Purgatory

Chapter 12

Talking to no one about the successful mission felt awkward and unnecessary.  Every night before we go to sleep, we plug into the system that then copies everything we’ve seen or said throughout the previous day.  Having us talk about the mission when the actual recording can be accessed made the task seem very pointless to me, and it likely showed in how short my account was.  I probably shouldn’t have been so terse with my tone, or threw out how redundant the report was, but I sent it off anyway.

I’ve never liked needless tasks, especially when it calls for some sort of effort from me.  It wasn’t until after the mission I realized all the training I went through was actually necessary.  All the resentment I felt during the process of running laps around the arena or firing my rifle in the range was starting to fade away.  While I didn’t fire my rifle once, there may come a time when I’ll need to.  And all the running I did paid off, and I was proud of myself for being so fit.

We celebrated our first victory at dinner, and we were finally allowed to relax while eating.  The silence and staring forward was beginning to get old and too restricting.  But we enjoyed our new freedom with laughter and dramatic recounts of the Puck’s death.

Cole sat on the end in his usual spot as he listened in on Juels dramatic telling, the corners of his mouth curling upward slightly at the more humorous parts.  His eyes looked away and he looked distant, perhaps lost in a thought and only barely listening to what was around him.  He wasn’t nearly as pale as Juels, but there was something in the way he carried himself that made him look pallid and weary.

“Hey,” I quietly said to him, and his eyes snapped to look in my direction.  “Everything alright?”

“Yes, absolutely,” he replied with a smile.  “Just off in my own little world there.”  He turned to face the rest of the table just as a pause in stories entered the air.  “So, you guys get tonight off!  Enjoy it while you can, and remember we start PT tomorrow bright and early.”  A couple of my squad mates groaned at the prospect, but Juels cut through the gloom with her usual enthusiasm.

“Let’s blow some credits tonight!” she yelled, likely too loud as other squads glanced at us curiously.  To make more of a scene, we cheered in reply.  It didn’t matter how new we were and that we only had one victory, we knew it was one step further towards our goal, and a great cause for celebration.  Cole remained silent and reverted back to his thoughtful expression.

“You’ll be joining us, right?” I asked him.

“Not until later,” he said to me quietly.  “I’ve got some business to attend to first.”

I nodded in understanding and left it at that.  I figured someone in a guardian class would have a lot more work to take care of than the rest of us.  It would be our first recreational time without his initial presence, but at least he would be attending at some point in the night.

That night we spent a good portion of our credits on coffee and a party room.  We ended up watching some predictable and slightly ridiculous film and made our own little side commentary or mimicked the terrible acting.  We discovered that night that Lawrence was quite the impersonator, and the night became an endless round of entertainment.

Due to the discovery of Lawrence’s talent, Juels designated a portion of the night to be dedicated to a talent show.  Juels started it off by demonstrating the many ways she could move and manipulate her tongue, sparking some giggles and playful squeals.  Abena revealed she was the singer in a band, and belted out a beautiful melody for our enjoyment.  I noticed part of the way through her song that her nails were painted the same color as what was in her revealed item.  I clasped my hand around my keys with a smile.  The memory still hurt, but we should all still cherish what we were allowed to keep.