HeRo (Sⓗort Stⓞrⓘⓔs)

Good and Evil

Good and Evil pt. 1

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I will never be like the other kids. I don't have someone to tell secrets too. I don't have someone to hold when I'm scared.

I don't have anyone.

When I was born, the government told me my brother had died. I was the only surviving twin, and I was sent into one of the territories they had. I was sent into Territory B.

I was taught from day one to be bad.

To be evil.

To be cruel.

Unfortunately, something inside of me won't let me.

I won't ever be like the other kids.

They have their twin who they are allowed to see every weekend.

They are bad to the bone.

I will never ever be like them.

Not even if I tried.

♢ ♢ ♢

"Okay kids, line up! It's time for training!"

It was a disgusting Thursday morning. The sky was a dull grey, clouds covering the sun, as if forbidding us from the light it beheld. The ground under my feet was damp, the smell of rain and dirt pungent in my nostrils. As the whistle sounded from our coach, the squish squash of combat boots on the ground surrounded us kids.

I took my place in the back of the line, since my name started with Z, and got in ready formation; arms behind my back, face stoic, legs apart in second position.

"Good morning, maggots!" Coach December screamed.

"Good morning coach!" We shouted back in unison.

The coach nodded at us, and we dropped our arms, saluting, before putting our legs in first position. None of us spoke as the coach walked around us, eyes trained on every child. "Today, we're going to be going through the course, once again! Every single one of you will succeed, or you'll be thrown out tonight! Am I clear, you roaches?"

All of us saluted. "Yes, coach!"

"Then," coach shouted, "on my whistle, go. Three...two...one!"

The sound of the whistle pierced the air, and footsteps were instantly heard. We all ran straight to the course. The first part was easy. All we had to do was hop over the mud wall. I was one of the last to finish, my boot getting caught inside the wall, my fingers slipping on the slick dirt inbetween my fingers. The next challenge was a bit harder to finish.

It was the barbed wire.

We were forced to crawl under barbed wire, through mud and sand.

I instantly tucked and rolled, beginning my ascent under the serrated blades. I almost screamed as the side of my cheek was nicked by the sharp point, but I continued on.

The last task was by far the worst.

It was called the hanging tree.

There was a large oak in front of us. We were forced to jump from rope to rope on the humongous tree, and down from the top, to a zipline. If we missed, we were stuck in a pit of oak leaves and icky mud; maybe even a broken bone.

If we failed this task, we failed the entire directory.

This meant we were gonna sleep outside. I couldn't fail this.