Chapter 19

A Chapter by BrynnaW.

The wall blocked my path and I couldn’t climb it with the gun in my hands. I thought quickly of a way to attach it to myself with my belt. I wrapped the cloth belt once around the gun between the stock and the trigger. From there, I pulled the belt around my torso. The AK-47 was securely strapped to my back so I began to climb the wall. I dropped down behind it and as I stepped in and out of the tires, my belt slipped to my waist. I pulled the belt up, climbed another wall and ducked. The barbwire was too low for the gun to be on my back so, I took it off and held it in my hands as I army crawled to the other side. To make up some of the time that I had lost, I ran the wall dodged as I fixed the gun around my torso again. I managed to climb the rope fast and I dropped to the floor and continued to run the hill and run while ducking between the walls. So the AK-47 wouldn’t bang against my back, I held it in my hands when I balanced on the bridge, jumped through the window, and ran the apex ladder. I aimed my gun before I reached the end. A single bullet came out of my gun’s muzzle and hit the dummies head. I smiled; my gun had been aimed perfectly even though I was running. Silently, I prayed that the commander wouldn’t mind that I hadn’t ducked down to shoot.

“Cox!” the commander yelled, “Your time is eight minutes thirty seven seconds! Next!”

Aiden picked up a Commando as I went to the back of the line with my equipment. He ran the course in exactly eight minutes. When he walked to the back of the line, I finally found some questions to ask him.

“How old are you?” I asked.

“I’m eighteen right now but I turn nineteen in June… What about you?” He answered.

“I just turned eighteen this month.”

“You’re kidding… So, you joined a week after?”

“Nope, the day after.”

“You’re insane.”

“Gee, thanks… What’s it like in Great Britain? It’s always been one the places I’d like to visit.”

“Britain? Well, it’s my home and cool, I guess.”

“Do you think your parents are OK?”

“I don’t know but, I sure hope so. Why so many questions?” Aiden looked at me strangely.

“I just wanted to know.” I explained.

“Fine, then it’s my turn. What’s it like in Washington?”

“It’s not the best place. Seattle, Washington’s kind of cool. We had to move to my uncle’s because our house got bombed last month. I am joining the army because we don’t have the money to keep living there.”

“You answered more than I asked for but okay. You got bombed, though?”

“Yep.”

“Well, last question. Same question you asked me. Do you think that your parents are OK?”

“I really don’t know… They might have been bombed, thrown out of the house, or maybe even killed. I hope they haven’t.”

“They’re probably fine, Kit.” Aiden shoved me playfully. I smiled and received one back. Then, I turned my attention back to the line just in time to watch Evie run the course.

prev chapter