Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ What If ❯ Home Sweet Home ( Chapter 5 )

As I walked closer I stopped at the steps, they were worn from many climbing up and down them. How they had seen so much action over the years. One lone step had been replaced. It looked so out of place against those that were weathered. Only four steps but they saw a lot. Many soldiers had seen them, used them everyday, now they waited for their new set of soldiers to use, a soldier like me. That was a scary thought, me a soldier in the army. If only Jesse could see me now.

At the top stood an old screen door, the kind that as a kid I watched the kittens climb on back on the farm. I opened the door and took my first step up the beaten stairs. Each sound pounded into my head, looking for a place of recognition, but none were to be found. As I walked into the building the door had snapped shut behind me, making sure I was captive in its hold. The silence of the room had sent shivers coursing through out my body.

I stopped just inside the door to take my first look around. It wasn't much but we didn't need much anyways. At one end of the room sat a few tables and chairs, a couch and a small radio. The other end was the latrine. Six cots lined the wall to either side of me, more above on the next level. Each held its own bedding, waiting for the occupant to come claim it. Beside each cot a locker stood, like a soldier at attention waiting for its next order.

Already two new women were in the barracks. They just glanced up from putting away their stuff. Stormy looked at me for reassurance before we headed all the way in. The mousy haired girl followed us in. She didn't even speak a word.

I walked down the aisle between the cots toward the opposite end of the building. My footsteps echoing on the wooden floor matched those of my heartbeat. I closed my eyes and could smell the past coming to the future, and I wondered to myself would my life be the same? I stopped at one of the cots and laid my stuff down on it and took another glance around. Nothing had changed, but yet nothing was the same. The silence had been replaced with one of curiosity.

“My guess is we just take a bed and start unpacking.” I told the girls.

“I guess so.” Stormy stated.

“Well” I sighed. “Lets pick one. It really doesn't matter to me where I am. We are all going to be here together anyways.”

“Hey” one of the new girls said.

She had long brown hair. Dark rich colored skin like she had lived all her life outdoors. There was something very familiar about her but I could not place it at this time.

“These three beds down here are free,” she said. “I promise not to bite and as far as I know of I don't snore.”

Her smile and friendly attitude drew me in, so I headed towards her and the empty beds. I took the one nearest to her and Stormy took the bed on the other side of me. The mousy haired girl just fell in and took the third bed.

I sat all my stuff on the bed then I sat down on the end of it. Not sure where to begin I opened the locker. A few empty bare shelves were the only things in the locker. I just stared at them in disbelief. Guess there was nothing left to do but unpack and wait. So that is what I did. It wouldn't take me very long to do at all considering what all they gave me.

It only took me less than a half an hour to unpack all my new worldly goods. In this time more girls arrived and took beds. It wouldn't be long before all the beds were filled up. Then I guess it would be on to the next step in our life.

I looked over and saw that Stormy had finished unpacking. She sat with her knees drawn up and her chin rested on them. She was going to take this hard but I knew she was a fighter.

“Get everything put away?” I asked Stormy.

“Yea, I think so,” she said with a heavy sigh.

“Tomorrow the real fun begins.” I said with a halfhearted smile.

“Don't remind me.”

“Hey now, it can't be all that bad.” I said.

“So where are you guys from?” said the new girl.

I read her name badge it said Stillwater. Still she looked very familiar to me. I could not place her face and name at all. But I had seen it somewhere before.

“I'm from Kansas,” replied Stormy. “Just outside of Abilene. But now I am here.”

“Same here from Kansas.” I stated. “And of all places. Plainville. Little o plain me from Plainville.”

“My name is Sara Walker. I'm from Indiana but I was a visiting some relatives in Kansas. So instead of going home and then here I just took the plane from there.” Sara said.

“What about you Stillwater?” I said.

“Arizona. Names Cheyenne Stillwater.” she said.

“Thee Cheyenne Stillwater? From Sun City Arizona?” Stormy said with excitement.

“The one and only.” Cheyenne said with a laugh.

“I have seen you on the television. What are you doing here?” Stormy said.

“Cheyenne Stillwater?” I asked while looking puzzled.

It then dawned on me who Cheyenne was. She was the leading women's motor cross champion. I had seen commercials of her advertising different products. But I had never really put two and two together.

“Oh my god. I can't believe I just said that.” I said in embarrassment.

“Don't worry about it. Sometimes I wish people would forget.” Cheyenne said.

“Seems you had a very exciting life going on there.” I said. “Why are you here?”

“Same as the rest of you I guess. I got drafted. Never expected anything like this to happen to me. But maybe it was for the best.”

“None of us expected it. Names Jaclyn Rodriguez by the way.” said Jaclyn with a heavy southern accent. “From New Orleans. Kind of glad I got drafted. I`ll get those sons of bitches that started this here damn war.”

Just then a screech came from the door and we all drew our attention to it. There stood a Barbie doll in real life. Bleach blonde hair, perfect figure, and a nose in the air to match. None of us could stammer out a word of what we saw. This Barbie doll was screeching too much for us to even try too. I glanced over at the other girls and they were just as shocked. Stormy's jaw was open and it looked like Jaclyn was ready to say something.

“You can't expect me to live in these conditions,” the Barbie doll screeched. “Wait till my father hears about this. He will close this place down. Don't you leave with out me? You can't make me stay here. I said get back here. Where do you think your going? Get back here right now!”

We all eyed each other and could not help but laugh at the scene that just played out in front of us. The other girls across the building were doing the same. It wasn't like any of us wanted to be here. But at least none of us made a scene about it either.

“Can you believe this? He left me here. I have to put up with this dump and who knows what else is here,” she said to no one in particular.

That did it; Jaclyn opened her mouth at that comment.

“Get used to it Barbie doll.” Jaclyn sneered. “Like we really want you here either.”

“What did you call me?” the Barbie doll fumed. “Did you just call me a Barbie doll? I am not by any means a plastic piece of crap toy thank you very much.”

“Could have fooled me.” I muttered under my breath.

Now look what I did. One of these days I was going to learn to keep my mouth shut. But today was not going to be one of those days I took it.

The Barbie doll stalked over to the beds across the room. She slammed down her things on a bed and spun around at my words. Daggers flashed from her eyes. It was clear if looks could kill I would have been dead right then.

“Do you even know who I am?” she snapped.

“No, but I have a feeling your going to tell us.”

Oh great there I went again. Learn to shut up Catherine or your going to put your foot in your mouth again. Then again maybe I shouldn't shut up. After all we were all here for the same thing and same reason.

“Yes I am you insolent little heathen. I am Britney Nicole Morganstine. Daughter of Richard Morganstine.”

“And this is supposed to mean what?” Stormy asked with a roll of her eyes and a flip of her hand.

“Richard Morganstine is the owner of Morganstine electronics. He is my father and he will see to it that I get the hell out of here.”

“Oh, so your going to try and get big daddy hot shot to buy you out of the draft. This is if you are who you say you are, Barbie doll.” Jaclyn mocked.

“Dam right I will. My father is one of the richest men in this country. He would not like to see his only daughter, his only child for that fact in a dump like this. Or even that I would have to put up with the likes of people like you.” she sneered.

Ok that did it for me. I did not care if she was a rich little daddy's girl. I was not going to be taking any down grading just because she had money. What little control I had on my own mouth broke just then.

I got up from my bed and started towards her. “Oh… Look tight girls let us all bow down to her royal highness.”

“Why you little bitch.” she said bringing her hand up to slap me.

I grabbed her wrist with ease and looked straight into her eyes. “Thank you, I earned that title well. Now if you are finished, why don't you sit your pretty little ass down, shut your yapping trap and make due of it. Before I help you do it.”

I shoved her hand out of mine. Then dared her to even try anything. I was not in a good mood now. Like any of us had volunteered to be here. But at least we was making due of it. She could do the same thing.

With shock in her eyes, Britney quickly turned her back to me. She went over to her bed and sat down and from the gentle shake of her shoulders I knew she was crying. I turned back towards my bed and saw the others looking at me. I could see the shock in their eyes as well. I looked at each of them and just shrugged my shoulders.

“Where in the world did that come from?” Stormy said wide-eyed. “I thought I was a fiery red head you sure your not one too? Hell, come to think of it my temper is not even that bad.”

“Too much practice with my brothers I guess.” I said with a shrug of my shoulders. “We fought verbally a lot. Dad used to tell me I would make a good drill sergeant with my lungs.”

“Dam glad me and my brothers didn't fight like that.” Cheyenne said.

“Girl, your daddy was right about them lungs.” Jaclyn added.

“Trust me.” I sighed. “Those fights weren't always pretty.”

I knew my fights with my brothers weren't pretty at all. There were times my brothers done a lot to me that I could not help. I only had my voice to yell or scream. Many times it was my voice that got me into trouble. It would probably do the same here.

After the verbal fight everyone went back to her own bed. I glanced over at the door and saw a shadow retreat out of it. Oh great this was going to be it. Someone had been standing there listening to us. They probably went to get someone to turn us in. This was going to be great first day here and we were in trouble already. But no one came back. At least no officers that is. We just had more people come in each one grabbing a bed.

The last two beds were still unoccupied when a very loud girl came in. Loud as meaning if this girl was flashier you would think her uniform was a dance outfit. The girl was black with long black braided hair, bright ruby red lipstick that perfectly matched her long fingernails. I sat there and just shook my head. This was about the strangest of girls I had met today alone.

“Howdy ya'll, this here bed taken?” she said with a deep southern accent.

She walked with a sander across the room. Like she really knew how to dance with cat like reflexes. A smile never once left her face. Her accent wasn't nothing like Jaclyn's. But more like someone near Georgia. Somewhere down in the Deep South.

“Sure go right on ahead. Those beds are open.” said Cheyenne pointing her finger at the beds across the room from us.

“Thanks girlfriend. Rightly appreciate it that you make me feel so at home here.”

“Well it will be home at least for the next 9 weeks or so.” Stormy replied. “Names Stormy here. What's yours?”

“Serena, Serena Sullivan.” she said the smile still not wearing off. She sat her stuff down on the bed and looked around. “So what about the rest of ye.”

“I'm Cheyenne Stillwater, from Arizona.”

“Of course I am Stormy, but Schwartz is my last name.” Stormy said with a wink. “And I am from Kansas.”

I looked up and gave a warm smile. “Names Catherine Parker. Also from Kansas.”

“Jaclyn Rodriguez from Mardi Gra home town of New Orleans.”

“My name is Sara Walker. I'm from Indiana.”

“Wow it's cool to meet you all.” Serena said. “But who's the blonde?”

“Who, me?” Britney finally looked up from her bed.

“Yea you, sister. If we be sleepin next to each other I might as well get to know ya.”

“Don't mind Barbie doll there. She is just pissed about being here.” Jaclyn stated.

Oh god, please don't let this start again. I really do not want to get in the middle of it. I could just see it now. Soldier gets inducted on first day for fighting.

“My name is not Barbie doll. It is Britney Nicole Morganstine. And I am from California.”

“Hey now girlfriend cool those jets. And let me tell ya all who I am.” Serena said. “To let you know I am a preachers daughter. But I ain't no good girl. I wanted to be a dancer but looks like the army got a hold of me first.” she said with a snicker.

Serena went over to the beds and placed her bag on it. She sat down with a heavy sigh and looked around before starting to unpack. You could tell she had something on her mind by the way she kept looking at Britney and then shaking her head. Finally it got the best of her and she got up and walked over to my bed.

“Hey, care if I sit down?”

“Sure go right on ahead.” I said as I moved my feet off the bed.

“What's up with blonde over there?” she said as she sat down on the edge of the bed. “She's been crying since I got here.”

“Don't mind her, she is just pissy.”

“And we're not?”

I laughed “Yea I guess we're not.”

That was about as far as we got before we heard a loud thump. Everyone in the room automatically pinpointed the door and our last person was here.

We were in for a real treat with this one. Coal black hair spiked out on end. Instead of the chain for her dog tags, she wore an actual dog collar. She looked around the room with a scowl on her face. This lady was nothing but freaky to say the least.

Serena got up and walked back over to her bed and sat down on it. Never taking her eyes off the new girl, she pointed to the bed next to her.

“That bed is open.”

“Whatever.” the spiked haired girl growled.

She walked over to the bed and dropped her stuff on the floor. Glancing around the room she studied each person with her gaze before setting down on the bed. No one said a word. Not even a sound outside was heard. It was like everything had stood still.

This girl was going to be difficult. We were not going to get anything from her with out a fight. But still there was something oddly familiar about her. But at that time I could not put my finger on it. Maybe just her attitude but who knew.

That was when the sound of boots could be heard walking up the steps. By the sound of them this guy should be huge. Everyone automatically looked toward the door. We all knew everyone was there already. But there he stood. Six foot six inches of man. Built like a linebacker for the Detroit lions.

His expression was the next thing to catch my eyes. This man was serious, dead serious. He looked about the room and it got worse. His expression was more of one walking into a pile of shit. Guess what? We were the shit.

If you thought his built and stares were bad enough, he opened his mouth. I would never forget his tone of voice for as long as I could remember. It was the same tone of authority and one with discuss.

“On your feet and at the end of those beds you good for nothing piss ants.” he yelled.

Who ever said women did not move very fast sure as hell, never saw us move. Everyone was up in a hurry and to the ends of their beds. That is all of us except one person, the new girl. She took her time getting up. Meandered over to the end of the bed and took her spot.

Ok, the officer was now ready to kill. It only took him three steps before he was in front of the new girl. Not just in front of her, he was in her face.

“Do you think you are too good to follow an order soldier?” he yelled in her face.

She just looked up at him with defiance. Shifting her weight to one leg, she crossed her arms across her chest. Just daring him to try anything. But to make matters worse she opened her mouth.

“Think you can take a breath mint next time before you yell in my face.”

Oh great World War Three was about ready to start and we had front seats. This was going to be an interesting match of skills. But my bet lie on the girl getting the shit knocked out of her.

“So, we have a renegade. Think you're miss tough with that stance and dog collar.” he said turning away from her.

The new girl smiled broadly as if she just won the fight. But you could tell the fight was not over. It had only just begun. And the next move was the soldiers. I had a feeling this was not going to be a pretty sight at all.

The soldier whirled around on the new girl grabbed the dog collar around her neck and picked the new girl up off her feet.

“Let this be a lesson to anyone who try's to be a renegade in my unit. If I ever see you wearing this, or disgracing the army at any point in time you will have me to deal with.” he said to the new girl.

While still holding her in the air he turned to the rest of us. “This is also a warning to the rest of you as well. And one warning is all you will get. This is the army not playtime. You will eat, drink, and breathe the army. You are the army.”

He turned back to the girl and dropped her to the floor. “Now piss ant, for your disobedience, drop and give me twenty. Now!”

She lies there on the floor looking up at the solider with new interest. One that showed as much fear as it did of obedience. She started to turn slowly over to do the push ups when…

“I said today piss ant!” he yelled.

No one else was about ready to defy this man. He was tough as nails and meaner than the devil. You could tell he had been though a lot. And he had us to put up with. Not every mans dreams to have twenty women under your control. I will tell you this it was going to get interesting.