Chapter One
This story is nominated at:
The Addictive Fiction Awards
"Sweety, do you really have to go?" Lynn asked as she stood in the doorframe of her sons' room, watching him pack.
"Yes, I have to go. But don't worry Momma, I'll come home safe," Justin replied, closing his bag.
He walked to his door and gave his mother a hug, then grabbed his bag and walked to the livingroom.
"James will be here soon to pick me up," he said, setting his bag by the door.
"James was drafted, too? Dear god..."
"Momma it'll be okay, I promise. They can't send us right out, we're not trained. By the time we're ready the war will probably be over anyway."
"I hope so... I just hate seeing all of you young men being forced to fight in this."
"I know you do."
They stood in silence for a few moments, both struggling to find the right words to say to each other. Then finally Justin broke the silence.
"Mom?" he said quietly, feeling tears start to well up in his crystal blue eyes.
"Yes honey?"
"Tell Dad I love him for me. And when I come home I'll work on that boat with him like I promised."
"I will sweety..."
Justin looked out the window again and saw his friends' '97 jeep pull up at the front of the house. He took a deep breath and turned to his mom again, giving her a long hug.
"I love you, mom."
"I love you too, Justin. Stay safe, and write to me..." Lynn said, pulling away and wiping some tears from her eyes.
Justin gave one last look around, and then picked up his bag and headed out to his friend's jeep.
Lynn watched as her son tossed his bag into the back of the dusty black vehicle and jumped in the front seat next to his friend. She couldn't believe that her son was being forced to join the army. To fight in a war that shouldn't have even started.
Justin was a brave young man, barely eighteen years old. He had a youthful face, Piercing azure eyes, and curls for hair that had been dyed a dirty blonde.
He had turned eighteen a few weeks prior to receiving a letter notifying him he had been drafted. His mother had cried many times since then. His father was devastated, but chose not to show it, like Justin had. Other people, some only a day over eighteen, were being sent away to be trained, and then to be sent to various places where men were needed. Lynn was frightened for her son, and wasn't afraid to cry, but she was proud of him. She always had been.
Justin sat quiet for most of the ride, watching many of the houses and various other buildings that he had grown up around fly past him. It seemed like everything had all happened so fast. Just yesterday he was shooting hoops with his friends at the park's basketball court down the street.
Now he was heading to basic training. To be trained to fight. He hated that thought. He wasn't that type of person. He hated to see anyone in pain, to see anyone suffer.
James, his friend, glanced over at him every now and then. They had been friends since they were little kids. They had grown up together. James was even the one to introduce Justin to the girl that had now been his girlfriend of two years. He knew how attached Justin was to his family and friends. They all ment the world to him. He himself didn't really mind leaving. He and his parents had never gotten along well, and it didn't matter to them if he left or not.
"Hey Just?" he asked, taking another glance at his friend.
"Hmm," Justin replied, not taking his eyes from the window.
"Is Austin gonna be there? You know... at the station?"
"Yeah. I talked to her last night, she said she'd be there to say goodbye."
Justin shifted a bit in his seat as he started to pick at his nails.
"I don't want to leave, man..."
"I know you don't, Just, but we have to... We don't have a choice."
"I know... I can't believe we're actually being forced to go. They shouldn't be allowed to do that."
"They definitely need to change that."
A few minutes later they pulled up at the station. They got out of the jeep and grabbed their bags, then looked around at the other people who had already arrived. So many of those people they had known growing up.
Justin looked around and tried to block out the thought that some of them wouldn't make it back home. After a moment of looking around Justin heard someone call his name.
"Justin!"
It was his girlfriend, Austin. Justin set his bag down as she ran over to him and jumped into his arms.
"Hey baby."
"I wish you didn't have to go... I'm going to miss you so much." Austin said, running her fingers through Justin's curls.
"I know. I wish I didn't have to go, either... I'm going to miss you, too. But I promise to write to you whenever I can."
"Good. And you better get back home soon, I hate the thought of not having you around for so long."
"I will be, I promise. I have to go now. I'll call when I'm able to, okay?"
"Bye Justy... I love you."
"I love you too, Aussy. Bye," he said as he kissed her one last time, then picked up his bag and walked over to one of the busses with James. He turned and waved to Austin one more time before disappearing onto the bus.
There was a heavily muscled man in uniform just inside the bus. Justin glanced at him and swallowed hard. Once he had reached the man he could see all of the badges and patches that adorned his uniform.
"Full name," the man grunted, never looking up from his clipboard.
"Justin Randal Timberlake."
The man jotted something down on the clipboard and jerked his head to the side, motioning for Justin to go sit down. Justin walked down the isle and put his bag up on a shelf above one of the seats, then sat down next to James. They both sat quietly, listening to everyone whisper to one another nervously.
Once everyone had been loaded onto the busses, the man standing at the front checked his clipboard once more and sat it down, turning his attention to the men sitting in front of him.
"Okay listen up! My name is Sergeant Alec Blair. You will call me Sergeant Blair. All of you will be going to a training camp called Millington Army Base. That's about an hour away.
There you will be trained for eight weeks. You will then be divided, and sent where you are assigned. You may talk on the ride there, but do it quietly."
James and Justin talked mostly with another young man by the name of Jacob. He told them that it was his eighteenth birthday, and that a man came to his family's home to deliver the news and to bring him to the station.
They felt particularly sorry for him. They had both received warning a few weeks in advance that they would be leaving, and so they had time to say goodbye to everyone.
When the busses finally arrived at Millington Army Base, the men were sorted out and assigned to different barracks, then introduced to their commanding officers. They were told of some things they would be doing during their time at the base.
They were told the time they would wake up, the times for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and when it was lights out. Then they were then introduced to a handful of the men that had been selected to stay behind and help train the new recruits.
The one assigned to Justin's troop was a man named Private Christopher Alan Kirkpatrick.
Chris was one of the men that had been taken to be trained first. Justin figured he had just finished training with the last batch of soldiers the week before.
The men were then told they could go into their barracks and put their things away.
Private Kirkpatrick stood at the head, watching over them as they chose their cots. His cot was right next to where he was standing, on the left. The cot Justin chose was right next to his, and James grabbed the cot next to Justin's. Once they were all settled in Private Kirkpatrick stood up to speak.
"Welcome to Millington Army Base. As you know, my name is Private Kirkpatrick. Around the commanding officers you must address me as such, but otherwise you may call me Chris. If you have any questions, problems, or need someone to talk to, you can come to me.
"My job is to keep order in this barracks, so please, if you have a problem with someone, settle it quietly. Fighting on these grounds is cause for punishment. When it's lights out, I suggest that you do go to sleep. Don't stay up, because a new day starts very early here.
"I know a lot of you have family and friends that you will be writing to. All of your letters are to be given to me, and I will make sure they are delivered. If you would like to call someone when you have a break, come and ask me. That's all, you are free to mingle, but to not leave this barracks unless you are told to."
Justin watched Chris for a moment, and then looked around at the other guys that were sharing the barracks. One man in particular caught Justin's eye.
The man had blonde spiked hair and bright green eyes. He was thin, and didn't look like the type of man one generally found at training camp. He looked very shy. Justin walked down the isle and stopped in front of him.
"Hello," Justin greeted.
"Hi," the man said shyly, shifting uncomfortably.
"I'm Justin."
"I'm James, but everyone calls me Lance."
"Hey. My best friend's name is James, so I think I'll just call you Lance."
Lance looked up at Justin and smiled, starting to relax a little.
"My best friend was assigned to another barracks..."
"I'm sorry man... Mine is right down there. You're welcome to come talk to me anytime, and I know he'll say the same."
"Thanks. I could use a few friends here..."
"No problem. So, where are you from?" Justin asked as he sat down next to Lance.
"Laurel, Mississippi. You?"
"Memphis, Tennessee."
"I'm from Brooklyn, New York," a man that was standing close by Justin and Lance said.
"I'm Joey," he introduced himself.
"Hi Joey, I'm Justin."
"I'm Lance."
"Hey, mind if we join you?" Chris said as stepped up next to Joey, with another man next to him.
"Sure."
Chris, Joey and the man next to Chris all sat down, making a little circle.
"I'm Josh, but you guys can call me Jc. I'm from Bowie, Maryland."
"And You all know my name, but not where I'm from. I'm from Clarion, Pennsylvania." Chris added.
Once they were all introduced, Justin and the other four men sat and got to know each other. They talked about family, friends, girlfriends they had, or still had, as well as how they were told that they were drafted.
Chris told them about the training he had gone through, and told them what they should expect.
"I made a lot of friends during those eight weeks. It was really hard to watch them go. I pray every night for their safety. Hopefully the war will end soon, and they'll all come home safe.
"I think it's worse to have to stay behind and wonder about them, as well as help train all of you and see you go off, too. Hopefully you won't have to, but if you do I'm hoping they send me, too..." Chris trailed off. Justin and the others all nodded silently.
The rest of the day passed quietly. That night was just for everyone to get settled in, and then the next day training would begin. Justin and James, along with Justin's new found friends, all stayed pretty close to each other. They were still talking and getting to know each other, along with trying to ease each other's fears.
Just before lights out, Chris reminded everyone that the first day of training would start very early in the morning, and to get as much rest as they could get.
Justin said goodnight to his new friends, and to James, and then laid down on his cot. He laid on his back for a while, thinking about his mother and father, of all his friends back home. Mostly he thought about Austin. He closed his eyes and he could see her beautiful face. He smiled to himself as he rolled onto his side and slowly drifted off to sleep.
| Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six |
