Directions

The corridor was dimly lit. The in and out flux of the lights overhead showed the telltale signs of a bulb or two needing to be replaced. I shuddered slightly and pulled my jacket tighter as the chilly indoor air seeped through the fabric.

Stupid Naval bases and their big, cold, airy hallways. I groused mentally as I continued walking back to my shared bunk.

Technically it was my fault for staying out so late. You can only get so many chances to find a place to sit down, relax, and actually read on a military base filled with distractions. Wait no, I take that back. It's mainly only two: the hulking security guards that like to trail me around everywhere I go which still annoys the living hell out of me.
Apparently, when a friend enlisted in the military invites you to stay with her, it's a no-no to the higher ups until they verify that you're not, and I do mean it when I say this, a terrorist. Really? They think I'm some kind of terrorist? Psh riiiiiiiiiight I look so threatening I scare the living beejezus out of kittens.

Sarcasm.

Long story short, my good friend, Michelle (or "TK" as she likes to be known at times) invited me to stay with her over Spring Break since we were both bored and out of college temporarily with hardly anything to do. Soon as I could I got on a plane and headed out to (Apparently Not-So-) Sunny California. So far it's been nothing more than binge watching Pacific Rim and hammering it out on Assassin's Creed. Not that I'm complaining since it's a bunch of sexy accents...

Anyway, I was situated in one of the numerous sheds that bordered the line shack, hiding from the goons while getting so involved with the book I brought with me, that I wasn't really paying attention. I checked the time to find to my horror that it was now about 10:30 PM.

Sheesh, I'm surprised no one's looking for me.

I hastily packed away my book and iPod into the bag and bustled out the door, turning off the lights and locking the door as I went, making it seem like I had never been there. Since its peak two days ago, the moon was beginning to wane. Fortunately it was still bright enough for me to walk without the fear of hitting anything, mainly those pesky objects called fighter jet wings which are conveniently placed at head level.

I scurried across the runway towards the main building. The hangar doors were unusually, but thankfully, left unlocked after hours. Maybe they open them to get a breeze to blow out the stink or perhaps to cool off the hangar when it got hot I don't know...

As I entered the main hangar, it was strangely quiet and empty, a complete and utter opposite from the hustle and bustle of the day. The only sounds I heard were my padded footfalls and the slight jangle of my bag.

Liking the silence, I just shrugged it off and walked through the main doors that lead to the living quarters.

Pretty soon, the hallways were mending with each other and I was cursing the government official who thought if funny to give me and TK a room halfway across the base.
"The one time I need a tour guide..." I mumbled moodily as I kept my hand on the wall to help me along.

The silence was getting to me finally, so I started to hum a little tune to keep my thoughts at bay. Huh go figure. It was Imagine Dragons. Big surprise. My humming stopped as I heard a slight shuffle behind me. I whirled around expecting to find a guard coming through on his patrol, only to discover... Nothing.

I heard a fluttering above and looked up. In the dark rafters roosting, I could see several small rock dove shapes. That hasn't changed, I thought smirking. Even a Top Secret military base has to deal with the local pests, mainly pigeons. I was told the local workers would always cheer on the redtails as they brought down those cursed birds, only to start grumbling as the carcasses rained down on top of their heads.