Survivor // Ben Parish

//9//

"Good job peanut!" I yelled and pushed pass the girl, bumping her hard with my shoulder.

I picked peanut up and placed her on my shoulders, the squad crowded around her and cheered her on.

"What happened! I thought you were good at this shit" someone asked the girl.

"Shut up before I rip your throat out" oh aggressive I see.

Reznik approached us and waited for us to calm down. I put peanut down and patted her on the head.

"Good job squad 53. Very impressed peanut. Is that all you can do killer? Trip over your own feet?" Oh god here we go again. "Now for the rest of the day I want you to teach your squad how to shoot, because believe me they're not very good"

"yes ma'am!" 

"Take them to the shooting range, now!" Another soldier showed us the way to the shooting range.

They gave us all small handguns and set us up in our own aisles.

"Tank stand up straight, feet apart. You too zombie" after I checked everyone's position they started firing.

I felt the familiar light buzzing in my ear.

All I gotta say is... They were horrible. Zombie wasn't as bad but he wasn't good.

"Stop!" I shouted through the gun shots.

They put their weapons down and looked at me.

"Okay, just take a deep breath." I took one myself before continuing. "Now look right ahead at your target.. Look at it closely, focus on it. Don't look at it as a target just simply think about it. It's shape, it's color, how far away it is from you. Now take your position and raise up your gun. Feel it in your hand, the texture of it, it's weight. Don't just  think of it as a gun, think about it as a part of your body. Not the gun firing but you firing. Take control, know who's boss, not the gun but you, okay so now just concentrate and when you're ready start again"

They stared shooting and got closer to the red dot in the middle each time.

"That's it!" I yelled.

Sammy missed a couple of time but he did pretty good for his first time.

I'm going to lead this squad to victory.

-

"You did pretty good today, Sammy" I said and ruffled his hair as we walked into our room.

"You really think so?" He asked.

I nodded my head and smiled. "Now go take a shower"

Sammy nodded his head and ran off to the showers.

'Stay strong for nugget' Zombie's words kept replaying in my head getting louder each time.

"Okay!" I shouted out of frustration.

I felt like I was going insane or maybe I was, how do you know when you're going crazy?

"What's wrong?" Oompah said as he climbed up to his bunk.

"It's nothing" I said and laid on my bed with half my legs dangling off.

"You and zombie have a thing right?" He asked.

"What? No. We're in an alien apocalypse. The last thing I need is a relationship" Me and zombie? Oh please.

"Mmmhm"

I stared at the top bunk and thought about so many things that I felt like my head was going to explode. I thought about all the people at the camp I use to be in. Were they dead? Well most of he kids are here I don't know what happened to the adults. I thought about school and how much I hated it and always wished for it to be over but now I want it back, I want to get bored to death by the teachers. I thought about my parents, they weren't the best parents in the world but they cared and loved me. The most I thought about was Toby, my little Toby. When he laughed the way his front teeth had a small gap in between them, when he was scared the way he clutched my stomach so tight that I couldn't breath, having endless conversations, or even just having someone I can trust. I miss you Toby.

I rubbed my face against my hands and sat up looking for a clean towel.

"53" a low husky voice said entering the room.

It was Vosch. I stood up and placed my hands behind my back. My right hand holding the left by the wrist as my left hand hanged loosely.

"If you hear your name come up, you'll just be going for a quick checkup" he said.

"Peanut" she walked over to Vosch and stood next to him. "And killer" I tensed up and slowly walked over to him.

He gave a slight smile to the squad as he took us away. Another soldier passed right by us with guns strapped around his shoulders.

"Sir, may I ask you a question sir"

"Go ahead" his deep voice gave me the chills.

"Were those guns for us?" I asked.

"Yes, and don't worry yours will be placed on your bed. Waiting for you to come back" he said and the corners of his mouth formed into a warm smile.

"Peanut just wait in this room" Vosch said. "The doctor will be with you soon"

"follow me" he says and keeps walking down the endless corridor.

Every step I took echoed through the hallway. Where is he taking me? And why is it so far?

We finally got to a white room and there was a bed set up in the middle with straps on the side, it looks like something a mental hospital has.

"Sir, what's this?" My voice was a bit shaky.

"I know it looks scary, but don't worry. It doesn't hurt one bit, I promise. It's just a form to prove you're human" he explained.

I'm human, I know I am, I'm 100% sure I'm human.

"Lay down" he ordered.

I walked over to the bed slowly and sat on it first. I looked at Vosch and he waited patiently. He truly is the nicest soldier in this camp. I laid down all the way and took a gulp of my own saliva.

"Now, I'm going to put these on, because while we're taking these tests I don't want you to move because it'll mess everything up. It's all going to be okay"

I wish he would stop talking to me like I'm a child.

He strapped my arms, legs, stomach and neck to the chair. I could feel my hands shaking and my breath getting heavier.

"Okay killer.." He  said patting my shoulder. "You're taking a trip to wonderland"