V.The Few

Hysteria

Corporal-Major Marco -"Maaaaggotttss!!!"

All lined up.

"It's your lucky day! The Storm is here and we don't need to go to other places of these god forsaken countries just to train on the harshest and meanest environment that a nonsensical, nut-monkey, sick officer can think of. And that's me." "Starting today, we will tread more than 180 miles from here, walking through riversides and mountain tops. We will rendezvous at Bologna second is Porretta Terme, then at Lucca for rest and then straight to Camp Darby after 70 hours or more." "You'll gonna need to bring First Aid Kits, Water jugs, Knives or whatever weapon you can bring to fend off wild animals, Heavy Coats for the cold wind and enough food supply for the expedition. Beware, we will not have any decent communications out there, all systems are down during this Storm and when this "bastard" leaves, it will take weeks before we can have them up and running. It's inevitable that the platoon will be separated from one point to another, so it's IMPERATIVE that you have trusty comrades with you along the way. You will have plenty of time to find co-trainees to join and team up with you, construct strategies that your team think best to survive. And I assure you after this dark, nasty, annoying journey, they will become your brothers." "Gear up greenhorns! Take whatever you need and whatever you can. And all the sissies, you can go home now to mommy." "Lion hearts! ...meet you at twelve hundred hours. Let's go!"

Dismissed...

They all went back to the barracks demoralized with the debrief... None can't seem to move and gear up.

Zack -"It's just... too much..." -sitting on his bed

Elias -"It's just our first day in training, and we will go through this hard already?"

Eventually one of the trainees stood up and packed his things. They all looked and watch him prepare his clothes, boots and other stuff. But they noticed that he made his bed and cabinet too neat... nothing's left. Everyone was stunned.

Trainee 1 -"I'm going home..."

Trainee 2 -"What are you saying man?"

Trainee 3 -"You're backing out?!"

Trainee 1 -"I'm going home!!!"

Elias -"I understand that, but The Storm... Are you saying you're going to walk home?"

Trainee 1 -"I don't care... but I'm going"

Trainee 2 -"You're crazy man. Don't you care what they will say back home? What the people around you will think?"

Trainee 1 -"It's better to know what they will say or think about me living... That dying out there, with no one even knowing that I'm already dead!"

Tyrone -"Hey!" ...walks toward him... "Let me help you with that. Don't worry, there's no shame."

The others eventually got up and help him pack up, while the other reached to their things and begin to prepare to leave.

Elias -"Hey! What's going on? Don't leave us!"

Elis -"You guys don't get it do you..?" ...Everyone stops... "There is no first day in battle, there is only the last. You can't beg your enemy to go easy on you on your 'first day' in battle. This... this is the right time to measure your strength! If you don't survive here, you won't survive there! And IF... If I die along the way, people will know, that I died trying to be a keeper of this new earth that we are gifted with!

Brief silence as the others walked out the door and went separate ways going home.

All that is left geared up and prepared for the journey. Zack as well took his gears then went straight to Elis.

Zack -"Man, that was something."

Elis -not looking... "It was not for them... it was for me. I could care less who will go with us. If I am uncertain of what I want to be, then I should be doing something else and never set foot on this camp."

Zack -"I'm going with you."