Control Me (book 1)

Coal-

As soon as everyone was out of my sight the tears started rolling off my cheeks one by one. "You okay there buddy?"

"No..." I said honestly. I knew the reality of the situation, there was little to no chance of my coming back to her alive, but I would try. I would try harder than I've ever done anything in my life, because she was my life.

After many many cab rides I finally arrived in Regina, there were military personnel all over the city. Somehow I managed to find my way to general O'brien's office, after hours of walking.

I walked right into his office without any hesitation. "Who said you could be here?" He said angrily standing up out of his chair. He was a heavier set man with a big attitude. He was much older than me, I'm guessing somewhere in his fifties.

"You did sir." I handed him the letter I had received. He quickly looked over the letter then set it on his desk.

"Awe yes, Coal Hampton. The only letter I've ever written personally."

"Yeah, I feel so special." I said sarcastically.

"Boy don't give me that lip! You're here as punishment, you will do as commanded and if you so much as try to run away you will be found and killed on spot."

"Isn't that murder sir."

"You're in a war son, anything can look like killing on the field. Do you understand your position private?" He threw me a duffle bag. "Now come with me." I followed him out of the small office to another building that had people wearing camouflage all around it. As I looked around the grounds, there were people running a track and climbing walls. All things that to me seemed so light.

Inside the building there were bunk beds lined up along the walls and people talking. Once they saw the general they stood up and saluted. "At ease," He said, but it wasn't hard to tell he loved the attention. It seemed like the people here had high respects for him, or they were just scared shitless of him. "Here is your bunk." He pointed to a ratty old bed, on the bottom, with some nice comforter and sheets to make up for the springs that would stab me in the back. I threw my duffel bag in the chest at the end of my bed. "Good day," with that he left.

"So you must be Coal huh?" I looked over at the man in the bunk next to me, who looked like he was plucked straight out of high school to be here. What a waist.

"Yeah, what of it."

"There's been a lot of talk about you, that you're a prisoner? And that you came from that Coseye place that's why you're so strong."

"I don't want to talk about it." I laid down on the bunk, turning my back to him to indicate that I was done speaking, but apparently he can't take a hint.

"Can they do that to all of us? Make us as strong as you?"

I sat up quickly to look at him, "No!" The room fell silent. "What they did there is wrong! You see all these scars?" I held out my arms exposing the many ridged scars they had left. "They torchered me in there. For two years, you think I want to be like this?" Everyone was looking at me now. "Most of the people they did this to died! Thousands of lives! I don't want to talk about what happened there and I sure as hell am not telling any of you what I did." I laid back down and looked up at the bunk above me.

"Sorry," he said, his voice shy and quiet now. Everyone continued talking. I took a photo out of my pocket. It was a picture of Sapphire, the one I had taken of her drawing with Chloe. "Who's that?" I turned my head to look at the same guy I had just yelled at for asking too many questions.

"You have a lot of questions don't you?" He slumped back in his bed. "It's my girlfriend..." I answered, but only out of sympathy for that moron.

"She's very pretty."