Victory for the People

Chapter 4

Collin POV

"We're ten minutes out! Gather your items!"

The recruiters' shouts tear me from my short nap. The seats on the bus are crowded, and they put two of us in each one, making them that much more cramped. The kid beside me can't be any older than me and is curled up with his head against the window still fast asleep.

"Five minutes!" Sergeant Jones barked again, still not waking the kid.

"Hey, wake up." I whisper as I nudge him, finally tearing him away from, apparently, the best dream ever. He looked confused at first, maybe even scared, to the point where I almost felt sorry for him.

"We're almost there, get your stuff."

He nodded and began gathering his items, a couple small bags and a water bottle. I looked at my own hands, holding only a water bottle.

"Who are you?" The question took me off guard, almost making me jump.

"What?" I asked, slightly confused

"Who are you?"

"Collin Young."

We sat in silence as he stared at me, then he continued.

"Well I'm Aaron, and Iー"

"Welcome to your new home, ladies!"

Sergeant Jones was standing, gesturing out the window to what looked almost like a prison. There wasn't barbed wire on top of the fences, that the only reason it didn't look exactly like a prison.

"This is the Fort, where most of your training will take place. The parts that aren't here will be outside, where you need to be heading right about now."

The bus suddenly stopped, throwing those that were standing almost over their seats. Rushing off the bus, those who were enthusiastic were shut down quickly because at that moment they came face to face with someone who looked like he was in charge. He stared blankly ahead, a stare that could send the tallest, bravest of men packing. For someone in charge, he was actually quite short, with a voice that sounded almost the same as walking over gravel.

"Your training corridor is to the left."

Everyone picked up their bags and began moving that way, only to be stopped again.

"Everyone is so eager to move in. To carry your bags inside. Lets see how long you can stand and hold them!"

From the youngest recruit to the most aged, all of their facial expressions transitioned from confusion into anger for being so hasty. Sergeants began pouring out of the halls, like this was a well known drill, and I began feeling sorry for Aaron, and all of the people who brought more than exactly what they needed. The recruiters from the bus joined in, yelling at everyone to get their items up to shoulder height. I felt the hot breath of a Sergeant on my neck, waiting for my arms to fail even a little bit. Suddenly everyone's gaze became fixed on me, and that's when I felt weak. Staring, watching, waiting.

"Inside. Now!" His breath became more of a wind on my neck.

Shaking, I walked inside. Were everyone's eyes really on me? Inside, the building was twice as big, towering over all the buildings I've seen before.

Wow.

I looked around and Aaron was there again, staring at the corridor like a child with a new puppy.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" Sergeant Jones said to us as he strutted past, "That all of this, could look like that from the outside."

"He's right. This place has state of the art equipment and wrestling rings. Look at that it's a..."