CHAPTER 23
Back at the dining hall, I sat beside Joshua as we ate dinner. The noise and commotion from the other six recruits was astounding. I kept my voice down, my lips near Joshua’s ear as he sat beside me. “What do you think they’ll have us do tomorrow?”
Joshua shook his head. “Every day is something entirely new.” He smiled in my direction, momentarily wrapping an arm around my back. I raised an eyebrow, wondering what he was up to, but he just smiled again before removing his arm so he could cut up his dinner.
I knew he was right. We had no way of seeing the procedure coming or what it would have made us capable of. I wondered what Maya had meant when she told us the procedure had been fine tuned for each of us. It was evident to me that Joshua and I shared a telepathic bond – did the others share something else? It was nothing I had been able to see, but I knew we had always been close and shared thoughts in other ways. Had the Mindonsiphan strengthened our bond?
“What’s on your mind?” I heard his voice and realized I’d been staring at my food. I took a bite, trying not to worry him and did my best to smile. I felt Joshua nudge me and I nodded, knowing he wanted an answer.
“I was terrified today, having to shoot you with an arrow.” I turned to face him. “I could have killed you.” My stomach tied in knots just thinking about it.
“You want to know a secret?” Joshua smiled faintly and I waited for him to continue, “I was scared, too.”
I laughed softly, realizing that any fears I had, we both shared. It was inevitable of course, after all we’d been through together. “I’m sorry.”
Joshua gave me a look, shaking his head. “Don’t be. You spoke up to Maya – and might I add had deadly aim – but you would have hit the apple. You’d have never touched me with that arrow and lucky for me,” he boasted, “I was able to stop it.”
I gave him a serious look. “Our training tomorrow,” I leaned closer, “I have a feeling that was just the first step in them trying to turn us on each other.”
Joshua took a bite of his dinner. “I’m not so sure about that,” he emphasized. “But I do think we’re not done with the combat training. If they really want us to be capable of being greater than the average soldier,” he stared at me, “Then it’s going to take a lot more than stopping an arrow coming at us.”
I let out a heavy sigh, my focus on the barely eaten meal in front of me. “You’re right.”
“I know.” Joshua nudged me. “You should eat up. I’d hate to think I can beat you tomorrow because you didn’t get enough to eat for dinner.”
“Very funny.” I rolled my eyes and took a bite of my meal. I couldn’t place the meal’s ingredients. I didn’t ask. It tasted like mush, mixed with some staple of protein. I wondered if they were drugging us too, in order to fight better. I didn’t feel tired or sluggish, but after the procedure, who knew what these people were capable of doing to us? I suppose it was a good thing for them we had all turned eighteen and were no longer children. They could live with themselves for killing us.
Lying in bed, I stared up at the bunk above me, hearing Joshua tossing and turning restlessly.
Can’t sleep? I silently asked him. I loved the privacy we shared, even in a room full of recruits.
Not with you breathing like a dragon, Joshua remarked. I could imagine the smug smile on his face as I rolled my eyes. He thought he was being funny.
I’m not breathing fire. I smiled. Trust me, you’ll know when you’ve been burned.
Joshua laughed softly trying to keep himself quiet as to not wake the others. I could feel the bunks shift as he rolled around above me. Loud, nasally, you’re a heavy breather. He tried to explain. I keep seeing a dragon on the bottom bunk.
You’re the one moving around like a ship lost at sea, I chided, knowing he was enjoying the banter as much as I was.
Seriously? He asked stifling a laugh.
You said dragon, I shrugged. There were dragons on ships. I remembered seeing a picture of a Viking vessel in the museum.
He paused, thinking it over. In what lifetime? He shifted on the mattress again. Okay, maybe they were on the bow and stern, he acknowledged.
It was quiet for several minutes, and already I missed his voice, I missed him. Even more I missed that he hadn’t called me Olive or Olivia. Every day here grew harder. I wondered if he had fallen asleep. I hadn’t heard the bed shift in a few minutes, and I could see a few other bunks and made out sleeping forms across from me. You asleep?
Not with you in my head, he remarked.
Sorry. Immediately I felt bad for keeping him up.
He shifted on the mattress. No, don’t be. What’s wrong?
I can’t sleep. I guess, maybe, I’m homesick. I knew I’d never return home again. Seeing my mother would never be an option, and always living on the run was the only other choice if we left this place. I’m scared. Scared what they expect of us after we pass.
Silence hung between us for several long moments, I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately too. He admitted, The procedure, the tests, I’m pretty sure they’re preparing us for the coming war.
I kind of expected as much, I admitted with a sigh. Doesn’t it scare you?
A lot of things scare me, Joshua admitted. Losing you is my biggest fear. I felt my heart quicken at his admission.
I wanted to tell him I loved him and that he would never lose me but being here, in this town, undergoing the training and tests, I couldn’t make that promise. I wasn’t ready to lie down and die, but I couldn’t know what the future would hold.
Goodnight? I heard his soft whisper in my mind. Although I wasn’t tired, I knew tomorrow would be another long day.
Night, I answered missing so much of the life we shared together. Although Genesis had been anything but perfect, we didn’t always wonder when we might die. Here, in this town, I could feel death coming for me. It terrified me to no end. I stared up, wide-eyed at the bunk above me. I was grateful Joshua could sleep through the fear, but it only made my adrenaline peak. I could easily go on a run around the town and back and still be wired. Though I knew Chancellor Collins wouldn’t approve.
I waited a few minutes, until I heard Joshua snoring above me and quietly snuck out of the dormitory, careful not to be seen. I walked barefoot down the hall toward the gymnasium. I remembered when we’d met the recruits and Maya the first time, there had been other equipment to practice and train with. Although we hadn’t used it, I felt it was as good a time as any to perfect my skill.
Stepping into the gymnasium the lights flickered on overhead. There were no windows to the outside world. No one outside the compound would see me. I quickly toured the room, finding a storage closet unlocked. I pulled open the closet doors, finding a target board along with a set of daggers to throw.
“Seriously?” I wondered if this would be part of our training tomorrow or the day after. I grabbed the target board and rolled it into the center of the gymnasium. I removed the weapons and walked over, lining myself up properly.