Free Clouds of Tyranny by J. R. Pond

obviously drunk. Ruthie waved
off Locke’s insult with her free hand, “Palease, I love this stuff,
“ said Ruthie triumphantly as if Locke was insane. Pearl swallowed
the mess and made a struggled exhaling sound like she had been
trapped under water for several moments, “Yeah, and no one ever
said you were normal.” Terra,” said Clyde, “it tastes horrible, but
very nutritious for you.” Terra gave him a halfhearted nod and
looked down into her bowl as she could now hear Ruthie’s spoon
scrape the bottom of her bowl. “Mmmm,” hummed Ruthie with closed
tranquil eyes. “Here,” said Ray as he slid his bowl in her
direction, “bone a petit.” “Thanks sweetie,” she said with a flirty
smile. Terra looked at the two of them and thought to
herself: she’s a kid for god’s sake. Are
they…? Terra snapped out of her deep
thought and emptied her spoon into her mouth with expectations of
gagging or illness. “Wow!” exasperated Terra, “This is really
really really good.” Everyone froze in surprise, “Fuck off!” said
Pearl. “Hmm,” said Ray, “Maybe a chick thing.” Pearl gave him a
cold look, “What about me? I’m a girl and I think it’s horrible.”
He raised an eyebrow at her, “Like I said.” Locke shook his head
and started to stand up and teetered a bit. Ray caught Locke from
falling flat on the table. “Thanks,” said Locke with no emotion in
his monotone voice. Terra could tell he was barely conscious.
“Well,” said Locke, “Bedtime, night ladies and gentlemen…and
Pearl.” Pearl grinned sarcastically as she gave him the middle
finger. “Number 1,” said Ray as he drank the bottle Locke had left
behind. Terra noticed that Locke went through the wooden door
marked “Returners” and not the one leading to the dormitories.
Ruthie finished her two bowls of bile and Terra had her bowl plus
the second half of Pearl’s food. Pearl stood after smoking a
cigarette and went through the door marked “Returners.” “Ruthie,”
whispered Terra, “She doesn’t sleep in the women’s room?” “Hmmm?”
said Ruthie as she turned her head to see Pearl go through the
door, “Oh, high rank soldiers and lieutenants have private rooms to
prepare for their missions and have uninterrupted sleep.” Terra
looked intently at Ruthie, “But, aren’t you?” Ruthie interrupted
with a smile, “I’m not an official soldier. I’m underage, according
to Smith. He deems it immoral to send someone under sixteen on a
mission that could mean death, but I volunteer to go when he allows
me. In five weeks I’ll have my room back there. Hell, maybe we both
will, yes?” Terra just smiled at Ruthie, not knowing if she’d be
here for that long; Terra just wanted to go home.

CHAPTER 6: GIRL
TALK
     
    After dinner, Ruthie retired to
the women’s designated dorm as Terra hung back to explore her new
home. She waited for all to be clear in the dining room before
sneaking on further. She found her way through the door marked
“Returners.” She creaked the door open slowly and peeked her head
in; from beneath the cracks under each door was darkness except for
one. Smith’s light was out and that’s all that mattered. Terra
opened the door further and strafed her way through the half-open
door shutting it quietly behind her. She tiptoed down the hall
stopping at each door to press her ear against them and listen in.
She heard a loud vibrating growl as she approached the second door
on the left, “CRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!” heard Terra as she pressed her ear
to the door. Whoa! That’s some bad
snoring, thought Terra as she pulled her
ear away and looked at the door that had a name carved into the
wood. “Pearl?!” she said loudly. She clasped her hands over her
mouth. “What are you doing in here?” whispered a voice from behind
her. She turned to face the voice behind her; it was Locke. “I
was…” mumbled Terra just before Locke grabbed her by the arm and
drug her to his room and shut the door.