green T-shirt. I grabbed my warm Under Armour jacket from the top of my dresser and put on my tennis shoes. Finally, I got the duffel bag and jogged out the door. Pauline walked out of her room too. She was holding the grappling hook gun. We smiled at each other as soon as we walked out of the hallway, we were loaded down with food, water, and for each of us, one heavy sleeping bag. Rosenbaum came to make sure we were alright carrying all of those "heavy items." I said yes even though I wasn't so sure we wouldn't fold under all that weight. A few moments later, we were let out of a door that I hadn't noticed before. It led us outside. We were standing on a small beach. There were no windows in Base: BXY-2 so there was no way for us to know there was a beach right under our noses.

Pauline and I stepped onto the sand and took a few steps. I stopped and turned around. I could no longer see the building we had just come out of. "Woah," I said under my breath. Middleton noticed my amazement. He smiled. "It's a strictly exclusive cloaking device. You'll not find them anywhere but here." He explained, "Unless you go to Chimeston." He mumbled quietly. Williams elbowed Middleton hard in the ribs. "Don't give 'em any ideas!" he snapped. Silence followed. We kept walking towards the ocean. Soon after, a breathless Ralph stumbled into our little group. I'd forgotten that he was supposed to come. "Hi!" Pauline greeted him cheerfully. "Howdy," Ralph replied annoyedly, "It took a lot o' runnin' ta catch up with you guys. Ya know, all this stuff on me and all my fat." He jiggled his chubby stomach, "You'd think my body was made o' lead." "Maybe that's a good thing." I added jokingly. Ralph gave me a dirty look. I heard Charles' jolly laugh, which was a surprise since he hadn't spoken a word for this whole time.

Eventually, we came to a dock. At the end of that was a boat. The men led me and Pauline across the dock. The boat was named 'G. Rosenbaum.' As if she was reading my mind, Pauline asked, "What does the 'G.' stand for?" Middleton answered, "It stands for 'General.'" They loaded us in through a door with a porthole installed in the metal. We all stepped into a hallway with luxurious, thick, red carpeting. On the left, there was a ladder that I was guessing led up to the deck. On the right, there were stairs leading down below, towards the Captain's Quarters, I guessed. And straight ahead, there was another door. "It leads to your lofts." Charles explained. He pointed right to the stairs that went down. "That way is the kitchen. You need a snack, go down there. If you wish to feel the salty breeze rushing through your hair," He pointed left to the ladder, "Go up there. That is the deck. Also, high above the deck is a crow's nest if you need some alone time. Only two people at a time can fit up there. Good luck." Charles added. "Thanks," I replied. The three men headed downward. We went to our lofts. I dropped all of the bags and containers and fell onto my bed. Pauline did the same onto her bed. I needed to sleep. That was a long walk. I set my watch for one hour and went to sleep. After that, I would explore.