𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄'𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 | an apocalyptic novel ©

Chapter 27

All for Shits and Giggles

2031

Aidan

The days and nights blur together, I don't have a watch or calendar, and I don't think time is of relevance anymore.

Training session follows after training session.

The Drill Sergeant punches out every last bit of energy we have and then tenderizes our sore nerves by continuing after we are heaving.

He teaches us everything from the basics to the advanced.

"Recruits, we are sending you on a test mission," the General greets us one morning. I stand in line with the rest of the recruits, listening intently.

A test mission?

It is a week or so later, a week of me already being here.

Are we already prepared enough to go out into the world?

Or is it a suicide mission?

"You'll gather supplies from a grocery store, though this time only in teams of two, to get adjusted to working together."

Teams of two?

As if it were a command, the crowd starts to move, forming 48 teams instead of the usual 32.

I'm alone.

Did Sina choose Jason over me? I get it, they are friends – apparently.

How someone could befriend Jason seems like an impossible task to me, ever since I felt his death glare on my back every time I passed by.

Someone walks up to me – Suraya, the girl I met in the lunch hall.

"Hey," she grins.

"Are we both-"

"Assigned? No, but I randomly decided that just about right now, since my team threw me out like trash."

I raise a brow. Her blunt behavior is something new to get accustomed to.

The General claps his hands again to silence the chatter. "Each pair gets a map and equipment, when you arrive again, we celebrate your victories with a campfire."

A campfire?

The backpack weighs me down. It's the first time I get one handed out by the stock unit, the same way I acquired my clothes.

All the essentials are inside, a flashlight and map in my hand.

This feels... new.

I can't help but feel a slight wave of euphoria and anticipation rushing through my veins.

We get to go out, into the world. Of course, I don't know what'll await me. I have seen the Bronx from the small plane window so far. For all I know, it could be way worse.

But we get to go out. And this realization makes me feel like we have a responsibility.

Suraya points her thumbs up and with that, I know: we're ready.

Lining up with the recruits in the main quarters again, I shift in my position.

"Here's how things will work. Together, you get assigned a store to pick clean for yourselves. Don't pack too much, only essentials. What counts under that is up to you. However, if I catch you with alcohol, it's over and out." The General paces back and forth in front of us. Giggles sound from a group at the end.