MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

T H I R T E E N

The cool breeze that flew past me reminded me of the airdrops I used to do for the marines. Sad memories of flying in the helicarrier with my squadron came back, hitting me like a strange, painful bullet. I remembered exactly how I lost my squadron. A sad day out above the jungle...

"Hey, Tater, give me the chips already," Bee yelled to Tater, the smaller male of the two. I sat not far away, reading about Pandora's fauna. The door opened and Shock came in with Blue, each holding a six pack. The night would be fun, but we all knew what would happen tomorrow. The Choosing. Every Marine's fear.

The Choosing was where a lot of Marines from every squadron within a fifteen mile radius would be chosen to go onto the U.S. Death Squad. Suicide, that's what it was, going out first and risking your whole life just to scout. My squadron was the top of it's game. We'd be surveyed first, and most of us would get chosen.

Bee, Shock, Tater, Blue, Cal (whom had just left the bathroom), and I sat and drank until late that night. Cal and I sat up, though, after the boys, and our female companion Blue, had gone to sleep. Callie was my best friend in the Marines. Jake was always away from base, and there weren't many females since they all chickened and became nurses or went home.

"Hey, Beast," Cal asked.

"Yeah, Cal," I replied.

"Why do they call you Beast?"

"It isn't a pretty story. I hate it, but it's mine."

"Will you tell me about it," Cal asked, staring up at the stars with her usual emotionless face.

"Sure," I said. "When I was little, my dad kept telling me about how he had served in the army before being discharged. He trained me sort of, taught me a lot. I told him I wanted to study plants, and he didn't care, but we kept training. It became a regular until the fateful day that man killed him for my tuition money, which he didn't get. So, when I saw the man again three years later, on the street with his daughter, I killed them. I just... unleashed all that anger plus all I'd learned. I didn't go to jail because they saw my need, so they jacked me up and sent me out here."

"Jacked you up," Cal finally asked, after a few silent moments. "What do you mean... Wait, did they-"

"Yeah," I said, cutting her off. "They pumped me full of methamphetamine steroids and let me go. I went berserk. Soon after, colonel DiDon took me into a real squadron. Then, he died and we all went elsewhere. Cash went home to his husband and daughter. Daytona went back to his flower shop. Moo Moo went back to her farm to see her brother, and she ended up staying. I didn't know what to do, I didn't have anywhere else to go, so I stayed. I met Shock in the field, and he led me to all of you."

"That's... amazing," Cal said, facing me. "Why'd you stay?"

"Well, when I was too far away to get home one evening, because I was stationed only about twenty miles from home, my dad got robbed. It'd take too long from twenty miles away, and my dad was in danger, so I went berserk, hopped in a plane, and flew to the nearest airport, two miles from our house. Then, I drove to him. But, when I got there, he was dead. He'd died protecting my college money I'd saved for when I left here and began my studies. Now, I just take online courses..."

"That's... sad. And weird. Why-"

"I don't know," I said, cutting her off.

The next morning, we were flying over a lavish jungle, known as The Sanctuary. We all laughed and spoke of our hangovers. But, we didn't intend to get shot down by a stray jet. I watched them fall beside me. Cal snapped a parachute onto my back, and quickly kissed my lips. Then, she pulled the strap, as the carrier tipped sideways. I flew up, and they all crashed, dying below me. I was never the same. Never the same...