The Darkest Minds - "I'm a red,"

8.

This rigorous training is repeated for years. Every single day we repeat the process of being herded off to different training stations. A couple of new reds come along but other than that, it's the same thing every day. Die in training, sleep for a couple hours, and do the same thing all over again.

All of us have become obedient, rigid, and strong soldiers, all of the training going to good use.

So today, we're going outside of our camps fences, we do this to practice some of our fire control abilities, the trainers don't want to risk us setting some of their buildings on fire.

They take us one at a time, still following protocol though they've become lax, knowing we won't try anything.

The trainer is so lax that he doesn't even tie my hands, he simply commands me to follow him out beyond the camp, into an open area about a mile away.

There are some buildings where we are but they're abandoned. The road is muddy and dug up, it always seems to be raining around here, though today is an exception, that's why we come out here.

"Show me," the trainer commands, referring to what they've had us work on these past few weeks.

Once I showed them I could breathe fire, we started training with it, in case we're needed to destroy something.

I call the fire up from my core into my throat. Breathing out, I send the fire from my mouth shooting out. We've been working on range and my goal is one of the buildings.

But before I can get far with training, movement comes from the building I just shot fire at. My trainer doesn't give me another command, so I stand still, waiting.

He didn't bring his gun with him, just his walkie talkie. "Base be advised, movement in one of the buildings. Probably just a trespasser, no need to respond," the man says, clipping the device back on his belt.

"F13, walk in front of me and check out this building. Be prepared to use force to subdue target," my trainer commands.

I go into action, heading toward the building, staying in front.

We make our way towards it, staying vigilant.

As soon as I get close to the broken door, it comes shooting out at us, invisible hands shoving it towards us.

It hits me first and I fall, quickly standing back up.

Three boys jump out from within the building, bags in their hands.

"Attack! Subdue targets!" My trainer yells.

Waiting no further, I create a whip with the fire and hit one of the boys in the leg before they can react to me. He falls.

I focus on the other two while the trainer continues to yell my attack command at me.

One of the other boys comes at me, thinking he can overpower me with sheer strength.

Snapping my fingers, I create a small flame that engulfs my arm. I use the flaming arm to punch the second boy, sending him flying.

The third one comes at me so fast I don't have time to use fire, so we engage in hand to hand.

He's good but I'm better. We go at it for a few minutes before I land a kick which sends him backwards, hitting the building.