Imminent

Chapter 4

"Ssseth" A girl whispers dragging out the s sound. I open my eyes and groggily rub them, Tullibee is kneeling next to me hand shaking my shoulder to awaken me. "What" I groan.
"Breakfast time" she says her voice low, I look around and see that all the beds are empty, except mine. I sit up, stretching my back and arms out, Tullibee backs away and gives me space. I slowly get out of bed, I don't remember getting in my bed. Tullibee points to a jumpsuit on my bed with the letter E on the left shoulder in yellow. The jumpsuit is grey so it stands out, my name and a number is on the front also in yellow. I strip out of yesterday's clothes and slip on the jumpsuit, I realize Tullibee is wearing the same. We walk out a wooden door into a homely hall way leading to the cafeteria. Everyone is lined up getting breakfast, I didn't realize there is so many people on this ship till now. I stand behind Tullibee slowly moving up the line looking at the dull spacefood, I settle on dehydrated yogurt with frozen berries on top, Tullibee chooses the same, brushing my fingers lightly on objects as we go towards the group and sitting down at a metal bench. I take one mouthful of the yogurt I immediately spit it out due to its revolting taste and texture. Never again will I eat that yogurt, Tullibee doesn't touch her yogurt probably because of my reaction but we're quickly ushered to another room within five minutes to train for when we are brought back to earth. We walk together as a group to our training room. I walk into grey and yellow room with a scary guy standing in the middle, we crowd around him like a flock of birds.
"Welcome fellow soldiers" he booms arms behind his back "now I want one straight line sharpish, shorties at the end and giganties at the top" we shuffle into height order, Flax being the tallest at six foot. He walks around the line inspecting us all. "You are here to fight, to learn and to grow" he says shallowly "You had family on earth but guess what, THEY ARE DEAD! YOUR ONLY FAMILY NOW IS YOUR GROUP!" A tear slips down Flaxs cheek and a few others but I look ahead and swallow my tears. The thought that my family could be dead breaks me but I keep it in. Mum was already dead inside but to know that she could be physically dead is hard, I take a deep breath and stare ahead. "Knight I want to see you after" he says standing in front of me his eyes glassy and green, he looks to be in his fifties, his hair black with strands of grey. I nod and we train doing fighting skills and learning how to be emotionless like a stone.
"Class dismissed" he yells I start to walk out with the others but he pulls me back "We need to chat" he says I walk towards him and stand at attention "your fighting skills are brilliant, you can hide your emotions and your a great leader, you don't need to learn anymore you know it all I'm going to speak to the boss tonight about making you head of your group, a sergeant. Don't bother coming back to training" he says patting my back.
"Sir did you have family, back on earth?" I ask suddenly taking a risk, he nods and clears his throat "I had two daughters and a dog called Max, your dismissed" I walk back into my dorm in silence, my head down.
"SETH!" Tullibee shouts when I walk into the dorm, she runs up and hugs me her head resting on my chest. "What did he tell you" she whispers. "Lots of things Tullibee" I whisper back. A wolf whistle echoes through the room and some catcalls from Neem and Nova.
I break apart from Tullibee and plonk down on the sofa curling into a ball and blocking out the world, Nova sits next to me and puts his arms around my shoulder "you can cry Seth" he mumbles, I curl into him and he holds me closer he rocks me supposedly to soothe me but I hide it and get off the sofa and walk to the kitchen to make macaroni and cheese to take my mind off the fact that my family is possibly dead. I take the knife and run it across my wrist understanding now why mum did it because it feels great releasing my pain through better pain. Nova snatches the knife out of my hand and throws it on the ground stopping me from doing a third cut grabbing my wrist he runs the cold tap, putting my wrist under the cold water he washes it and sprays it with a silver square bottle, it disappears. He looks into my eyes "don't" he says and walks away. Me and Tullibee skip dinner that night and watch a movie together, her small body curled in my arms she falls asleep I put my head on hers and do the same. I fall into darkness cuddled up with Tullibee.