Heathen Series - Changed

Chapter 10

Stephanie fell to her knees, then gently laid herself onto her back caressing the pain from her body and lungs which she struggled for control against the force of her asthma. She eventually managed to win the struggle.

Her heaving and panting pulled in the air that she desperately needed and as her breathing slowed, she looked around and saw that she was not the only one who needed the fresh air and was a bit relieved for that knowledge.

The others fell all around her trying to catch their own breath and she could feel the agitation rising off of some of them. This training was vigorous, vicious and painful. The type of training that they did, truly sucked the energy out of them.

The moon mocked them, and the stars laughed at them as they stumbled to the floor in front of the Captain.

She laid there exhausted and too weak to take note of anything and noticed the Captain Reed stared at them – at her – and laughed, shaking his head while he paced in front of everyone.

"This is going to be harder than I thought." he jeered as Mis Petal came to stand by his side.

She cocked one eyebrow up and glared at them from the top of her nose.

"No one... told us about... actually becoming... a damn... soldier!" shouted Irina angrily; she had to stop a few times to catch her breath; her anger making it harder to breathe which only angered her more.

"Exactly! We came here to study under you not to become you!" added Kyle more used to the training than she was.

Lu sat with her head between her knees and nodded while El glared at the Captain; too tired and out of breath to voice her complaints.

Soon everyones breathing levelled out...

"We have done a lot of training – if you play sports – but this... this is punishment; no, actually this is fucking torture!" This is not what we signed up for. complained Dylann struggling to stand.

"Oh, would you please SHUT UP!

Honestly now, you are all acting like such drama-queen-bitches!"

Everyone stopped and stared at her in silence.

The Captain stared on with, surprised and a little impressed and Miss Petal gaped; they knew there would be complaints, but nothing prepared them for what she had to say.

They werent really expecting anything to come from her as she made it a point to keep still and quiet the whole time that they were there.

Even at school, she never spoke during class unless it was to her friends or to a teacher; so, they naturally assumed that she was shy – if only they knew...

The students turned their heads slowly at their comrade, confused.

"When you guys put your names down, you should have read the fine print. You knew there would be some sort of vigorous training involved and you knew it was going to be extremely hard. It's the army for crying out loud, thats why its only offered to exclusive schools.

And stop playing dumb, you knew what was coming."

Stephanie stood, straightened herself to her full height and looked down at them trying her best not to show that she was beyond out of breath or that she was in pain; maybe thats why she was in such a bitchy mood.

"So, let's quit the bitching and go with it... or go home; either way, its your choice.

No one forced you to be here and no one is forcing you to stay."

Stephanie looked to the Captain, pissed.

"Is that all you got, SIR?" she spat out indicating the rough terrain behind them purposely trying to piss him off for all the shit he put them through today.