A restless night takes over 5275 just as she expected it to. In a half daze, she dreams of one of her first nights she had in this same bunker. Back then it was full of people. People who hated her for no reason. 

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A splash of cold water hits 5275’s face. She gasps for air and immediately feels the eyes on her. As she wipes away the water, she sees them. Nineteen pairs of eyes. Standing in two rows. Right in front of the bunk beds. Nineteen pairs of eyes dare to steal a glance at her and see the glory of what is about to happen. 5249, the soldier to her right, even manages a quiet snicker.

Nyx is holding an empty bucket in his hand at the foot of her bed. Water drips from the bucket onto the floor. He’s the only one not looking at her. He’s too busy noting the reactions of everyone around her. Nyx turns around and puts his back to her.

“Soldier 5275, did you not hear the bell? Why are you not up? I’m not asking for your permission to come in and fuck you. Get up and out of your bed now you piece of shit.”

“Get in the middle and lay your face in the cement now.” 5275 pulls the wet sheets up, slides her body out, and gently folds them back down in one fluid motion.

“What were you dreaming about? Were you dreaming about flying? Let’s see how you can fly. Put your arms out and fly.”

5275 holds out her arms and keeps her head level with the floor. Her bare stomach is cold from the cement, but she remains quiet.

There's no point in responding. If I tell Nyx they held me down and told me to pretend to be a sleep, it won't change anything.

5275 looks at Nyx’s polished shoes. There’s a knick on the right one. And what looks like mud in the arch of the left. 

Probably got it in the way in from the field.  She keeps her mind focused on the shoes and away from the pain shooting through her hip bones hitting the cement. Pain can always be focused somewhere.

“Everyone, we’re going to demonstrate to 5275 what to do when she hears the bell.”

“Get in your beds.” Nyx yells.

“All right everyone, good night." Nyx flips the lights off. 

"Are you all fucking tucked in? Do you feel ready to have your wet dreams?”

The bell goes off.

Everyone jumps up, tucks their sheets in, and stands at attention. Exactly as they were before.

“No! You’re doing it wrong!”

“Again!”

Light goes off. Jump out. Tuck in.

"No."

Nyx turns to 5275 still on the ground with her arms out in front of her.

“Soldier 5275, this time get in your bed. Don’t move. Don’t get up. Just stay there.”

“Good night!” The lights go off and come back on.

“Wrong! Do it again!” Lights turn off then on.

“WRONG!” This time, the lights stay off. The sound of Nyx’s voice echoes in the bunker.

Nyx walks slowly back over to 5275's bed. “So this is what you all would do? Every single time you’d let her die? No nudge? No, hey, there’s some shit going on. Get moving.”

Nyx grabs the footer of the bed and shakes it. “How would you feel if you died in this bed? If you were left here, right here in this shitty little bed.” 

“5275, this time I want you to get up. Everyone else, stay in your fucking beds. Don’t move.”

Lights off. Lights come back on.

5275 flips up her sheets and runs to grab the light switch. She flicks it up and down, up and down. “Wake up! Wake up now! He only said to not get up this time. Well, this is the fiftieth time, so GET UP!!!!”

Three soldier jump out of their beds. The rest, including 5249, remain perfectly still in their beds.

“See? See? Pay attention to what are orders and what is stupidity. 16 of you just died.”

“Next time, soldier, can you find a solution that would wake these fuckers up but not let every other damn enemy know where we are?”

"Now that you all are sufficiently warmed up. Let's go for a midnight run."

"Go change now."

Nyx walks close to 5275 next to the light switches and whispers, "Never pretend to be asleep again or I'll personally make sure you don't wake up."