American soldier

Chapter 1: 26 hour drive

"Dad wait up!" I giggled as I stumbled through the thick pines and oaks. The sun was peaking just above the mountains as it said goodbye to us for the day. The sky was filled with a beautiful pastel of colors ranging for the soft pinks to the dark threating deep blues. A day of hunting had given us two bucks and a scrawny rabbit. None that was done by me of course, dad always had a better aim than me.

Tripping on a tree root, I stumbled into our camp ground only to find that he wasn't there.

"Dad?" My voice echoed through the canyon as my eyes darted around the clearing. Behind me I heard the footsteps of what had to be a big buffoon that was trying to scare me. Rolling my eyes I turned around and looked into the dark forest.

"You can't scare me dad!" I shrieked as a smile started to form on my face. Footsteps kept crunching on the damp forest floor until a big thud flopped on the ground.

"Shit!" a husky voice cried out through the thick brush.

"Daddy are you ok?" I called out into the darkness worried sick. What if Bigfoot had caught him? What if Bigfoot had ATE dad?!?! What if he was coming for me next!?!?

"Dad!" I asked, noticing it had gone up and octave. My eyes frantically searched thought the trees trying to spot him.

"Its ok sweetie, I'm alright." He said chuckling as he too walked into the clearing. "Let's just make sure that mommy doesn't find out ok?" he said kneeling down in front of me. I pretended to lock my lips causing him to let out another chuckle.

The final rays of sun poured out into the valley giving us one more look at the high walls of the canyon before the stars took over the night, making it the end to a perfect day.

That was the last time I ever really saw my dad again.

***

Gazing out the window on the passenger's side of the car, I watch as the water drops trickle down until they are no longer in sight. After spending the past 26 hours cooped up in the tiny, worn-down slug bug, I was beginning to regret my decision on choosing a military school so far away. Besides, the whole idea of rain was like a foreign language to me considering I had lived my entire life in the "beautiful" state of Kansas. Needless to say I wasn't particularly use to the idea of moisture on my window.

I look at my mom only to find that she saying something, though I can't quit understand since I have my earbuds in.

"What?" I ask, barley able to hear my own voice as Imagine Dragons blasts in my ears. She taps her ears giving me the signal to take out my earphones.

"Yes?" I ask, impatience running through my blood. I never wanted to talk to my mom. It was nothing that she did, because trust me, she is a great mom, it's just that since my dad passed I don't like to talk to anyone.

"I was asking if you were alright." She says laughing a little. That was my mom for you. She always tried to lighten the mood, but never seemed to make that happiness up to her eyes. She was just like me in a way, never quit recovering for dad dying. Though she sure did a better job of covering it up than me.

"Yeah," I lied, "I'm just not use to the rain." I mumbled, not feeling up to talking clearly. I was a little bit anti-social. Having a conversation with my mom was like trying to put two magnets together that clearly have the same poles. I just don't connect to her, much less anyone else.

She laughs as her eyes are plastered to the road.

"If you think looking at its weird, try driving on it." She says, quickly looking at me before turning her attention back on the road.

"Ha, I bet it is." I put on the best fake smile I can for her. I do love my mom, really I do. I just can't bear the thought that the moment I'm happy again, everything will come crumbling back down like it did so long ago.

"Are you nervous?"

"Nope." I quickly reply before putting my earbud back in. The whole conversing with mom was really starting to drain all the energy out of me. All I wanted to do was open up and tell her how I felt so nervous I could throw up. How my hands shook at the very thought of it. I wanted to tell her so badly about how I cried the previous days before we left. I wanted to tell her how much I was going to miss her. But something deep down in me wouldn't let me say anything. The physical and mental pain of opening up to someone was just too much for me. So instead of confronting her, I simply turned up the volume on my iPod.

***

I was running towards a light. A beautiful, golden, warm glowing light. With every step towards it a warmth spread through my stomach that I had never felt before. All my worries were fading into the back ground, like melting butter, they were dripping away. I had never felt so at peace or happy before. I was so close I could almost touch it. But I started moving farther from it. A dreadful felling formed in my abdomen. It was like a big punch in the gut and nocked all the wind right out of me.

"Kendra wake up." The words were muffled, almost like they were getting smothered by a pillow.

"Kendra honey wake up." The words kept getting louder and louder until finally my eyes popped open to the dreary, gray sunlight coming through the window.

"Umm yes im-im up." My words slurred together. I concentrated on breathing normally again. It had just been a dream. I grimace at the thought that what I felt had just been a hallucination. A false emotion. Just a dream.

"Were here." I follow her pointed finger and gasp at the sight. The campus its self was just amazing. In the middle of the entry way was a 15 foot statue recognizing the founder of the school. The grass was neat at trim, the school sparkled even though it was overcast, everything was neat down to pin, and somehow I already felt rejected.

"Man they really weren't shitting us when we looked at the pamphlet." Mom whispered.

"Mom!" I yell, surprised by her choice of words. I mean, I heard them all the time, but not from her.

"What? I thought they had to be talking bull just a little, but I guess when they say their grass is 2 ¼ inches long, you better damn believe their grass is 2 ¼ inches long." She said looking at me like it was totally natural for her to curse. Honestly though, pigs flying are more common than her cursing. So call me crazy, but now I'm expecting Jesus himself to come walking up to my car because mom does NOT curse, EVER.

"You ready honey?" she asks looking at me. I cringe as guilt floods through me. Losing her husband is bad enough, I can't imagine what it must feel like to have your own daughter leave, even if it's just for a while.

"Mom" I whisper as my lips begin to quiver. I may not say it, but my heart is breaking very slowly at the thought of leaving her. Then, as though my body takes over me, I do something I would never do, hug her. At first she's tense from the shock, as am I, but soon she loosens up and hugs me back even tighter.

"I'm going to miss you Kendra." I pull back laughing as a tear falls down my cheek.

"Yeah, I'm sure you'll go crazy only cooking for yourself." She playfully slams my leg before saying,

"You dummy, you just ruined a perfect mother daughter moment."

I make an attempt at laughing, but nothing comes out. How am I going to get through the rest of the year without her?