The Hunted

Before

4:59 am

The alarm rings at 5:00 am sharp, but I'm already awake. A series of groans and yawns can be heard among the other soldiers who rub the sleep from their eyes.

Thirty seconds pass and the blinding lights flash on. I sit up in my bunk and begin getting dressed without having to be told to hurry.

Sargent Dee walks in thirty seconds later with his booming voice "Hurry up ladies we don't have all day! Up up up! Henry! Wake your lazy ass up! You don't need your beauty sleep!" He paces in front of the bunks while the rest of the soldiers dress in the black fire resistant pants and fitted dark blue workout shirts.

The cold is already bringing goosebumps. The red jackets go on last with pockets to hold up to fifteen knives.

"Bunk inspection!" He clicks his heals and howls "Role call!" One by one we shout attendance and Sargent Dee watches carefully. He comes to inspect my bunk "Hunter Mathews 5307 reporting" I keep my voice steady, strong, and make no eye contact.

Sargent Dee searches and nods occasionally. "One hundred percent again Mathews. Top of your class, indeed." He had a smirk on his face which I acknowledged with a salute.

He moves on to my bunk partner who shakes as Sargent Dee approaches him. "Report soldier!" "Uh- John Kennedy 3351 reported. I mean report! Er-reporting, Sargent Dee" I tried to hide my fear for him.

He's young and new to the program, an easy target.

"Kennedy!" John shuddered but responded "Yes, Sargent Dee?" "Where is your second blanket?" He was nearly nose to nose with him and John sighed "I gave it away"

"You- you gave it away?" He began to laugh a heavy laugh and looked around at the other soldiers who were smirking

"Here that boys? He gave it away!" John kept his eyes on the ground until the laughter died out

"I guess you won't be needing these since you're giving things out!" He took his last thin blanket and worn out pillow with a greedy hand.

The rest of the soldiers laughed, but I knew one night without a blanket meant no sleep in the cold. The Sargent moved on until he finished down the rows of bunk beds.

"Positions!" We turned to the flag and stood saluting as we chanted "I pledge allegiance to the flag and the Union Protectors Affiliation and to the fathers, for which it stands, one order, under law, for life, protection, and pursuit of change". We bring down our hands and face forward.

"Let's go princesses, no time to waste!" The doors open and we jog out. We warm up for a mile and sprint two miles.

After stretches we do fifty push-ups, then fifty sit-ups. Next is hand combat for an hour. Later we go through maze hunting where we use paint ball guns to shoot targets under two minutes as a team.

John slows us down but I keep him at my side and drag him through. "Keep up. Quick soft steps, head high." He nods and offers me a smile.

He's fifteen, as young as they come in. He has brown curly hair and big brown eyes. He's small and skinny with almost no talent. I want to smile back and tell him good job, but I know he won't last. All boys must enter the army and fifteen, but if they fail they enter the slow work, which mostly consist of hard labor such as custodians or coal mining.

It's a disgrace, a woman's job.

Once we finish we have short showers in freezing winter water. "Hurry up Soldiers! Only five minutes today! Water shortage!" Sargent yells into the locker room.

"We get a minute less every week Sargent Dee!" Carlos yells over conversations of breakfast

"No water to spare on the good men of this colony?" He carried an easy smile and tan skin.