Chapter One: Life of a Soldier
I slowly woke up on a bed made from stone in a swamp-green tent not knowing how I got here smelling the crisp grass around me. “JOURNEE! Are you okay sweetheart?” My Mum trembled in front of my face so close I could smell her minty breath and feel her tears dropping on my face. “WHERE AM I?!” I quickly sprang up from my bed in spite of the feeling of rusty nails piercing through my entire body. “And where is my ring?!” I snapped vigorously after a split second of stroking my middle finger where my ring usually was. “What are you talking about? Your ring is right there sweetie!” Mum pointed at my finger without looking closer. And I glanced at my middle finger, noticing a silver engraving mimicking my lost ring.
It’s weird. I never remembered seeing a tattoo artist. Or it’s probably my nerves not working properly. And I just sat next to mum, pinching myself hoping it was just a nightmare. But it’s not. This is real life. I had lost my ring. The only thing I had left of Grams was when she died recently.
I quickly snapped out of it. “Also Mum. I have a question. Why am I here instead of a hospital?” I turned towards Mum waiting for an explanation. “Well Journee, just a week ago, Mexico declared war on the US with the help of other countries. Probably because of the recent bombings in Mexico the new talk on the news, Mexico might have believed it was America and now they are declaring war on us with help from the other countries and exploding everything in sight.” Mum faltered in the last sentence.“ We went to your college to make sure you were ok. But unfortunately, you are the only survivor. And just like I said they exploded everything, even the hospitals.”
