aliens are stupid • ben parish

07

'Wake up!' I hear and open my eyes to Ringer leaning over me. 'Reznik is coming for morning inspection in two minutes! Make your bed and brush your hair! Pronto!'

I move sluggishly from my bed and put the covers back the way I found them. I run my hand through my curls and I'm just finishing my ponytail as Sergeant Reznik walks in.

'Squad 53! This is a disgrace! You call yourself soldiers?' She says walking up the aisle in between the rows of beds. 'Flintstone! Are you even awake?' She says shoving a half sleeping Flintstone. When he stumbles she laughs, a sharp, unforgiving laugh that makes my stomach fill with anxiety.

If I knew this is what I let myself in for by coming here I would have just stayed out there with the Silencers.

'Private Zombie! They're your squad and you need to get them into shape soon if you ever want to stand a chance at graduating!' Reznik sneers and Zombie flinches. His pale cheeks flushing just slightly. He says nothing and just rubs his nose.

'Seriously? Pathetic! Everyone down and give me 100! Oh and for punishment for such a shitty dorm you're missing breakfast!' She says.

Missing breakfast? That was going to be my first proper meal in weeks!

'What are you waiting for? Or do you want 150?' She screams and everyone, including me drops to the ground and starts doing press-ups. Reznik starts taunting us while I try to ignore her and count my press-ups.

I bite my tongue and get down to it, it's my first day and I need a to make good impression.

---

97..

98..

99..

100..

I finally finish and collapse on the floor panting and sweating like crazy. My arms feel like jelly and I have to hold hands with myself to stop them from shaking.

'Now 53! Wake the hell up!' She shouts and turns to leave but I stand up and before I can top myself I'm shouting at her.

'How do you expect them to even be half awake? By the looks of it you aren't treating us like anything more than something you found on the underside of your shoe!' I yell as Reznik's blonde hair disappears round the door.

She stops and storms back into the room.

'Switchblade, I thought you'd be on your best behaviour?' She whispers, obviously shocked at my outburst. 'After all you just got here.'

I shouldn't have done that. I brace myself for what's coming. What could it be? More press-ups? Expelled from this prison camp entirely?

But she just laughs and walks out the room.

No punishment?

'Damn! Hot-shot's got an attitude!' Flintstone says now fully awake.

I shoot him a glare.

'Where the hell do you think I got the name Switchblade from?' I say my voice filled with spite.

He stops laughing and I turn back around to see Teacup standing there and Ringer behind me.

'I like you.' Teacup says smiling widely.

---

Our first training session consisted of taking laps around the whole compound. With my leg, I was left at the back beside Nugget who was trying with all of his might to keep up with the others.

The two of us are lagging behind and I can literally see that we're being left in the other people's dust.

'Hey Nugget, what was your name before?' I say huffing and puffing. I just can't shake the feeling that I might have known Nugget before and I don't know why.

'Sam. What was yours?' He says and I stop.

Is he Sam Sullivan? As in Cassie's brother? Is she here too?

'Dylan.' I say and Nugget stops running too. 'Are you Cassie Sullivan's little brother?'

'Yeah how did you know?' He asks curiously.

'I just thought I recognised you from somewhere, that's why I asked you your name.' I tell the small boy standing a few feet in front of me. 'Is she-'

I was going to ask him if she was here but I'm cut off by Reznik.

'Switchblade, Nugget get your asses moving!' She shouts from the other side of the compound.

Jesus does she have eagle eyes or something, I couldn't even tell it was her over there until she shouted. How could she tell it was us?

She can't be human.

Nugget starts up jogging again and I hobble along behind him. My leg is getting better though, it's had proper medical attention but I still can't run my top speed with it dragging along behind me.

---

Nugget and I finally catch up with the others and I can already tell I'm red in the face. I brush some stray hairs out of my face and wipe the sweat trickling down my forehead away.

This is hell. I'm seriously considering making a run for it and trying to survive on my own again. But I want my chance to get revenge. I want to ruin the Others like the ruined me. I want to wipe them out and kill their loved ones so they can know what it feels like to have everything they love taken away from them. If they even have the capacity for love. If they even have feelings.

My hands form fists as I run and I grit my teeth. I hate aliens.

As I run I watch Zombie's feet hit the ground sending up little puffs of dust. He doesn't even look like he's broken a sweat. I can see the shape of his muscular back through his black shirt. He just keeps going, it's relentless.

This is relentless.

Who gave the Others permission to come down here and ruin my life? Our lives?

I wipe my forehead again and the band-aid comes away a little from my head wound. I automatically wait for the blood to start pouring again but when I touch it gently I realise it's almost completely healed. I guess I was just paranoid.

I shake my head and continue running. Head looking at the ground and seriously hoping this would be over as soon as possible.

•
YEEEEEE HEY GUYS!!!

Hope you enjoyed and thank you all for almost 1k reads already!

Lots of love,
- Jasmine x