A New Perspective of War [REWRITE BOOK]

Chapter 1: Raging Fire

I slowly open my eyes, getting out of my slumber and getting out of my bed, taking in my surroundings. I look around the dorm for a while, blinking as I do so. I look up, seeing my roommate Mike up on the top bunk, sleeping. I decide to not wake him up, opening my clothing drawer and changing outfits in the bathroom. I put my glock holster on my hip, loading my glock 17 and putting it into the holster.

I come out of the bathroom to close the drawer, and as I do so, the intercom blares on, as I hear general shodlotsky speaking over it.

"IT'S 0400, TROOPS! IF WE WANT TO KILL THESE SONS OF BITCHES AND WIN THE WAR, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO NEED ENERGY! IT'S TIME FOR CHOW!"

And as fast as it turns on, it shuts off. I look at my uniform to make sure there's no wrinkles, but sure enough, there is. I sigh, knowing I might have to deal with the general, or someone higher up the food chain than me yell in my face about how many wrinkles are on my uniform. With the way the general treats all of us, i feel like I'm in boot camp again.

I look over to Mike, as he jolts up and gets down the ladder, getting his clothes out from the drawer. "Better hurry up, sergeant." I say to him. "Yes sir." He replies, as I walk to the door, unlocking it and opening it. I walk through the hall to the cafeteria with the rest of the marines in this base, heading to the food counter. I take a tray, watching other armymen go up to the other end of the counter, serving other armymen their chow.

Once it's my turn, I extend the plate out to the man behind the counter. He doesn't say anything, but he gets the 'food' onto my plate. Beans...something that looks like sludge, and...what looks like bread. The stench of the sludge almost makes me recoil, but I say 'thank you' to the marine behind the counter anyways. He doesn't respond, and continues serving other armymen.

I then grab a spoon, now heading over to a table. I place the tray down, staring at the sludge for a while. The general told us all that is has nutrients, and..we have to listen to him..so..not much else I can do but eat it. I look behind me, seeing Mike getting his food. I then look over at someone heading my way. I look at the rank on their shoulder, and they're a staff sergeant. Same rank as me...

The staff sergeant sits down, and stares directly at my uniform, which makes me start to worry a bit. "Your uniform is wrinkly." They say, as if on cue, chuckling a bit after. "I'm the exact same rank as you." I reply, as they cover their mouth with their hands like they are holding in laughter. "You have a lot to improve on, staff sergeant." They say. "How are your marksman skills?" I ask, smugly. "Absolute dogshit." They say, as we both chuckle.

'Guess it doesn't matter that much when there's a war raging right now..' I think to myself, still chuckling. I then look down at my food, as Mike sits down at the table. I use my spoon to pick up some of the beans, and start eating them. Mike looks at me, then to his food. "Sir...do you think what they're serving here is good?" Mike asks. "Not one bit. This sludge is grossing me out, but...I've seen worse." I reply.

"Worse, sir? Can you explain?" Mike asks. I look over at him, staring directly into his green eyes, as his neutral look turns into a frown. "Oh boy. You do not want to know what I've seen the higher ranks make the lower classes eat." I reply, as Mike looks back at his food. "I..think I'll stick to my MRE's sir." I chuckle lightly, going back to eating more of my beans. ((BEEAAAAANNNSSS...HWAT THE F- BEAAAAANNNSSS...))

I see more and more people come sit down at the table, as I return my look to it's neutral state to be more professional, as the staff sergeant in front of me does the same. I look at the ranks of the other people sitting down, seeing one Corporal, and two Private First Classes. I correct my posture, moving onto eating the 'bread' on my plate, when I overhear radio chatter. I hear something like "TW- H-STI-E F18s D-TECT-D ON RA-AR! CR-MS ARE U-DER R-PAIR -ND -E CAN- SH-O- THE- DO-N! AWA-TIN- FURTH-R OR-ERS -IR!" Coming from it.