DESTRUCTION, BEN PARISH ( 1 )

SIX

Zombie is practically stepping on my heels on the way to hand to hand combat. His voice is hushed because he doesn't want Reznik to know that he is speaking, but clear enough that I understand him.

"You need to stop reacting to what Flintstone says," he whispers, lips dangerously close to my ear. I tense immediately and quicken my pace to get closer to Teacup. I hear him sigh in annoyance. "I'm serious, Ghost."

"I don't care," I snap, inching away from him when he got too close. "You hear the shit he says to me, Zombie. There's no way I'm just going to take it."

"I'm not asking you to take it, Ghost," Zombie mutters, anger clear on his face. I think he understands my hidden meaning; 'taking it = being objectified and possibly taken advantage of'. He seems mad that I would ever think so lowly of him. Don't worry, pretty boy. I think lowly of everyone.

"Sounds like you are."

"Jesus Christ, Ghost." He sighs once more, angry. "I would never make someone take that shit from anyone for any reason, okay? I'm just saying that you can't keep this up-- the fighting with Flintstone and snapping at Tank and Nugget. We need to work together to get the hell out of this place."

Work together? I almost laugh. Staying alone and keeping to myself has kept me alive for months. You isolate yourself, you survive. Without the feelings and the need to care for someone else is what helps you survive. Almost everyone who dies nowadays, dies because they were saving another.

If there's no one you care enough to save, then your chances of surviving are higher. And I have to survive. For everyone who couldn't.

"You keep talking to me like I give a shit about what you say," I quip. He blinks. Another sigh. Finally, he falls back so he's about two feet behind me. I'm thankful. He was too close. An accidental brush of his hand against mine or his knee knocking mine while we sit at the table in the mess hall. Too much. Too close. Too soon.

Reznik brings us to the training room. It's large, about the size of my old gymnasium, and filled with pink dummies attached to black poles and other training equipment. Black mattresses litter the floor in the middle. I immediately know what we're doing upon seeing them.

Hand-to-hand combat was never something Sofia cared about and probably something she'd fail at miserably. Ghost, however, is fairly good at it. You have to be when you're fighting for your life against aliens and humans that could take the hungry hungry hippos on.

Reznik pairs me up with Flintstone; I pin him in under three seconds because he always leaves his stomach and knee exposed. Also, I'm going to hope it's because I'm small and not because I'm a girl, he decided to underestimate me.

I have no fucking idea why considering we just confirmed that I killed three men in the span of five minutes.

Eventually, after screaming at Flintstone for being an imbecile quote unquote 'rounded up from the dinosaur age', Reznik sets me up with Zombie. When I move to stand in front of him, I note that he is much thinner than Flintstone, but more muscular in his biceps and thighs. Taking him down would be more of a challenge, but I could do it.

Or, I thought I could.

The move is fairly simple: lean back from the attack your opponent is sending, and grab them by the shirt or arm as they are attacking. Then, you pull the opponent towards you and down whilst simultaneously using your leg to trip them to the ground. Then move closer to your opponent, one leg beside your attacker. Grab them by their shoulders and push them backwards, sweeping your leg around and behind their ankles while you push.

From there, you wrap your dominant arm around the person's neck as you move behind them. Your elbow should be under the person's chin with your bicep and forearm on either side of the neck. Place your hand behind the person's head while squeezing your bicep and forearm closed and push the person's head forwards with your other arm. Hold the choke for 10-20 seconds and slowly lower the person to the ground.

Of course, the last part would not be happening because we all had to train and that could not happen if a private passed out in the middle of it. Not that it would matter considering Zombie managed to get me on my ass literally every time I tried to pull him downwards.

My head bounces off of the mat for the hundredth time since being paired up with the boy and I let out a frustrated growl while slamming my fist down on the mat. Zombie climbs off of me and stands, offering me his hand. I shove it away without a second thought and stand on my own. Hearing his defeated sigh makes me roll my eyes.

Reznik is beside me, now, face red and agitated. "And I thought you had that survivor's blood, Private Ghost! What would your brother be thinking now, huh?!"

My limbs tighten at the mention of him. I blink. Twice. "Sir, the private's brother would think she is terrible, sir!"

Reznik steps closer to me, screaming until the veins in his neck pop out. "You're here to fight for him, private! Weak ass punches like that won't do shit to an Other!"

"Sir! Yes, sir!"

"Again."

__

Lunch is basically the same as breakfast, minus the way that Dumbo keeps talking about the mystery meat that they're currently being served. He makes jokes and comes up with theories about what it is, mostly about it being dog or cat meat because, honestly, where the hell did all of the animals go?

"Maybe we're not actually incinerating the bodies at all," is his next theory, "Maybe we're grinding them up and feedin' 'em to the troops."

"Shut the fuck up with that shit," Flintstone says, and then Teacup is scowling and readying herself to smack Dumbo over the head with her lunch tray. Zombie has to force her back into her seat before it catches Reznik's attention and he halfs our rations.

Nugget stares wide-eyed at the meat in front of him, like he expects it to suddenly start moving like a human and devour him before he can get to it. I hear Zombie sigh and try to urge him to eat, but Nugget doesn't make any move to do so.

My response to Dumbo is hushed. "Maybe we can find out if he's right. We'll kill Dumbo, and if we find a huge fucking ear on the next slice of bread, we'll know they're using the bodies for sure."

Oompa starts laughing, a loud cackle that catches the attention of the entire table and a few others surrounding them. Everyone else is completely confused and I realize they never heard what I said, but I don't bother repeating it. If I cared about what they thought, I would have said it louder.

I find my lip quirking up slightly when Oompa nudges me and continues his hollow laughter, but it drops the second I see Zombie's curious and surprised gaze. I clear my throat and take a sip of the water to my left.

Don't let yourself feel safe, Ghost. Nothing is safe anymore. Don't die because you decided to trust someone. Live. For Thomas and Mom and Dad and Ozzie and even Mr. and Ms. Abbott.

Live for them, because they couldn't do it for themselves.