The Girl and The War

Chapter Twenty One- Kayla

The week had been a bore for me. My dad was busy working all week, so I had no company. I thought about going to visit Sam, like Dr. Swift had suggested, but I assumed he was so busy with training, he probably didn't want to see me. One day, around lunch time I decided to take Moby on a walk around the base, to get some exercise. Catch a different scenery. Moby grew a lot over last few weeks I had him. He was almost at full size.

I walked past the dorms to see if anyone was around. At first I saw no one, but then I saw Charlie at a bunk. He was shoving his shirts and belongings into his bag. He wasn't in uniform.

"Charlie?" I asked as I walked into the room. "What's going on?"

He looked up at me, he looked extremely upset.

"I'm leaving."

"What why?" I asked. Leaving? He had only been here for a month and a half. How could he be going so soon. He dropped his bag on the floor and grabbed my shoulders.

"This place isn't what you think it is Kayla." He had a crazy look in his eyes.

"Charlie you're scaring me, Whats wrong." He let go of me and hunched over putting his fist on his mouth like he just got punched in the jaw. He sat back up and grabbed me again and started shaking me violently.

"It's not safe!" He shouted.

"Charlie I-"

"Go see for yourself. Go to the south wing. There's a staircase that goes twenty floors down. It's hidden! It's hard to find! But go! Go see for yourself." He finally stopped shaking me and started mumbling to himself, "not safe, not safe." He said. He grabbed all his bags and looked at me one more time. Then he walked out of the room.

I stood there for a few minutes in shock. I had lived at the base my whole life, but I never knew of some long hidden staircase in the south wing. I had been over there thousands of times and never saw one. He must of been on something, I told myself. I walked back to my suite after that confusing interaction.

When I got back home, I grab some lunch. I had kept my promise my dad thus far. I ate exactly what I was instructed to everyday. I made sure to take the antidepressants which seemed to be working. I found myself smiling more, and actually wanting to get out of bed. I lingered around the house until my dad returned home for dinner.

"Hi dear, how was your day." He asked. I was laying on the couch with Moby reading a book on how to make a bomb it was the only thing left in the entire base that I had access too, and that I hadn't read. I closed the book and set it down on the coffee table.

"Alright, didn't do much."

"You hungry? I can make dinner now."

"Sure." I wasn't that hungry, but of course, I knew it would make him happy so I agreed. Him and I ate in silence. I thought about asking him if there was a staircase in the south wing. Something inside me told me it was a bad idea. Which made me more anxious that I already was. After dinner, and dessert of course, I paced around in my room for a couple of hours. I had to check it out. I had to see if what Charlie was talking about was real. If there was actually some staircase that I didn't know about that led to something frightening enough for him to become a deserter. I slid my bedroom door open hoping my dad had gone to bed, since it was the middle of the night. I walked out to the living room where sure enough, my dad was awake and writing in some notepad. He looked up at me.

"Hey dear, what are you still doing up? Can't sleep?" He asked.

"No not really." I paused. "I think I'm going to go on a little walk."

"In the middle of the night? Sweetie why don't you wait until the morning it's too late."

"It will be short dad I promise, I just need to get some energy out." I could tell he was hesitant, but he also was told by Dr. Swift to give me more freedom, because it would help me with my depression. He sighed.

"Please don't be long. I can call someone to come with you?" He offered

"Dad." I said not wanting to go down that path again. "I'll be no more than twenty minutes I promise."

"Fifteen." He argued.

"Fine." I said. I slipped on my slippers and walked out the door. I made my way over to the south wing which was about five minutes from my suite. I walked around for a bit, finding it odd to see how empty the place was, so different compared to day time. Spookier.

I was about to turn back until I heard voices talking. It was coming from the corridor all the way down the hall and to the left. I had never noticed there was even a hallway down there. It had been so far out of the way. I crept down the hall and peered around the corner. I saw two figures standing in the entry way or a staircase. Staircase.

"I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you." Said a female voice. It was Margo's I stepped out into the hallway just as I saw her lean in and kiss the person she was with. He was tall with sandy hair shining in the dim hall lighting.

"Sam?" I said. Both of them immediately turned towards me looking startled.

"Kayla?" He said. I felt like my heart had just been shattered in two. Sam and I weren't in a official relationship or anything, so I guess I didn't have the right to be as upset as I felt. But I cared about him so much, he had given me his mom's necklace. I felt my hand wrap around the heart shaped locket that was laying on my neck. I tried to say something but it came out more as a whimper. I took a deep breathe, trying to regain some dignity.

"Here." I said. I ripped the necklace off of my neck and threw it at his feet. I then turned around and left

"Wait Kayla!" He shouted behind me. But it was too late. I was already gone.

I felt hot years fall down my face as I walked back into my suite. My dad looked up as I walked in.

"Sweetheart what happened?" He said instantly shooting to his feet. "What's wrong?" I tried to explain but all that came out of my throats were sobs. My dad wrapped his arms around me trying to calm me down. "It's okay just breathe, tell me what happened."

" I saw Sam." I whispered. "He..he was with another girl."

"Oh honey. I'm so sorry. I always knew that kid was nothing but trouble." He kissed my forehead. "Don't be sad darling. I can get him kicked out if you want?"

"No don't do that." I said and started crying again. He promised he wouldn't and I spent the rest of the night sitting on his lap and crying into his shoulder.