Ramblers In the Wilderness

Soap

Cade

I woke up to the sun shining through the blinds. I needed to order some black out curtains to make this place bearable. Pulling the sheets over my head I tried to doze back to sleep. After about forty minutes I finally gave up. Sitting up in bed and scanning the room. Something was off. I don't remember going to bed last night. Last thing I remember was counting the planets and then everything was dark. My shoes were neatly placed by the door and my phone was on the charger. Did Ghost escort me back to bed? Had he carried me? Or did he leave me, and I eventually found my own way?

My headache was rough, but not as bad as I would have expected. It was 1114 in the morning, and I hoped someone saved me a hot plate of a greasy breakfast. Something to help coat the stomach and soak up the alcohol.

I showered and cleaned up, throwing on a hint of mascara to try to look a little less like death before proceeding to the kitchen. The only other person in the canteen was...Ghost...shocker. At least this time I spotted him rather than him startling me. I poured myself a cup of coffee and against my better judgement, went and sat across from him. Forehead resting on the table.

"Sleep much?" Ghost asked. "Out like a light." I look up and at him, his eyes studying mine, "You put my drunk ass to bed?" Ghost shifted and looked at me. Not saying anything or making any movements, just meeting my gaze before looking back to his open book on the table. "Thanks." I say just assuming he had said yes though he gave nothing away. Breakfast seemed to have been skipped but the cook fried up some burgers and grilled cheese for an early lunch. He must have caught wind of the group being up too late and taken the time to sleep in.

Soap and Gaz came shuffling in soon after to grab their plates. Gaz was squinting, moving slowly. Soap just looked like he was tired but still had a nice little smirk on his face. Something told me he was well practiced at the drinking game.

'Scotsmen don't get hangovers.' He declared at one point during the meals small talk. But the dropping of a tray on the table forced his eyes shut and a brief look of pain crossed his features. Nothing was on the agenda for today. The weather was stormy, and everyone was nursing their aching bodies as well as heads.

With nothing to do, I set out for the conference room. There had been a couch and several bookshelves. Maybe some title would catch my interest and I could just get lost into another world. Scanning through books it was all mainly biographies and past historical events. Some of the titles I had read. On the lower shelf were some worn out looking books.
The plain hard covers showed they were aged and well read. They were classics. Huck Finn, Sawyer, Robinson Crusoe, Dracula, were some of the titles. I pawed through these. A book which would take me to another century in a different world was what I was after. Jane Eyre was the title I settled on. Soon I was nested and ready to go. I had adjusted the couch so I could be closer to the window. Reading in natural light always made my eyes less fatigued. A mug of tea sat on the window seal and the rain outside pitter pattered rhythmically.

I got lost in the book quickly. Engrossed by the damsel growing up in the orphanage. Abused and withdrawn. Her introduction to the brooding mystery man with a secret.
I was halfway through the book by five when my reading was interrupted by the building door closing.

"Ay lass." Soap smiled and walked over. "Whatcha up to Sarg?" I said closing my book and stretching. "Ain't much. Came in here to...honestly not sure." Soap paused, "I get a little stir crazy with the weather and want to be moving around. Makes me think of home." Soap seemed a little more mellow than his usual self. Maybe it was
the hangover, but he seemed to be contemplative and in his own distant memory. I motion for him to join me on the couch, and he obliged. Though he and I had trained privately several times and already had some inside jokes, I still didn't know anything about the man. He reminded me a lot of my older brother which is why I felt so drawn to Soap. It seemed like the perfect time to just chat and get to know him a bit more.