TWO YEARS LATER
Uncle Lucas had been writing to remind me about this day for weeks now. It's a day I've been preparing for for years.
It is the year 847. I signed up for the military and I'm are in the 104th Trainee Squad.
Father tried to prevent me from leaving. He's terrified I'm going to die, and who wouldn't be. Even I'm afraid.
We were stood in rows, every one of us in matching tan jackets, white pants, and hard wearing, knee high brown leather boots, the army's uniform. Our instructor, Keith Shadis, was an intimidating man, with intense dark circles, and no hair. He was performing a 'right of passage', if you can call it that, where he scared the trainees and knocked them down, thus making a clean slate for a new solider to begin on.
He was making his way down the rows and asking every person who they were and what their purpose was, although he seemed to be ignoring a few. I'm guessing they're the ones from the Shiganshina district, where the wall was breached.
Some guy named Jean Kirschtien (it was pronounced the French way) got head butted and hit the floor when he said he wanted to join the Military Police and live safely in the interior. Shadis said that if he couldn't take that then he would be worthless to the MP.
He slowly made his way along my row, degrading every solider, before he got to me. My heart was thudding in my chest as he sneered, "And who the hell might you be?"
My hands snapped into the salute, my right fist over your heart and the other behind your back, as I stated, "My name is Corina Barrett, from the Karanese district, Sir!" I was surprisingly calm and confident.
"So, Corina Barrett, what is your purpose for being here?"
"I'm here to join the Suvey Corps and aid in humanities prevail over the titans!"
I waited. I waited for a fist to the face, a knee to the stomach, something that was going to test me. I felt a swift fist to my stomach, but I stood my ground, "Ngh!" I wasn't going to let myself be brought down like Jean. I wasn't going to crack. I clenched my stomach muscles tightly, my breath hitching tight in my lungs. My arms were still in a strong salute.
"See now Cadet Barrett knows what she's doing. She's already in my good books. You have a good head on your shoulders, a real tough cookie." There was a look of proudness in his eyes. Maybe he knew my uncle? Uncle Lucas told me there'd be an ex member of the Survey Corps in charge of a trainee group this year.
He moved on to the boy next to me, who was short with short, shaved hair. He too had a confident air about him.
"Connie Springer, Sir! I want to join the Military Police and assist in taking the titans out!"
The next few moments seemed to happen very slowly. One minute the boy, Connie, had both feet on the floor, the next he was being held up by his head, his eyes stretched, "Is your heart on the right?! Do you need to go to a hospital?!"
"N-no, S-sir!"
"Then why salute on the wrong side?!" He roared.
He'd saluted on the wrong side. What an idiot.
But then Shadis' attention was turned to something else.
A girl with long brown hair tied back in a ponytail, eating a boiled potato..?
"Hey, fucker. What the hell do you think you're doing?"
She took another bite and swallowed it, putting her arms in the salute, the potato in the had over her heart
