Ashley Reading

Ashley looked up from her book.  She had read that in the 1950's there was a big call for kitchen grease.  That was because all those smart guys up in the office were able to come up with an invention that turned grease into ammunition.

Ashley began to wrinkle her brow as she thought about it.  Surely there was a drawback to the use of grease in ammunition.  What was the key?

"It's amazing nothing melted;"  she muttered before she pushed the book away.  "Imagine the weapons just turning into grease because of the heat;"  she muttered.

However she could only imagine.  There was nothing in her mind to give her any real history on the subject and so she pushed education further away and she began to daydream to cool off the neurons inside of her head.

Suddenly Ashley's friend Janet popped her head around a corner of booths.

"Hey Ashley;"  cheered Janet as she smiled.  "What are you doing?"  she asked.

"Reading;"  told Ashley as she shrugged.  "Why?"  she asked.

"What are you reading?  You look ready to fall asleep!"  gasped Janet as she smiled.

"Just some old book on war advertisements;"  told Ashley as she shrugged.

"Lame;"  told Janet as she shrugged.  "Want to come out to the movies after school?"  she asked.

"No I have to go home and study;"  told Ashley as she shrugged.

"Okay;"  told Janet as she also shrugged.  "I'm going to leave then;" she added before she left.

Ashley shrugged.  She didn't care if Janet wanted to skip school she wasn't going to follow.  Ashley began to peer at a couple more pages of advertisement but she couldn't be bothered ogling at any more.  She shrugged and began to sleep, and when she woke it was afternoon.


Ashley picked up her bag and left, and she walked right home.  On the way home however AShley met Denver who glared at her as he smoked two cigarettes to show off his rebel skill.  Ashley knew that he was in senior year, however she didn't know anything more -  but smoking was definitely illegal for someone who was still at school.

"I'm telling the principal;"  told Ashley as she scoffed.

Denver glared at Ashley and narrowed his eyes.

"Piss off;"  he muttered in a quiet tone.

Ashley shrugged and walked down the pavement with her heartbeat inside of her head.  She didn't know why she had wanted to tell Denver that she was going to tell the school principal of his smoking habits -  maybe she just wanted his attention, maybe she wanted to draw in on the detail that he was doing something wrong;  whatever the case she had blurted the words out and she couldn't sew them back inside of her mind.

Ashley rubbed her brow and continued to walk home.  She fell desperately thirsty as she walked, however she didn't want to pay for any water so she skipped down a leafy lane that led her to the middle of a park.  In the middle of the park was a water spring, and Ashley took a sip of the water before she backed off. The water was natural and tasted a little off like there was mold in its liquid; however she could only blame herself for wanting to go cheap.

"Well I'd better get home;"  muttered Ashley before she wrapped her arms around her belly and walked.


Ashley walked further and further down every tree-lined street.  There was chill in the air, there were sometimes cooking scents -   Ashley could smell the scents and make her belly grumble, it made her realized that she wanted food bad.  So Ashley quickened her steps and within twenty minutes she was at home.


At home Ashley met her sister Sky who glared at her from the couch as she sat there with a packet of chips.  Ashley felt her belly grumble and she immediately moved to the kitchen to find something to eat. When there Ashley managed to find an old magazine with a military person on its cover, it had been set on the bench top as though recently discarded, however Ashley found it odd that it was there.

"What's this?"  asked Ashley as she picked up the magazine and fumbled through its pages.  "Some sort of enlisting?"  she asked.

Sky cleared her throat and walked into the kitchen.

"Greg has decided to enlist;"  she told Ashley as she passed to grab some soda.

Ashley felt her blood chill.  She knew her brother Greg was a dare-devil was the military was serious business, what was he doing trying to throw his life into the big ring in order to be a combatant?

"That's silly!"  gasped Ashley as she pushed the magazine away.  "Has he told father or mother?"  she asked.

"He figured they would see the magazine;"  told Sky as she sipped the soda from a can.  "He left with his friends, he's really going to do it;"  she added.

"I see;"  told Ashley as she looked to the sky and wondered what Greg would be good at doing.  "Why did he do it?"  she asked.

"I don't know;"  told Sky as she shrugged.  "For fun I guess;"  she muttered before she walked away.

Ashley shook her head and moved to the fridge.  In the frige Ashley saw sausages and bacan and she realled the artice she had read that morning about grease being used to make guns, bullets, and even war ships.  Ashley shrugged.

"Better make some grease;"  she told as she turned on the hot plate.  "Greg might need some ammunition during his trek into war;"  she added as she began to cook.

War Intro

James looked at Ashley who sat in the corner of the room. She was a nice girl who lasted only a week before lost her maidenhood to him. It meant the world to him at the time and he even brought a ring to tell Ashley that he had enjoyed her to the limit - however something pulled him back and he threw the ring into the trash. What had stopped him from giving Ashley the ring? War, it was on the rise and he was needed to perform as one of the troops. James groaned as he thought about war and all its blood and hate - he had seen the movies on war a dozen time and he knew what it was, pitiful!

James wiped his hands on his pants and then he smiled. Ashley wasn't in the mood to look up from her book and James lost the smile fast. James wished Ashley was more in tune with the world, but she was lost like a ghost on a ship that sailed across the middle of the ocean; he didn't like it because he couldn't charm Ashley with old fashioned romance, he needed to talk and when he did talk it was with a needle on his tongue.

“What are you doing there?” he asked to break the silence that caused barbed wire to rake against his skin.

“Reading;” muttered Ashley who was unable to look up from her book.

“What are you reading?” asked James as he narrowed his eyes.

“Just some silly romance;” told Ashley in half-grumble.

“Why is it silly?” asked James as he lingered on his spot where he could feel the warmth from the light-globe the best.

“It's sappy and dull;” told Ashley as she shrugged.

“Then read another book;” told James as he shrugged.

“No, I would rather just finish this one;” told Ashley as she bit on a strand of hair.

James gave up on trying to be the interest and he shrugged.

“I'm going to war;” he told Ashley as he felt his heart dip.

“What do you know?” muttered Ashley as she turned a page.

James felt angered, but no tempered. He knew Ashley was aware of the war and the enlisting, but not of the fact that he had been enlisted.

“You couldn't be sympathetic?” he asked as he narrowed his eyes.

Ashley finally looked up and met James angry face as he glared at her like a stick with a head that was filled with hot fire and anger.

“They are recruiting girls, maybe I will meet you there;” told Ashley with a grim smile on her face.

James shrugged and then he picked up a bag and pretended to pack. Ashley glared at James and he felt his skin crawl as she eyed him. She laughed at him under her face, she knew there was something more when a person was enlisted and she laughed at him with a cackle that threw him off. James stopped the pretend and packed for real - sure he didn't need to be at the station for two days but he wanted to get away sooner then expected. Ashley stopped her laugh and watched as James continued to pack, and he didn't stop until his shoes were out of the door.

James got drunk at a local pub and picked a fight. He ended up in the gutter with his head rashed with blood. James didn't want to care and he groaned for a full half an hour before a bouncer told him to take it to the park. James picked up his bag and moved to the park, and there he laid himself on the dewy grass and slept.

In the morning James was woken by a bird and he spent the day with his eyes on the trees before night fell. James walked the lone shadows that were long and tall, and he made it to the train station where he would catch a train. He had only one more day to wait and sweat was on his spine. James could feel the tension and so he walked to another pub and got drunk. James spent the night drinking and then he picked a fight - he ended up outside of the train-station and he was carried onto the train by a soldier who noticed his tightly packed bag.

James woke and looked out of the train window - his eyes were red, his head was sore, and he felt glum. A train service attendant offered James ice-tea and James took the drink with pleasure. He felt distorted inside and the ice-tea only stung his brain. James didn't want to think any more, he was in the army and he was doomed.

2

Ashley looked up from her book as a deep knock pounded on her door. She wanted to shrink to the shadows - she had heard that people were being enlisted by the independent army men who knocked on doors, and she didn't want to go there. However the knock continued on and on, and Ashley gulped as she finally pushed her book to the side.

Ashley crept to her door and opened it a crack, and then she sighed as she met the face of Greg - James sweet brother.

“Hello there;” told Ashley before she opened the door.

Greg streamed inside and there he chose a table to sit on as Ashley closed and locked the door. Ashley turned and met Greg who looked like a soldier in full uniform. He glared at her and waved.

“Sorry my mouth is dry;” he muttered in a dry drawl.

“Why is it dry?” asked Ashley as she narrowed her eyes and folded her arms. “Were you on the sprint?” she asked.

“No;” told Greg as he shrugged. “I took a drug;” he added in a quiet tone.

“Should I get you some water?” asked Ashley who grew immediately angered that Greg had taken a drug and visited her apartment.

“Sure;” told Greg as he shrugged. “That would be good;” he added as though unsure.

“I sure will;” told Ashley before she moved to the sink to get Greg some water.

Greg took the offered cup and then he drank the water in one gulp. Ashley smiled a little as he coughed, and then she glared at Greg as he pushed the cup away.

“So why did you visit?” asked Ashley as she smiled.

Greg looked to Ashley and then he shrugged as he shifted his feet on the floor.

“Nothing, I was just walking by;” he added as he blinked.

“Oh;” muttered Ashley as she also blinked. “Well James left for the army two weeks ago;” he told.

“I know he wrote me a letter;” told Greg as he smiled. “He told me to send him some cookies the canteen didn't serve sweets of any kind;” he told.

“What hell;” told Ashley as she began to pout over the fact that she wanted to send him cookies but had no address to write to.

“The hell of it is that when I sent cookies I accidentally enlisted myself into the army” told Greg as he rolled his eyes. “The soldiers visited me and told me I looked strong. Once they discovered I was a police man in a past life they gave me these clothes and told me to pack my bag I was going to be the big man on campus - whatever that means;” he added in a shy tone.

Ashley blinked. She wished James had been given that option - but no, he was given runner and front-line servant, he was expected to die.

“I am sure you will do well;” told Ashley unable to tell Greg how much her spine sweated as she heard footsteps down the hall.

“Will I?” asked Greg as he blinked. “I don't know, you can give it your best that is all;” he added as he shrugged. “No one is supposed to win these wars, it's just made for cock fighting;” he added. “To harm everyone in it;” he added.

“I see;” told Ashley as she glared at Greg as though she were unable to be reached.

“So when those men told me I was going to be the big man, I just assumed it meant that I was going to be the big phoney who walked like they were important and were then grilled on a secret mission which ensure my non-survival;” he added.

“Well you are tall, maybe they just liked your size;” told Ashley as she smiled.

“Maybe;” told Greg as he shrugged. “But the point is that I am going to war;” he added. “I knew James wasn't here but I was thinking that if I go to war I will not come back;” he told before he cleared his voice. “So maybe you can get pregnant with my kid?” he asked in a slow and exaggerated manner.

“They have sluts on the board;” told Ashley as she felt the instinct to slap Greg on the face. “You can marry one and have a family before you die;” she added.

“I know;” told Greg. “But those freaks are made for human experimentation and they will never exit the army;” he whispered. “You are not in the army, give me a kid;” he added. “Please;”

“No!” gasped Ashley as she grew disgusted. “Get the hell out of this apartment!” she screamed.

Greg shrivelled his gut and withdrew.

“Okay;” he added before he picked up his hat. “It was just a question;” he declared. “Screw you, I will never fight for you;” he added before he picked up his feet and left the apartment. “I'll tell the warden there's a female listing;” he added as he reached the door. “Front line nurse;” he added before he slammed the door behind him.

Ashley threw a hand over her mouth. She wanted to vomit, but she didn't know how. She moved to the toilet and threw her wait over it - but nothing came out, only tears rolled down her face.

“I hate this war!” she declared as she began to cry. “Everything is disgusting;” she added before she sunk to the floor.

3

James march the forest and found something to shoot. He shot and shot a target and then he shot something else that fell from the trees.

“Was that a bird?” asked the trainer named Jim.

“I don't know;” muttered James as he blinked at the tall grass that held the thing he had shot.

“I think it was;” told Jim as he wrote down something on his board. “Mind the wildlife;” he added. “Please;” he declared. “Or you eat the next one;” he finished before he walked away.

James blinked, he knew he wanted to feel bad but he had been put in army mode and his heart was dead. James didn't want to care about what he had done, but there was a stick inside that wanted to break. James walked on and he shot at something else. It had a human voice and as soon as he had let a bullet fly a whistle blew.

Chaos erupted as all the trainees flooded to the grass until they found the person James had shot. He had shot a cleaner and he was escorted away from the premises.

“Detention;” muttered Jim as he carried the cleaner away. “Now!” he shouted.

James wanted to scream - he hadn't meant to shoot a person, but it was training and the cleaner wasn't supposed to be there. James bent his head low - it didn't matter what he was supposed to have done all he knew was that he was not going to get to sleep that night and he as going to live through hell.

Ashley looked at the door. She had heard a knock that had been faint and she was afraid of the person on the other side. Ashley gulped, she wanted to ignore the knock but it didn't seem menacing and so she walked up to the door and opened it.

Outside was a soldier and he smiled at Ashley who shivered under her skin as she met his full uniform.

“Hey there Ashley I am Harry;” told the soldier.

“Hi there;” muttered Ashley as she shivered under her skin.

The soldier looked okay but his eyes were strange blue and were like a Nazi's eyes. He could have been from one of the Nazi leaders that had graced the German stage ten short years before. Ashley wanted to run away but she kept her feet in one spot as she waited for the militant to say something.

“I intercepted your recent course test;” told the soldier as he grinned. “The campus would have liked to have seen you there;” he added. “Smart A student;' he added. “With good writing skills;” he pointed out.

“Thanks;” told Ashley as she carefully took the folder that the soldier readily handed to her.

“Why were you studying the course?” asked the soldier. “Do you want to be a teacher?” he asked.

“I was paying for rent;” told Ashley as she rolled her eyes. “I have no support now;” she added. “Everyone has gone to war;” she finished.

“That's no good;” told the soldier. “With your smarts you could be first choice for special services;” he added with enthuse.

“No, I don't think the army is for me;” muttered Ashley as she felt a quiver.

“It's not the army;” told the soldier. “It's Government work;” he added. “You get to work with a small team;” he declared. “Like a board meeting;” he coaxed.

“I see;” muttered Ashley as she narrowed her eyes. “So I don't have to do lawn runs?” she asked.

“No!” gasped the soldier. “That's more military, what you do is think, make reports, voice your opinion;” he declared. “You'll get forty-thousand grand per year;” he added.

Ashley began to melt. She had heard of private jobs but she never thought she was capable of obtaining one - James would have been so jealous if he could watch her at that moment, she smiled at the thought.

“Will there be a contract?” asked Ashley as she shrugged.

“Yes I do;” told James as he picked up his suitcase and laid it on a table. “Let me get it out;” he added before he took out a tranquilliser gun and shot.

Ashley felt a prick of pain before she stumbled to the floor. She didn't know what happened during a trek into the blank zone, but when she woke she was in a car that was locked tight and there was no way she was going to escape.

Doomed To The Army

James looked at Ashley who sat in the corner of the room. She was a nice girl who had only a week before lost her maidenhood to him. It meant the world to him at the time and he even brought a ring to tell Ashley that he enjoyed her to the limit. However something pulled him back and he threw the ring into the trash. What had stopped him from giving Ashley the ring? War, it was on the rise and he was needed to perform as one of the troops. James groaned as he thought about war and all its blood and hate - he had seen the movies on war a dozen time and he knew what it was like, pitiful!

James wiped his hands on his pants and then he smiled. Ashley wasn't in the mood to look up from her book and James lost the smile fast. James wished Ashley was more in tune with the world, but she was lost like a ghost on a ship that sailed across the middle of the ocean; he didn't like it because he couldn't charm Ashley with old fashioned romance, he needed to talk and when he did talk it was with a needle on his tongue.

“What are you doing there?” he asked to break the silence that caused barbed wire to rake against his skin.

“Reading;” muttered Ashley who was unable to look up from her book.

“What are you reading?” asked James as he narrowed his eyes.

“Just some silly romance;” told Ashley in half-grumble.

“Why is it silly?” asked James as he lingered on his spot where he could feel the warmth from the light-globe the best.

“It's sappy and dull;” told Ashley as she shrugged.

“Then read another book;” told James as he shrugged.

“No, I would rather just finish this one;” told Ashley as she began to bite on a strand of hair.

James gave up on trying to be the interest, and he shrugged.

“I'm going to war;” he told Ashley as he felt his heart dip.

“What do you know?” muttered Ashley as she turned a page.

James felt angered, but no tempered. He knew Ashley was aware of the war and the enlisting, but not of the fact that he had been enlisted.

“You couldn't be sympathetic?” he asked as he narrowed his eyes.

Ashley finally looked up and met James angry face as he glared at her like a stick with a head that was filled with hot fire and anger.

“They are recruiting girls, maybe I will meet you there;” told Ashley with a grim smile on her face.

James shrugged and then he picked up a bag and pretended to pack. Ashley glared at James and he felt his skin crawl as she eyed him. She laughed at him under her face, she knew there was something more when a person was enlisted and she laughed at him with a cackle that threw him off. James stopped the pretend and packed for real; sure he didn't need to be at the station for two days but he wanted to get away sooner then expected. Ashley stopped her laugh and watched as James continued to pack, and he didn't stop until his shoes were out of the door.

James got drunk at a local pub and picked a fight. He ended up in the gutter with his head rashed with blood. James didn't want to care and he groaned for a full half an hour before a bouncer told him to take it to the park. James picked up his bag and moved to the park, and there he laid himself on the dewy grass and slept.

In the morning James was woken by a bird and he spent the day with his eyes on the trees. Then night fell and he moved on. He walked the lone shadows that were long and tall, and he made it to the train station where he would catch a train. He had only one more day to wait and his sweat was on his spine. James could feel the tension and so he walked to another pub and got drunk. James spent the night drinking and then he picked a fight - he ended up outside of the train-station and he was carried onto the train by a soldier who noticed his tightly packed bag.

James woke and looked out of the train window - his eyes were red, his head was sore, and he felt glum. A train service attendant offered James ice-tea and James took the drink with pleasure. He felt distorted inside and the ice-tea only stung his brain. James didn't want to think any more, he was in the army and he was doomed.

Nathan Conscripted

1

Nathan walked down the street. He met many faces he didn't want to know, his mind was high on jet-fuel and it was only the start of the day. What was wrong? He had been told that he was going to go to war and it had been outlined with a Government letter and a stamp. Nathan had the intelligence to know that he had been put under arms and trialled without any jury presence - his sentence was death by manslaughter.

“Who knows maybe there is a war?” asked Nathan to himself as he passed by a guy who looked kind of shifty. “What does the world want now but to perfect itself?” he added as he began to race his steps to get him further away from the public that surrounded him.

Nathan wished he had a family all of a sudden, then he could tell them the plans that had been laid for him; but his family had vanished from his sight years before when he discovered a high-volume orgy in the backyard - he hadn't want to be a part of that life and so he had walked away.

“I wish I had someone;” he muttered as he walked by a skirt with a white jacket and pink shoes. “What on earth was that?” he asked as he turned his head. “Hey you, where's your manners?” he asked loud enough to make the female turn her head to look at him.

Nathan bumped into a fella who had a suitcase in hand. The fella dropped the case and screamed - Nathan apologised and waited for acceptance. The fella wouldn't stop his screams and soon whistles were blown. Cops surrounded the area and Nathan was told to leave - so Nathan left and the cops arrested the fella who had dropped the case.

“Sorry;” muttered Nathan inside of his mind before he moved down the street and around a corner.

Nathan walked into his house - it was a rented place with low lighting, he liked it quite a lot - there was serenity in the dim. Most people would have called it a dump because the lighting was so poor, but he liked it.

“Good enough for me;” he muttered before he took out the letter he had been given and laid it flat on the table.

Nathan glared at the letter hard - he had to go to war, and the drum beat inside of his chest. He didn't know anything about war except a person died when they entered the arena. What was he going to do, how was he going to survive?

“You don't survive war, you die there;” muttered Nathan before he shrugged. “Me sitting here without sown seeds;” he muttered before he pulled a face - he had never wanted to have a family, but now that he was going to face certain death he thought he might like to try; but he didn't know who to ask, he had ignored the world and he had no one, not even with a telephone by his right side.

“It's a silly question;” he muttered. “Will I die, will any part of me live?” he asked. “Should I go, or should I run away?” he then added before he flipped his ideas inside of his mind. “Should I tell the government that I am a coward?” he then asked before a rake of shoe broke his attention.

Nathan looked out the window and saw a female neighbour slip through the ally that served as his side yard. She had a flat at the back, and he grew curious as to what she might be willing to do while his head was on the board. Nathan narrowed his eyes and moved out the back door of his house, he then bumped into the female in the alley as she scraped her shoulder by a steel lamp that was attached to his house.

“Hey there;” muttered Nathan in a voice that was too weak to be threatening.

“Hi!” sung the female before she moved to walk on.

“What to come inside for a drink?” gasped Nathan as he raced a few steps and grabbed the female's arm. “I would enjoy it;” he added.

The female looked to Nathan and smiled - as soon as he smiled she stomped on his foot hard. Nathan felt a pulse inside of his shoe that hit his brain, but he held on firm.

“Come on neighbour, just one drink;” he drawled in a tone that sounded awkward and almost childish. “I won't harm ya, I just want some company;” he added as he felt her tug away just enough for him to know that she wanted to get away. “Will you be my company?” he asked as he narrowed his eyes.

“No!” gasped the female as she felt her breath turn to heat.

“Please come in for a drink;” begged Nathan as he tried to calm the female down with a stare that was supposed to nourish her soul. “I would like it very much;” he added before a slap in the face made his teeth chatter.

The female slipped away and spat as Nathan rubbed his face.

“I'm going to war;” told Nathan as he glared at the female.

“You are?” asked the female as she felt her breath intake.

“Yes I am;” told Nathan. “I really wouldn't mind a last drink before I head off to the trains tonight;” he added.

“My husband wanted me to visit him at the train station;” tol the female as her eyes grew distanced as she remembered a past that happened less then six months ago. “I told him I needed to do the washing;” she added as she felt her chest puff and pant as her heart pulled a string inside. “He didn't tell me he was going to war;” she announced as she began to narrow her eyes so that she could see Nathan a little more clearly. “I only found out when I received a letter to tell me that he was dead;” she added before she took a gulp.

Nathan glared at the female unable to say a word. He wanted to tell her he wanted her inside of his house, but what he didn't want to tell her was that he had only water to drink.

“Okay I'll come in for a drink;” muttered the female as she double-crossed her scared. “Just a drink;” she added.

“I wouldn't ask you for anything more;” told Nathan as he felt a glimmer inside of his chest.

Nathan stepped back and the female followed - she was like a cat ready to make friends with a dog and he wanted to bark however he stayed quiet. Nathan let the female inside of his house and she muttered odd remarks as he led her to the room where he had a desk on which sat the letter of conscription.

“See?” asked Nathan as he pointed to the letter. “They've conscripted me;” he added.

“Let me read it;” told the female before she picked up the letter and read it from top to bottom. “This is authentic!” she gasped as though greatly pleasured.

“Now you know I am authentic;” muttered Nathan as he glared at the females hair. “How about a bite to eat?” he asked before he leaned over and bit his neighbours neck so hard that she was unable to scream within seconds as pain robbed her of all senses.

2

Nathan stepped onto the train and was transferred to the military base. He licked his lips as though they still had a rash over them. He had drunk his neighbours blood and buried her under the house to rest and no one had arrested him.

“I've been put in the army mood;” he lied as he continued to taste blood on his mouth.

He couldn't even tell himself the truth - a strange craze had broken into his head and he had done as commanded; it was like a sleep-walk only he didn't walk around, he bit and bit hard! The neighbour had nothing inside of her body to ready herself for such violence and she had fainted right away - Nathan was glad she hadn't screamed; he wasn't a good fighter he was just a fool who wanted to sow his seeds and they hadn't even been sowed.

“I'm ready for the army;” he muttered as he licked his teeth tasted bloody.

Nathan whistled to a nearby soldier

“Got any gum?” he asked.

The soldier smiled and gave him a stick.

Nathan smiled and began to chew on the gum - it was sweet, sugary, and tasted like rubber; it was as expected and he swallowed it fast. He never liked gum, he had just wanted to clean his teeth.

“Want another?” asked the soldier.

“No thanks;” told Nathan as he shook his head.

“That's fine then;” told the soldier as he smiled. “Maybe later;” he added before he winked.

Nathan knew the soldier had something on his mind and he hated him all of a sudden. Nathan rolled his eyes and scolded himself - he had met a stranger and he had only asked for gum, he felt as though he already had a bullet aimed at his head.

“That figures;” he muttered inside of his mind as the train rolled on.

Nathan met the army camp and was led to the dorms. He was allocated a room and he shook hands with many nervous army men. He didn't want to know them but they told him their names - Joe with the auburn hair and sideburns, Peter with the large build and tattoo, Mick with the freckles and the moustache, and Davis with the gold watch and slick personality. Nathan found them very fine scoundrels and he felt quite uneven in their presence, however he tried to get along in his own kind of way by offering a smile, a joke, and anything else that popped up inside of his head. If he came across as nervous it was because he was, he was very nervous and not just because he was around strangers and closer to death then ever, but because he felt different.

“Army to the exercise square!” shouted a fellow commander who walked inside of the dorm with polished boots and grey-brown uniform.

Everyone looked at the commander and wanted to throw bananas, however they caught on that they were supposed to go to the exercise square and so they walked. Nathan took to the tail of the line and then broke off - he didn't want to just be told what to do and so he picked up his boots and sneaked away.

Nathan made it to the uniform warm and he told the officer on post he had been ordered to pick up a new uniform. The officer gave him one and then smiled.

“Have a good day;” the officer said.

Nathan smiled and walked away. When gone he slipped on the uniform and tossed his old clothes into a bin. Dressed he began to wander around, and he did with stealth and quiet steps. He met many people who wanted to smile, and he cracked a smile at every face. However then he met an officer who had a different suit to him and he asked if he wanted to visit the toilet with him. The high commander turned to Nathan and asked him why. Nathan told the commander that he had just washed the basin with a toothbrush and needed a salute. The high commander smiled and tilted his head.

“You want to watch me urinate in it don't you?” he asked.

“Certainly;” told Nathan as he smiled.

The high commander nodded and followed Nathan to the toilet. When there he inspected a bowl that had yellow urine at the bottom, he even crouched down low to inspect, and that was when Nathan attacked! Nathan grabbed the commander's neck and squeezed hard - he didn't care if he was killing the fellow, they usually were able to revive strangulation with some treatment but they never were the same after and their memory was usually shot. Nathan had no fear as he took the high commander to the ground and then stole his uniform. The fellow was only a little larger then he, and he was able to dress the high commander into his uniform before he left the fellow alone.

Nathan broke into an office with the key he had been given and he fiddled around with the papers and envelopes. After signing a few documents and giving himself credit on a report, he then gave himself a badge and then left.

Nathan felt like a sneak and a high runner, his head pumped as hard as his head as he walked around as though he were an army chief. No one knew him, but all enjoyed his image as the high commander; some secretaries asked him questions and he gave them answers but then he was busted as the federal commander threw a gun at his face.

“So you are the outlaw!” gasped the federal commander before he shot.

Nathan fell to the ground, he thought he was dead, but then he woke in a room which was white and sterile. A lone figure hung around the side of the room where there were test-tubes and medical equipment. Nathan glared at the person and then he whistled.

“I'm awake;” he told.

“You're crazy!” gasped the person. “You killed a high commander and then broke into office files;” he added. “I wouldn't know your name only you used your authority to give yourself illegal credit;” he added.

Nathan rolled his eyes - his game was over, he had been caught!

“What's going to happen?” he asked.

“I don't know!” told the person as he rolled his eyes. “I am only supervising you, and you are cuffed to that bed which has been stapled to the floor;” he added as though angered.

Nathan sighed as he saw a silly cuff on his wrist. He wanted to know more but an ache inside of his head distracted him.

“Was I shot?” he asked.

“Tranquilliser;” told the fellow as he picked up a book. “Now be quiet I am going to read;” he added.

Nathan nodded. He stayed quiet, and at one point he fell asleep. When he woke it was dark and he was still cuffed to the table but the fellow with the medical equipment was gone.

Nathan was left in his room for ten days and then he was escorted to a dorm in which there was only one bed. Nathan knew he was in trouble and he looked to the person who had escorted him.

“So Joe;” he sung. “What's all this?” he asked.

“You've been arrested;” told Joe as he smiled and stepped back. “You killed someone;” he added. “You will never be anyone again;” he declared before he left.

Nathan thought he was going to be able to break out of his dorm, however it could only be opened from the outside. Nathan sighed - he was unsure what was going to happen but he knew it meant trouble.

Nathan was starved in the dorm for two day, and then a person called Hector entered the room to offer a meal. Nathan readily took the meal and then he talked to Hector who glared back with a gun sticking out from his waistline. Nathan ate his meal and then he sighed.

“What is going to happen to me Hector?” he asked.

“You are going to die;” told Hector as he blinked.

“How?” asked Nathan.

“Any way we like;” told Hector as he smiled. “You are a rebel;” he added.

“When am I going to die?” asked Nathan.

“Any day;” told Hector as he glared at Nathan hard.

Nathan knew he was supposed to be scared, however he wasn't scared at all. In fact he was agitated, he felt pins all over his body. He wanted to quit the army, but it had captured him and made him a prisoner.

“You forced us into this place, what else was I supposed to do?” he asked.

“You do whatever you like;” told Hector. “When you are caught you will be executed;” he added before he smiled. “Now go to sleep;” he added before he shot.

Nathan felt a spear hit his right arm and he cried out in agony before dizziness made him blank out.

Nathan stayed blanked out for many days, when he woke he had a headache. Hector smiled at him as he watched him from across the room.

“You need a drink;” he declared.

Nathan nodded and waited to be given a drink, however he was given nothing.

“Where's my drink?” asked Nathan impatient for a drop of liquid to erase the saw-dust inside of his mouth.

“I never said you were going to be given one;” told Hector before he scoffed.

Nathan nodded and then he grimaced - he really needed to take a leak.

“Where's the bathroom?” he asked.

“Take a leak inside of your shoe;” told Hector. “Then drink it;” he added before he left the dorm.

Nathan saw that Hector used his cuff to open the door. When he was gone Nathan inspected the door-frame and saw a pin-hole from which a tiny red light glowed.

“There's some trick here;” he announced as he smiled. “When Hector returns I'll give it to him and then I will leave;” he announced before he chuckled.

3

Hector walked into the prison dorm and met hands that strangled him until he was unable to breath. His clothes were the stolen and Nathan was able to escape. Nathan didn't stay on base this time, instead he left the army arena as smiled crowded all around and he left in a shiny black car. He knew Hector was the kind of person who owned a nice black car, Nathan had only two to choose from and he chose the right one first try.

Nathan drove away, dumped the car, and then he walked. He walked through forest until he met a boat, and then he ferried a ride down a river until the boat met its quay. At the quay Nathan walked away, and he walked far.

“I'm never going to be captured for the army again!” gasped Nathan as he narrowed his eyes. “I am going to live as an illegal alien, and no one is going to capture me!” he said before he robbed a car, drove to another city, and disappeared amongst its dark spaces until the memory of the army faded under a cloud of black smog.