Careful || Toy Soldiers

F I V E

  the five boys were lined up against the wall. Emma cried out in fear.

  This couldn't be happening, this couldn't be happening, this couldn't-

  Luis raised his gun and pointed it to the back of Billy's neck

  This couldn't be happening, this couldn't be happening, this couldn't-

  The man cocked the gun. "No!" Emma screamed. She attempted to run towards him, but someone held her back. "No!"

  then it all happened in slow motion. Luis' hand went to the trigger, slowly pushing it, a loud, deafening noise echoing throughout her ears, and Billy's lifeless body falling to the floor.

  And then Emma woke up from the hideous nightmare with sweat pouring down her face, trying to catch her breath.

  She had fallen asleep on the ground, her head against the base of a tree. The sky had turned to a deep shade of blue and the air was now cool.
 
  Emma shivered in fear. Despite the coolness of the air sweat dripped down her forehead and her hands became clammy.

  She stood up slowly, being careful to stand up on her shaky legs, then proceeded to go find Mr. Parker.

  He was talking to a few men when he saw her. He excused himself and walked over to Emma. "Miss. Reid, there you are."

  "Here I am."

  "We have to fly over to the base now, is that alright?" Emma nodded her head. The girl had no problem flying, In Fact she found it Exhilarating, but she knew the reason for going on this plane wasn't a good one. So she buried her excitement down to the pit of her stomach.

  Once they reached the ground Emma felt anxious. Seeing all those people there to help but yet couldn't do anything made her stomach churn. She had to figure out a way to do something. But her mind kept drawing blanks.

  "-you need to stay out here." Emma blinked. "Pardon?" "We need you to stay out here."

  "What? I can't come in?" "We don't need a distraction little girl." "Woah pulling the girl card? Real mature mr."

  Emma walked up closer to the tall man. "My friends are in there, for all we know one of them could be dead. You're going to let me in there so I can help or nobody's going to be happy. You got that, Buddy."

  The man was surprised by Emma's sudden outburst. But that didn't last long. "You're going to stay out here."

  "No I'm not."

  Emma ended up staying outside. She huffed and sat against the structure, pressing her ear to it to see if she could hear anything.

  Nothing.

  She stood up and took in her surroundings. The grass was a deep shade of green and trees formed somewhat of a circle. Under any different situation Emma would be climbing up the trees and doing cartwheels on the ground, acting completely like a kid with a lop sided grin on her face, but there was no other situation.

  'Okay, stop goofing off in your head and think of a plan! C'mon Em!'

  She thought of hiding in an helicopter and waiting for them to fly back to where she was at originally, but she figured until she knew they were actually flying back there, there was a good possibility that the Pilot would fly somewhere else so she scratched that Idea off her list.

  She thought of stealing one of those military jeeps that seemed to litter the base, but then she realized it was most likely illegal to steal military equipment, so that one was out too.
 
  After an hour she had yet to come up with something. Her time was running out, along with her creativity.

  Emma smacked her head against the large metal structure, then groaned in pain. The impact caused a thump and soon Mr. Parker was outside.

  His mouth opened a bit, as he was about to ask if that was her, but closed it as he saw the girl rub the back of her skull with her left hand, a sheepish smile etched on her face.

  The dean walked over and sat next to her. "Emma, I'm going to ask you a question."

  Silence grew between them for a moment.

  "Why are you here?"

  The girl blinked. She took her hand from behind her head and brought it to her lap. "Well sir, my friends are in danger." "And?" "And I'm not going to go back home and pretend life is great when for all we know they could be dead. I need to help them.

  "Miss Reid, you don't have to do anything." "Yes I do!" Emma shot up, her hair blowing in her face. "Yes I do." She repeated. "Because if I don't- if I don't do everything in gods power to get them out alive and something happens to one of them I'll never be able to forgive myself."

  "But you don't really know them all that well." "Yes but-" "but have you ever thought about your friends back home, the ones you see everyday, and your family? What do you think they will do if you end up getting hurt because you wanted to play hero."

  Emma was flustered. Her face glowed bright red and she started about three sentences with "uh-" but never finished them. She swallowed and looked the dean straight in the eyes.

  "It doesn't matter how much I know them or how long I've know them; they are still my friends, and friends do whatever they need to do in order to help each other out."

  Emma took a deep breath and began again.

  "Also it's not about wanting to play hero. I'm no hero, I'm a scared little girl who would give anything for a hug from her mother and her friends to be okay. So sir, now if I may ask you a question. Why are you here?"

  Mr. Parker smiled. A real smile. Nothing forced, nothing fake.

  "Well Miss Reid I'm here for a reason Similar to yours. But instead these aren't my friends, these are my students and it's my responsibility as a teacher to make sure every one of them is safe."

"Well if you're thinking like that I think the two of us will become great friends."

  Mr. Parker sat up and dusted his trousers off. "Come with me."
The two of them walked into the structure. The soldier who Emma had threatened a few hours ago glared at her, but didn't say anything. In fact nobody said anything.

  Oh great, a rescue team that doesn't talk.
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KENN:)