Heathen Chronicles - Changed

Chapter 10 - The Fine Print

Raven's POV

I fell to my knees, then gently laid onto my back, caressing the pain in my body. My lungs struggled for control against the force of my asthma, but I eventually managed to win the struggle this time.

My heaving and panting pulled in the air I desperately needed. As my breathing slowed, I looked around and saw that I was not the only one gasping for fresh air. This made me feel a little more relieved. The others were collapsed all around me, and I could feel the agitation rising off some of them. This training was vigorous, vicious, and painful. It truly sucked the energy out of us. Who knew we would be pushed this hard so early in the program?

I lay there exhausted, too weak to take notes on anything. I noticed Captain Reed staring at us—at me—and laughing, shaking his head as he paced. I didn't have the energy to get up; my body was begging for the relief it was receiving from the ground. I threw my arm over my eyes and waited.

"This is going to be harder than I thought," he jeered as Miss Patel came to stand by his side. She cocked one eyebrow and glared down her nose at us.

"No one... told us about... actually becoming... a damn... soldier!" Irina shouted angrily. She had to stop several times to catch her breath, her fury only making it harder to breathe.

"Exactly! We came here to study under you, not to become you!" Kyle added. He was more used to the training than she was, though even he was winded. Lu sat with her head between her knees, nodding, while El glared at the Captain, too tired to voice her complaints.

Soon, everyone's breathing leveled out.

"We have done a lot of training, but this... this is punishment. No, actually, this is fucking torture! This is not what we signed up for," Dylann complained, struggling to stand.

This was driving me nuts. What did they expect when signing up for an army program? They carried on complaining, making everything far worse. I'd had enough.

"Oh, would you please SHUT UP! Honestly now, you are all acting like such drama-queen bitches!"

Everyone stopped and stared at me in silence. I sat up slowly, unwilling to push myself too much and risk falling over. The Captain looked surprised and a little impressed, while Miss Patel gaped. They must have expected complaints, but nothing prepared them for me. They weren't expecting anything from me at all, as I'd made it a point to keep quiet. I wanted to observe before coming out of my shell. Even at school, I never spoke in class unless it was to my friends or a teacher; they naturally assumed I was shy and reserved. If only they knew.

I sensed their confusion. They were probably asking themselves why I wasn't on their side.

"When you guys put your names down, you should have read the fine print. You knew there would be vigorous training involved, and you knew it was going to be extremely hard. It's the army, for crying out loud! That's why it's only offered to exclusive schools. Stop playing dumb; you knew what was coming. You had a choice. Next time, don't put your names down."

I stood, straightened to my full height, and looked down at them. I tried my best not to show that I was beyond out of breath or in pain; maybe that's why I was in such a bitchy mood.

"So, let's quit the bitching and get on with it... or go home. Either way, it's your choice. No one forced you to be here, and no one is forcing you to stay."

I looked at the Captain, pissed. He was just as much of a bitch as they were. I was feeling brave and decided to go for it. "Is that all you've got, SIR?" I spat, indicating the rough terrain behind us, purposely trying to provoke him for the shit he put us through today. What's the worst that could happen?

The Captain shook his head, trying to hide a smile. He looked to the others, who followed my lead and chose to keep their mouths shut. They were clearly upset with me and him. I doubted he cared what we thought, but I was not going to let him or Miss Patel get to me.

He nodded and took off his cap, revealing white-blonde hair that seemed to sparkle like diamonds in the light. Very nice. I raised my eyebrows; I wasn't expecting that color from someone like him, but it suited him perfectly.

"Today was actually not a test of your physical abilities; we know your school's reputation for fitness, though some of you still surprised me, considering your claims of being 'cabbages,'" he said. He glanced at me—I remembered my application and how I'd worded my answers; that was probably what he was referring to.

"It was to test your mental abilities under strain. One of the most important things to learn here is to follow commands when under pressure. You must work with each other, not against each other. Remember: you are a team! You all need to work on your discipline and learn to keep your fucking mouths SHUT. You failed. Good luck with the next test; you're going to need it. Meet here tomorrow at zero-seven-hundred hours. You may retire to your bunks after you clean up."

The Captain strutted away, running a hand through that soft-looking hair before slipping his cap back on. Miss Patel demanded we follow her to the tents, where cold showers and uncomfortable bunks awaited. As we turned, I felt eyes on me. I looked back to see the Captain in his Jeep, staring intensely. There was something about him I couldn't quite put my finger on. Was he checking me out? Never.

I turned away and shook my head. I was clearly hallucinating from the workout. I spotted Kyle ahead. He paused, staring at his feet in deep thought, then started walking again when I caught up. Was he waiting for me?

We had quick cold showers and cleaned up as best we could. Our "tent" looked like a giant blanket patched together, housing small blue cots with thin, sad-looking cloths for blankets. At the entrance sat a table with an old laptop and a webcam.

"You can contact your friends via email. You must decide who goes first, as only one email is permitted per day, with the exception of Saturdays," the guard said.

Why have a webcam if it's just email? To watch us? How sweet.

I rolled my eyes and picked a bed. I found one that looked slightly larger and more comfortable. Two soldiers stood guard, staring straight ahead, ignoring us. I pushed past the others and threw myself down, grateful for any comfort.

"You guys can go first, because all I want is a full night's rest," I grumbled. I didn't care about the looks they gave me, though Kyle's gaze caught my eye. What do you want from me? I turned onto my side and listened to them argue over the computer. I pushed a stubborn black curl out of my face and closed my heavy eyes. I smiled, thinking today was actually a good day.

I tried my hardest to fall asleep, but I couldn't. Frustrated, I sat up and rubbed my eyes. Lu had won the fight for the computer, as I suspected. An hour passed, and the soldiers still stood at their posts, unmoving and creepy. Kyle was asleep on the bed next to mine. Great. El was across from him. Lu finally finished, moved to the bed next to El, and went to sleep.

The soldiers finally moved, taking the laptop with them so quickly they almost tore the cords. As they marched out, I heard chuckling from outside. Who knew soldiers had jokes?

I put my head back down, but then I heard noises from the other side of the tent. What now? I lifted my head and cringed. Irina and Dylann were sharing a bed and were apparently very... busy.

Gross! Stupid-ass bitches. Please don't let that image stay in my head!

I turned over and jumped slightly. Kyle was awake and staring at me. Why? After a few awkward minutes, I turned onto my back. I heard him chuckle softly, then I checked again. He was sleeping. Good.

I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep, despite the background noise. As I drifted off, I heard a twig snap in the distance, but before I could think, the lights in my mind went out fully. Thankfully.