The Lost Sky (A 5th Wave Companion)

Chapter 6

A day later I sit across from Ringer at evening chow. Though today, instead of chili, she chomps on some very distasteful-looking meatloaf. I don't even care when she accidentally spews a small piece of it from her mouth and onto my face as she talks.

"Everyone," she speaks loud enough for everyone from the squad to hear, but not loud enough so anyone outside of our table can make out her words. Ghost looks up, showing the eyes past the red bangs and pale skin.

"We're at the top. Even Mud's gotten better at his shot."

From the moment those words leave her mouth and resonate with my ears I know something isn't right. Ringer would never even give the slightest complement to Mud, let alone to all of us. I can see where she comes from. Complements make you weak. Hate drives you forward.

"You guys don't need me anymore. So the Senior Drill Instructor is transferring me to another squad."

It's a bomb I could never have prepared myself for. One she drops like it's nothing but another she needs to deploy to graduate.

"What?" asks Dynamite, her voice cracks at the end of the word.

"Reznik will make one of you little shits squad leader tomorrow, after I leave."

Ghost's ears almost perk up when she says the words "squad leader."

"Wait," Booster starts, "you're leaving tomorrow?"

"Did I stutter?" Ringer shoots back. She looks at Booster, then at me, and down again.

I wasn't very hungry before she talked, but now, I could go months without another bite.

There isn't another word from anyone for the rest of chow time.

Our last Q and A with Ringer I spend mostly watching Dynamite and Booster asking questions about Ringer's sudden transfer, each to which Ringer looks unfazed. I still remain silent.

"Sir, why is Ringer being transferred, sir!" Dynamite bellows, trying to be even louder than usual.

"That's none of your fucking business," Reznik answers immediately.

I know what's going on. Someone in a failing squad went crazy, Dorothy is the more commonly used term. They don't just randomly switch privates to different squads to spice things up a bit. Someone is dead.

That night at our last personal time with her, I speak for the first time since before evening chow when she gave the news.

"Do you know what squad you're going to?" I ask in a flat voice, not looking at her.

There's a pause that seems like hours, and I wish it was. Ringer was our only chance at graduating, our one true leader, and now she's ready to leave. Like Camp Haven's very own vagabond.

"You know," she says, like she's told me before, yet she hasn't given the slightest hint.

"Green," she says, sitting up. I give up on my not-making-eye-contact act and jump off the top bunk. Taking a seat across from her on the empty bed beneath mine.

"I can see through people. Some are harder to see through than others. And you happen to be as transparent as water."

"Is that another metaphor?" I ask, thinking of the circle, "Sometimes the water is dirty so it's harder to see through, and other times it's crystal clear?"

She furrows her brow, "No you freak, I'm just saying you're super easy to figure out."

I can't help but smirk.

"I can tell you regret things," she starts again, and my smirk disappears,  "I can tell you weren't popular. You've never kissed anyone. You used to sit in your room while the people you pretended were your friends were out having fun. You made the honor role every year of middle school, and would have made it this year if the others hadn't shown up."

The accuracy is frightening. Bringing up those things don't hurt me at all though, I honestly can't help but like my post-arrival life more than my Connor one.

"But one thing about your behavior sticks out," she continues, "You're afraid of anyone like you. Anyone like the Green before the arrival. You have a fear of zombies."

"What?" I ask.

Where did the zombie thing come from?

"Not the undead people who walk around getting hangry for brains."

It clicks. She's talking about people like Zombie. People like me.

I'm afraid of losing to the people who ran from themselves like me, and then grew strong like me.

A fear of zombies.

"Ringer," I speak, and her eyes meet mine, "can I have a hug?"

It's a long shot but I go for it anyways.

"Shut the fuck up," she answers.

I hug her anyways, and right before I get a punch to my gut, I feel for the quickest second Ringer hugging back.

"Touch me again and you die."

"See you later," I say after catching the breath she'd pushed out with her fist.

In the morning she's gone before any of us are even awake, and I wonder if she even slept. Her bed is made perfectly, as though she'd never even existed.

"I miss Ringer," Nickel whispers to me as we prep for Reznik's inspection.

I ignore her like I don't hear.

But in reality, I do too. Not Connor. Green.

Rock-solid, post-arrival, Camp Haven Green misses Ringer.

After we finish readying everything with ten seconds to spare, Reznik barges through the door of the bunk.

"Listen up piles of shit," he yells, "It's time we assign a new squad leader."