Boot Camp
By: Simone Federici
“Wake up boys! Breakfast is in two minutes sharp… and if you’re late that’s 100 push-ups in front of all of us!” The man shouted with a deep and strong voice as he walked down the narrow halls. The boys all woke up as the man’s voice came closer and closer, getting louder by the second.
“What are you boys still doing in bed? Get up now!” The man was in the dorm now scanning all the boys’ faces and then proceeded in his loud and frightening tone of voice. “Oohh… I see. We have some new faces don’t we?” The man hissed through his teeth with a glower on his face. There was a short pause as the twelve boys, crammed into just 6 bunks, stared with mortified expressions.
“Is somebody gonna answer me?”
“Oh…umm.” Ralph muttered too scared to speak to such a strong and scary person as the man was only a few feet away from his dirty face. Ralph’s face was struck with horror and confusion.
“Where are we?” Ralph now spoke with full projection to the tall man crouched down and staring at Ralph and a littlun that he was sharing a bed with.
“What do you mean where are we? Your recruiter didn’t inform you of the training you boys are about to undergo?”
“Umm… no afraid not… sir--”
“What training?” Jack interrupted with refusal in his voice. “We were supposed to be rescued! Do you really think that you can hold us hostage like this?”Jack’s voice was full of rage, which would put him without question on the man’s bad side.
“We just want to go home,” Samneric complained together as they sat on the very edge of the top bunk above Ralph and the other littlun.
“Well, that ain’t gonna happen too soon… you boys still have to fight! Speaking of fighting… you boys better get to breakfast with your uniforms on before you get caught by the chief. And trust me… it ain’t a pretty thing.”
Percival was now hiding under the covers in the corner of his bed weeping. The rest of the boys were still confused that just one moment ago, it seemed like they were about to be rescued and returned back to their warm beds with their beloved families. Now they were all crammed into bunks in a cold cement room with beds made of uncomfortable spring beds, blankets that were small and rough on the skin and bars covering the one small window on the far wall, the only source of light in the dark room.
“What time is it…sir?” another one of the boys asked.
“Time for you boys to get to breakfast! That’s what time it is! Now go!” the tall and dark-haired man walked away pointing to a set to dirty camouflage uniforms.
The twelve remaining boys’ eyes followed the man until he was headed down the hallway. The dorm was quite, the boys speechless from what had just taken place. By the looks of the outside and the small window that let minimal light in, it couldn’t have been anywhere near past 5 o’clock in the morning. Ralph suddenly leapt out of the hard bed and took control.
“What are you waiting for? Come on everyone… we have to go, NOW!”
* * *
Breakfast went by fast and the boys were only minimally yelled at for not knowing the proper procedure of breakfast. Porridge was served for breakfast today, with all the boys
only having about 3 minutes to eat it.
“That porridge wasn’t good at all. I would have rather eaten the pig from the island,” Maurice said as the whole campus of boys walked outside.
“Maurice you have to be quiet or else they are going to yell at you… again!” Ralph whispered so quietly the other person beside him couldn’t hear.
The cold air stung the boys’ faces as soon as they walked outside. The sun was just about rising over a giant grass field of their left.
“Attention!” The tall dark-haired man called. It was the same one who woke the boys in the morning. “Everyone line up in a straight line!”
All the boys then followed immediate instructions and were in a perfectly straight line about ten feet away from another row of tall men who were instructors. The tall dark-haired man was standing in front of all the others and then quickly slid back into the line. He then took a quick glance at a man in the center that was dressed differently than the others and seemed to be a lot older. He quickly nodded his head once to signal the chief that it was his turn to speak. The chief then took a step forward, fixing his cuffs as he walked the short three steps.
“Okay boys, if you are eight years of age or younger, then please follow Mr. Amherst over here to the right.” The chief directed.
About half of the boys went with Mr. Amherst, while the rest including Jack and Ralph were standing still, with gaps in between them where the younger boys had been.
“The rest of you boys will be starting your training momentarily with these instructors you see here. You boys will learn how to use weapons and begin fitness to get you ready for defeating the Germans who are not with us, the Nazis.”
Suddenly another man, still tall with dark hair stepped in front and guided the boys to their training location. “I must warn you that the location is not very local… so we will be walking a ways to get there. It is about three miles away, therefore we will be staying there for about a week. That means that you boys have four minutes to gather all of your belongings and change into your correct attire. Your time starts now.”
Then all the boys abruptly darted for their dorms. “Hey, Jack,” Ralph said. “I can’t wait to use the guns!”
“Yeah… and you’re gonna wish that we never got to use them once I shoot your head off. So shut up and don’t talk to me anymore or else I will shoot you.”
Ralph, shocked by the life-threatening statement stopped in mid-stride and starred at Jack with an expression that showed confusion and helplessness.
“All right boys you all have one more minute to get your belongings, change and meet the rest of the instructors outside near the East entrance. HURRY UP!!! If you’re late, that will be 200 more pushups each day for the rest of the week!” the tall dark-haired man yelled as he rapidly walked down the narrow dorm hallways.
* * *
“Okay boys, I know that some of you are confused and don’t exactly understand your purpose here. We are the German Nazis. Now there are two different groups of Germans, the Nazis of course who want to kill the Jews, that’s us. And then there are the rest of the Germans who want peace and think that all rights should be equal.”
“That doesn’t make any sense… why would anyone not want peace and equality?” someone standing next to Jack whispered.
“Who said that?” the chief yelled eying Jack and the boys next to him that was whispering. All the boys stood frozen afraid of the consequence that would await them it they didn’t respond. Now the chief was only about a foot away from Jack, staring him like a lion about to pounce on its prey. “I said who said that!” the chief repeated with an even louder and more powerful voice.
“Umm…” Jack muttered under his breath.
“Was it you?” the chief demanded quietly through his teeth.
“No… um—sir… I didn’t say anything,” Jack stated to the chief.
“Yes it was!” the chief grabbed Jack by the collar of his uniform violently and pulled him in between the line of boys and instructors.
“Let go of me! I didn’t say anything!” Jack screamed at the top of his lungs with a slight bit of attitude.
“What was that?”
“I said I didn’t say anything!”
“Well then who do you think was talking?” the chief said with enough anger to cause smoke to start blowing out of his ears.
“It was him, right there!” Jack pointed to the boy that was standing next to him and was whispering earlier.
“I don’t believe him! He looks like a trouble anyway! Guards!” the chief commanded. Within two seconds three extremely muscular and tall men we standing with their arms glued to the sides of their body behind the chief.
“Please remove this boy from the premises of this island!” the chief demanded without one moment to consider if Jack had actually committed talking while the chief was making a speech.
As the guards violently escorted Jack in the direction towards the camp sight, Ralph did something that would change how Jack thought of Ralph forever. Ralph saw it coming… Jack’s death and he saw the fear, the helplessness, hopelessness in Jack’s eyes as he kicked and screamed at the guards, but making no big effort to continue once he realized that the guards were too strong and tough to even budge at what seemed like small taps when Jack kept thrusting his legs at them.
“Wait!” Ralph stepped out of the crowed and protested as they took Jack further and further away.
“What it is now?! Are you trying to stand up for your friend, is that it?” The chief said with a combination of sarcasm and a tone that sounded like he could have been talking to kindergardeners.
Ralph just stood there motionless. The speechless boy didn’t know what to say and was confused by the fact that after being on the island and Jack trying to kill him, he was now the one trying to save him. “Don’t take him,” Ralph said sympathetically. “I was the one who was talking, I should be taken away.”
“Ralph… HELP!” Jack screamed at the top of his lungs from what seemed like almost 100 yards now.
After all the boys had been through, Ralph was saving Jack, yet Jack never once apologized or regretted his actions. It seemed like more and more was realized as the short seconds ticked by and Jack was being dragged away to death and Ralph’s… quickly approaching.