Catch-22: To Die is To Live Hard | GxG

5. The Dumpsite

THE SKY was a mixture of black and orange, red-orange perhaps. The dawn just strike on land and early this time, Blanche and her battalion had just arrived at the said training ground, but for the latter, it was more likely a dumpsite. Blanche sees this place as a site of a human who was thrown to die. 

           Blanche sighed as she tried to shrug off the thought of what she had seen earlier. She couldn't argue with herself as she was unsure if what she had seen was indeed accurate. Jeez, why am I being preoccupied with that silhouette of a being? I'm not even sure if that's her! She mumbles from inside.

            On the other hand, while the Captain is occupied with her previous memory of that someone, the recruits drop their bags on the snowy ground and look around, buzzing like bees can be heard. They can’t believe that they made it! Who wouldn’t be? After facing a snowstorm, staying in an igloo just to keep them warm and walking on a snowy path make them shiver to death. Most of them, the recruits, thought that they were going to die long before they can make it here.

            “Guess we’re already late,” Aerith murmured under her breath while standing beside the Captain. She removed her mask and wiped her chin using her wrist.

           “Oh!” someone exclaimed and let the other trainees stop what they doing and greet the newly arrived. Rolling her eyes, she made her way toward Aerith. “How I wish they could greet you both in a more tiger look, stomach in-chest out-way. You know, in a more military way.” A lady wearing a military uniform with her hands in her pants pocket was withdrawn by the cabin's main door.

            “Son Hyun Ah,” Blanche utter and slightly nodded to the lady. The latter smiled, “That was me, Captain Blue.” while pointing her thumb finger on her own chest.

            The girl named Son Hyun Ah has an eye color of ebony brown, blonde hair, petite; stands at merely five feet, she also had a white complexion skin. A complete Korean description.

            “How come you arrived early? Didn't you encounter the snowstorm from last night?” Aerith asked, curiously, while raising her brows and arms crossed to her chest.

            “Oh! Well, I let ‘em use the Amtrak. Simply as that,” Hyun-Ah shrug her shoulder as she answered to Aerith's query. It's as if she's saying that she finds a way not to experience the snowstorm.

            “Amtrak? You mean the amphibious tractor?”

            Son Hyun Ah just shrugged and drew her attention to the recruits, “My, my, look at your trainees, they’re lousy.” She winced as if she were annoyed with the newbies' appearances.

           “That’s the reason why we brought them here,” Blanche replied bluntly. “Wouldn’t you let us in first before doing some interrogation kinds of stuff, Hyun Ah?”

            “Oh well, yeah. The room for the new recruits is located East of the North, two out of five rooms are occupied so take the three vacant rooms, each room had two double-deck beds. Move!” Son Hyun Ah said to the recruits. Hastily, the recruits entered the room and followed the commando’s command.

            “You think we can survive the training?” one of the trainees asked Aracelli. The latter looked at her colleague, “We should.” I should survive this training or else, I won't get what I wanted. She told herself while glaring at Blanche. Blanche, on the other hand, notices the intense glare of someone so she takes a look only to find Aracelli's death glare at her.

           Blanche, being her usual self, give the trainee a smirk and hand-signaled her to move and enter the cabin. Aracellie could not protest but roll her eyes heavenward. Argh, dumbass! She thought.