Children's Draft

Chapter 13 (Part One)

(Justin's PoV)

    Lt. Jason entered with our newest mail. I watched the usual group of guys search through the pool, anxious to see if anything was for them.

    Occasionally I'd get a letter, but I would always wait until after the group dispersed to check. It was far too crowded in the beginning for my liking.

    "Justin got a package from Audrey," Clayton exclaimed. "I bet it's homework. We'll see how he likes it when he's on the receiving end," he muttered to Trevor.

    Honestly, I'd love it. I thought to myself as I made my way over to the mail stack. I hope it's the physics homework. I felt so cheated since I had to leave only a month after the second semester had started. And it was just when we were getting into the energy unit.

    Or maybe the Honors Trigonometry homework. I would definitely need to brush up on that before taking the ACT when I get back.

    Either one would have made for a stimulating birthday gift.

    I picked up the cardboard box. It was considerably smaller than my math or science textbooks, but as I eyed it, I figured my German one would fit.

    Figures. Audrey loved languages. But it was probably needed. I hadn't practiced German at all since I left Nebraska. I ripped off the tape and inside was a thick, hardcover book, but not one I had used in any of my classes. The front read "Blood of Olympus".

    "No way," I said under my breath.

    Inside the front cover was a note.

    Dear Justin,

    I hope this gets here on time. It better. I strategically planned so that this package would arrive in Guilin on exactly October 7th.

    I smiled down at the letter. That girl was always on top of things.

    Anyways, happy birthday. There was no way I was going to let you not read the final book in the series. Especially after how you couldn't stop talking about how excited you were to read this after you finished "Mark of Athena" (which was literally the day after it came out). I already finished it, but I won't give any spoilers. Happy reading! I'll write again soon.

    "Thanks Audrey," I whispered as I flipped through the pages. Since I had been drafted, I had forgotten how much I loved books. Not just textbooks, but real stories like the one in my hand. Suddenly it all came back to me. The cliffhangers. The character arcs. The plot twists. I needed to know more. I opened the book to the first page. Despite the war and the constant noise of our bedroom, I allowed myself to be sucked into the world of fantasy.

(Daniel's PoV)

"I'm so bored," Logan whined.

I cocked an eyebrow, but the rest of my expression was deadpan. "Do you wanna go explore again?"

He shrunk a little in stature.

"Holy shit!" Trevor exclaimed, pointing up. "Get down."

Luckily none of us had any athletic ability whatsoever, so our first instinct when we see a flying object was not to catch it, but rather, get as far away as possible.

Although after the grenade hit the ground, Clayton attempted to make a grab for it. In a moment of panic, I gripped his shirt collar and pulled him back down with me.

Within the next second, the grenade gave off a small explosion. I looked up to see a cloud of smoke around the area. Bits of dirt and burnt grass stuck to my uniform. There were several pieces of broken metal in front of me that likely bounced off my helmet. Clayton was next to me, coughing and sputtering. I didn't feel as bad as I should have about the red choke marks around his neck.