*BANG*
"Fucking hell lads run faster"
The band of soldiers ran through the puddles of mud as an overweight sergeant shouted above them pulling Lewis aside.
"Look son do you wanna be blown to bits"
"N-no sir"
Lewis pulled his arm up to salute him but knocked mud into his eye.
"Pfft"
The sergeant wiped away the mud and pushed Lewis back into the group knocking him into someone.
"Oops"
Lewis turned to see who it was he was hoping it wasn't a big chap that would knock his lights out.
"Hi"
Well he wasn't a big lad but there was a height difference Lewis had knocked into another guy, Harriet.
"Oh hi I'm Lewis"
"Hi Lew-is I'm Harriet"
"Isn't that a girl name"
Both jogging side by side.
"Wha no shut up"
Harriet's shoulder barged into his shoulder.
"Can I not just call you Harry"
"You could yes but"
He took a second to gasp air.
"I prefer Harriet"
Harriet ran off gaining speed to join the others again. Lewis tutted and attempted to speed up also but fell back behind. They stopped at a building where they were lead in to take a break and eat, they were all training to join the army, England needed as many men and women they could get.
"Lewis"
"Huh?"
Lewis looked up to find a well groomed Asian man walking over giggling.
"I said Lewis"
"Yes?"
"You won't make it"
"What do you mean"
"The war you won't make it one day sunshine you better leave now look at you all bony"
The man picked his shoulder up a slight revealing baggy space.
"I don't care what you say"
"Excuse me is there a problem boys?"
The man looked at Lewis challenging him.
"Nope not at all sir"
"Good now get out side and start doing push ups"
Lewis groaned, it was raining outside but that shouldn't matter because he's now a man in the man world.
"Excuse me sir"
"Yes.." The sergeant looked at his dog tag for a name, "Lewis"
"The man over there"
"Yes Zane"
"He said I wouldn't make it"
The sergeant breathed in and placed a hand on Lewis' shoulder,
"Look kid, I see somet special in you ok just ah get outside"
His soft side was revealed for a couple of seconds then back to him being grouchy.
"Ok sir"
Lewis trailed off knowing he might not make it, he knew he was skinny he knew he wasn't as tall as the rest of the boys he hated it when people called him short or skinny he wanted to be like them so he could become a sergeant.
Outside there were already lines of men doing push-ups, Harriet was there waving over to Lewis.
"Oh hi Harry"
"No it's Harriet"
"Why what's the deal"
"Skinny"
"Hey shut up"
Harriet mirrored Lewis' pose,
"Why what's the deal"
Lewis rolled his eyes and got on the floor and started doing push-ups,
"You're real serious bout this huh"
"Yes?"
"It's scary out there"
Lewis looked up at the mountains that possessed fields of trees it all looked quite beautiful in a way.
"Does it"
"Look ole chap I don't mean to burn your house down but only a couple of soldiers make it out"
"Oh really"
"I wouldn't lie Lewis"
"Well I don't have to worry then"
"You're quite the man"
"Well maybe I want to get in the war"
"I beg to differ"
"Oh really"
"You don't want to kill people you don't want to blow up innocent towns you don't want lice and blisters you don't want to sleep in patches of mud and have no free time you don't want to say bye to your family and never come back you know what? You want to make your old man proud you want those shiny medals you want the status you want money you want a nice uniform that a woman would die for you want the after math"
Harriet's tone became louder as his finger digged into just below Lewis' shoulder.
"Well well well aren't you smart"
"So tell me lad you look out there and you'd happily burn it all down and the villagers for this"
Harriet pulled one of his medals from his blazer and showed Lewis.
"You've been in the war?"
"Yep this war ain't just started son"
"What's it like"
"Well I lost my friend, my best friend at that"
"I'm sorry"
"You didn't kill him"
"So why you here"
"Sergeant wanted me back to train little shits like you"
"Hey?"
Harriet sighed, Harriet was very tall and over shadowed Lewis which intimidated him.
"Look come with me"
"Okay?"
Harriet led Lewis into the sergeants office, the sergeant wasn't here and so Harriet sat down and started showing him pictures of a war he was involved with.
"Hey he's got nice hair"
"Ah that's him good old winston"
"Oh"
"It's okay it's actually quite abnormal to see a photo of someone that has gone you know"
"Yeah"
Lewis fidgeted with a piece of paper in his pocket.
"What you got son"
"Oh nothing"
"You aren't allowed to bring in anything from outside so tell me now"
"It ain't out"
"Listen here if it's a weapon you're in deep shit!"
Harriet's hand plunged into his pocket and retrieved the paper.
"What's this?"
"Nothing"
"You a spy?"
"No!"
Harriet opened it up to a picture of a woman.
"Who's this?"
"My mother now leave me a lone"
Lewis started to cry and grabbed the picture before running out of the office.
"Ah shit"
Harriet smacked the table before pressing his hands into his forehead.
"Lewis"
