Chapter 11

[May 11th, 2021]

I hear a loud series of pops in front of us. In front of the dense foliage that we reside in currently is a large, clear, field, and beyond that is a long line of bleachers. A cheering crowd. Families who haven't seen their children in 9 long grueling weeks. I stare at the colorful smoke and then hear two loud bangs, then the methodical rhythm of a light machine gun. The instructor's voice booms to us "Forward march!" After he finishes his command we all step forward with our left foot in unison. Through the green and yellow smoke, we emerge into the field as speakers blare, and a crowd cheers. I almost smile, but I force it back. A speech, a speech to congratulate another generation of soldiers for the United States Army. As he recites the graduation speech I march proudly beside my brothers. When we near the pavement we go to half time, and then we halt. "Ladies and gentlemen, to your front the 2nd Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment has formed on the field, and the units from left to right are Alpha Company-" I hear the formation to our very left sound off "Hooah!" "Bravo Company-" Then I hear another sound off. "Hooah!" "Charlie Company-" Now it's our turn. I scream as loud as I can when I see a flag raise in front of our formation. "Hooah!" "Delta Company-" "Hooah!" "Echo Company!" "Hooah!" A few moments later, after the speech is complete, people start tapping out as their parents and friends come to see them. I feel a tap on my shoulder. I wasn't really expecting anyone to come to see me. I look to my side and see my mother, and behind her is my father. He looks distant or lost in his thoughts. "Dad?" I hear my mother speak. "He's fine, he's just... thinking." "I see." I watch as my father raises his head to look at me. He looks almost sympathetic. "Jackson, you're going to see many things that will scare you. You'll see things that will make you question humanity and even yourself. Are you ready for that?" I'm confused. Why is he saying this? I stare into his eyes and see a deep sadness, one that has remained in place for a very long time, something that has haunted him for many years. I'm shocked. He sprung this question onto me so suddenly. "What are you talking about, of course I'm ready. I've already passed basic." "If only you were, if only..." He begins to slightly mumble to himself and I'm unable to make out what he's saying. I look to my mother to see if she knew what he was talking about. She has a look of concern. Not for me, but rather for my father. "Dad, are you ok?" He looks up and gives me a slight nod. This was just so out of character for him. He's always been a hardass and never worried too much unless it involved him. He's always kept to himself. He raises his hand to his head and rubs a specific spot for a brief moment. "He was-" "I'm fine, let's go." Something's off. He's never acted like this before. We maneuver through the massive crowd and towards the exit, but as we approach, I hear a voice call out to me. "Jack!" I look in the direction of the voice and see two people. Jessica and Brandon. Brandon leisurely walks towards me while Jessica is almost sprinting. She slams into me, practically tackling me, but from what it seems, she hurt herself a little bit in the process. I take a moment to watch as she takes a step back while holding her nose. "Jeez, what's up with that? You were never that well defined." A slight chuckle escapes while I reminisce on the long days of exercise and PT runs. "Well, I guess the Army's basic training can do wonders." "Apparently." She lets her hand drop from her nose, and I hear Brandon voice his thoughts. "So, where are you going?" I look at him and think for a moment. I hadn't thought about it that much. I didn't want to go anywhere that my mother couldn't, and now I have to think about my father too. As I'm stuck in my thoughts, I overhear my parents talking. "I need to get out of here, I just-, it just-" "I understand what you mean, but we need to stay. It's our son's graduation. It's been 30 years." "I understand, I just can't. There are just some things that you can't forget." "I understand. I guess we can go. I'll tell him that you weren't feeling well." I listen as my father walks off. What happened 30 years ago? How is it connected to this? "Hey, Jackson, me and your father are going. He isn't feeling very well." "Yeah, I heard." "O-Oh, alright then." Well then, I guess bowling is back on the table. I look up to the two people in front of me. "Hey, you guys don't mind if I join you, right?" Brandon beams up and responds. "Of course, you can come along!" "That's certainly a relief. Do you guys know where you're going?" Jessica answers my question this time. "We were thinking about going bowling!" From what I guess, this wasn't a unanimous decision. Because as soon as she finished her sentence, Brandon jerked his head towards her and slightly glared at her. He relaxes and releases a sigh as he looks back to me. "Well, I don't have anything better in mind. Are you ok with that, Jack?" "Yeah, I hadn't put any thought into it either. As long as we have something to do." We slowly start moving towards the parking lot, and then I realize something. "Why are we going to the parking lot?" Jessica looks at me like I said something odd, and then her face reforms itself to that of realization. "That's right, you two have been out of the loop, haven't you?" Both I and Brandon look at her, confused. "What are you talking about?" She gets this huge smile on her face and responds happily. "I finally got my driver's license!" Both of our faces turn to that of shock, horror, and happiness. After a moment, Brandon speaks. "I don't feel safe with you operating a vehicle." Brandon says with a straight face and being deathly honest. I simply nod in agreement. Jessica looks to both of us. "W-Wait, seriously?" We get closer to her car. It's a black jeep. She starts to pick up her pace, but I match her speed. She starts going just that little bit faster, and that's when I notice. She was trying to get to the driver's seat. I break into a sprint to get there before her. "No!" I hear her yell to me while she pouts and claws at my back in a futile attempt to grab my uniform. But I'm faster.