The War

V - THE CALL

"Emmy?" Jack's voice surrounds the room, "Emmy, what's going on? Why can't I see you?" He sounds scared.

"I don't know. I'm sure dad will bring you home soon. Mommy said that It was just a.. what did she call it? A vacar.. a vacation? I think that's what she said," my voice breaks. I really really miss Jack.

"Okay well the kids here are super me... hey daddy!" I can hear footsteps in the background. "I'm talking to Emmy? Wait-" 

The line disconnects.

My mom walks into my room and frowns, "Emilyn, what are you doing with my phone? I told you that you can't be seen with that. Mommy's not supposed to have one of these." 

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to talk to Jack," tears start to form in my eyes. 

"Oh, honey. I know," she comes and envelops me in a hug. I think she doesn't understand that I know she's trying not to cry. 

"He'll be gone for a long time, sweetheart. You'll see them again, I promise. Just swear to me that you won't touch my phone without permission, okay?" She bites her lip and releases me from the hug, staring at me attentively. Her eyes are glossy and her hair is frizzed and tied back in a ponytail.

"Okay, I won't take your phone."

"Cross your heart?" her voice breaks.

"And hope to die," I give her another hug.

I wake up with a quick breath. Sweat runs down my neck and I look at the time.

3:42 a.m.

That was the last time I ever talked to my brother. A week after that call, my mom got her phone taken away by authorities and was put on probation for six months for holding contraband. I haven't seen a piece of technology like that in eleven years.

We can only use computers provided by the sectors. They don't have many features besides messaging other authorized and monitored devices and watching movies and videos.

I haven't had a dream like that in a while; one of a past memory. I can't recall the last time I woke up sweaty and tired after a bad dream. They usually came on after I took pain medications for headaches. The doctors advised me to stay off them after they discovered that they make me tired.

That was almost two years ago.

I pull the covers down the bed and slowly get up. There's no use going back to bed. I know I won't fall back asleep.

I grab a pair of sweatpants and a loose black crop top. The familiar scent of my mom's laundry detergent fills me with a sense of nostalgia as I look over to see Kay tossing and turning in her bed. Maybe she's having a rough night too.

How am I supposed to even get around today? Training with Nick was a dumpster fire yesterday, if you even want to call it training. All that went down was a semi-argument and an embarrassing revelation.  The only result was me discovering that I need to learn how to handle my shit.

And how to punch.

I can't just not show up today, I've already flaked once. If I want any chance to get ranked well, I at least have to show up to practice, regardless of who I'm with.

The door makes a low creak when I pull on the doorknob and I almost decide to go back in the dorm and lie awake for the next 2 hours.

I step through the corridor and make my way to the bathroom with heavy steps. What if someone's in there?

The walls of the bathroom are painted midnight blue and it's so large that the room could almost be considered a building of it's own. There are big stalls lining each wall that each have a shower, toilet, and a sink.