“Ey 73, 11 said he’ll show you how to shoot a fly from 1 mile away! Or a mosquito.”
“Really??”
“Yeah, if you do well. It’s your second year as an active combatant.”
73’s eyes sparkled.
The other kids tugged 73’s arms.
“Bring me too! Me too!”
“I will! 11, I can bring them too, right?”
“Focus on doing well on the assignment first,” 11 chuckled.
“Dude, you’ll show me too, right? I’m an older kid!”
“You focus on the assignment too, damn it.”
11 jumped onto the pick-up, driving away with the other older kids.
73 ran with his friends into the hills.
“Let’s ace this!”
“Yes!”
“What’s our first assignment?”
“Transport the weapons!”
“The one who got there first can hold the binocular to see the fly! Or mosquito.”
“Hey!”
They ran through the forest, and by the time they reached the next post, they almost fainted. Who arrived after 73? Did they all arrive at the same time?
“Boys!”
“Y-yes, Sir!” They scrambled onto their feet, saluting.
“Go deliver this letter to the second and third post, then watch the military. If their defence is solid, create some distraction, and report back.”
“Yes, Sir!”
The glanced at each other. Since the first run is a draw, this second one will do! They sprinted away, careful enough to not make any noise but desperate enough to outrun their peers. The second post ended in a draw. The third post too. By the time they arrived at the fourth post, 73 was the only one cheerfully standing. The rest collapsed to the ground, trying to catch their breath.
“How are you so strong, 73?”
“You swing your legs…?”
“Do you see who came second?”
“Uhm I think you all came in at the same time.”
They groaned but quickly got up. Forget standing next to 11 when he shoots a fly – if they did poorly on this one, 11 might as well not show them.
“Military men on all three sides, and the entrance is guarded with armed civilians too.”
“A very solid defense.”
“Do you think we should slip the powder into their morning coffee?”
“Oooh, good idea!”
“We also need to report bac-“
“Me, me!”
“Then 56, you’re staying here to keep watch?”
“Yes!”
The kids carried out their tasks, and after receiving the commands, they started releasing the explosions. 73 ran to the side and screamed for help, distracting the military. The older kids rushed into the villages, quickly overpowering the drugged guards. They then held the fort, and within minutes, the remaining combatants fled.
“Round the kids and women! Kill the men and the elderly!”
11 walked into the tent.
“All men and elderly found at the buildings killed, Sir.”
“Really? Follow me, I have a present for you.”
The commander led him to another tent. The outside was full of people crying and pleading, parents trying to hold onto their children. They walked inside.
A bloodied man was kneeling on the ground, hugging his crying son.
“Shoot them dead. You’ll get initiated.”
11 flinched. The age of the kid was probably around 73’s.
“Apologies Sir, we don’t take the kid?”
“No. The father is the village’s commander, and do you see how hard the kid is clinging on his dad? He’ll just be a nuisance to us.”
11 loaded his gun and aimed. Just do what he usually did. The commander is doing him a favor; this will be an easy promotion.
“Fire!”
The kid cried hard. The father said nothing, but his eyes were filled with – plea. Too close to be blurred away in his sleep.
11’s heart raced. The boy looked directly at him, shivering. 11 closed his eyes.
“Hey, are you deaf? Fire!”
Should he- he should not – he should- no, no -11 slowly turned the nose towards his commander and pulled the trigger. The father and the child flinched, pressing their ears.
11’s hands trembled. The bullet grazed his commander’s forehead. The man glared at him.
“Did you just tried to kill me?”
“I-I-“
11’s face paled. He didn’t know what crossed his mind – why did he do it…?
“YOU UNGRATEFUL BRAT!”
The commander grabbed the rifle off 11’s hand and slammed it against him until he fell unconscious. When he woke up, his hands were chained to the side. The man and his kid were across him.
First, they doused the three of them in hot water – then they beat, whipped and did whatever they could think of to make 11 shoot. They also made sure to have 11’s eyes wide open when they assaulted the kid and the father, over and over again. Their camp had night watches, so every time, there would be someone in the room penning out their anger and boredom on the three. But 11 always refused.
On the fourteenth day, the commander walked in with the leader, Darius. Darius rarely visited, having to monitor each scattered camp. But since 11 entered the unit, he came more often, marvelling at his shooting skills and talking with the commanders.
Darius looked at 11 and grinned, beckoning to the men. They cut open the chains.
11 stumbled into the blood splattered gravel.
“So, the wonder kid is really the one who tried to shoot you, huh?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“What a waste.”
He threw him a rifle.
“Fire, 11.”
11 looked weakly to the hostages. His eyes were swollen and everything felt different – yet familiar. The father was hugging his crying kid, but this time, his lips motioned something else.
“You’re going to refuse again? Do you rather these hostages die of blood loss, hmm? Or should we try tearing the limbs of the kid too?”
11 forced his thin fingers to move. His whole body was trembling from pain and fatigue. He pulled the trigger.
The man and his son were gone.
The commander yanked his hair and tied a chain around his neck.
“Drag him to the fields. From now on, if we don’t need him for sniping, he’ll do labor work.”
“Yes, Sir!”
“Too bad the hostage kid is gone, haha. He made a really good toy.”
Darius lifted his eyebrow.
“Choosers should not be dumb, you know?”
“Sorry, Sir?”
He lifted 11’s chin, caressing his jaw.
“He got a pretty face… and I’m pretty it’s the same down there.”
11’s blood ran cold.
“N-no, no, p-please-!”
The adults looked at one another and laughed.
“Sir, you never change, haha!”
“Why don’t we take a look first?”
Darius looked at the commander.
“I’m just saying, that’s another way of making money out of him.”
73 put the bag down.
“That’s all the weapons, Sir!”
“Good job!” The commander nodded. 73 was a whiny kid when he first arrived, but who guessed he’d be the fastest runner they have? He could even outrun the adults, and with his bright demeanor, fool the enemies.
“That’s it for today, go get some rest.”
73 hesitated.
“Can I ask you a question, Sir?”
“What is it?”
“Where can I find 11? I have asked the older kids, and he haven’t been in their tent for a while. He made it from the last raid, right?”
“Of course. You still heard the rapid gunshots.”
“Then where is he?”
“I can’t tell you. Go away.”
“Please, pretty please?”
“No.”
73 got to his knees and begged.
“I’ll excel every order and run faster, please, please? He promised to show me how to shoot and when we met briefly, he was very upset! Then an older man told me to go away, and when I got back, he was gone!”
The commander flinched. Did he see 11 got – he shook his head. This kid doesn’t seem to understand those things yet.
“He won’t be able to teach you how to shoot, even if you meet him now, kid.”
“That’s ok! Even if I can’t interact with him, I’m happy with just seeing him!”
“…if I told you, would you promise me to only visit at midnight, and to not search him at other times?”
“Yes, Sir!”
The commander sighed.
73 walked into the dark room. Is this where 11 stayed? No wonder he missed it – it was one of the underground trenches with solid walls.
A figure hung in the corner, his arms chained to the sides of the wall and his neck wrapped in rope. His ribcage protruded, as if his remaining skin would tear anytime. His knees grazed the ground, lying in a pool of reddish gravel.
“11?”
11 looked up.
“7…3?”
73 ran and hugged him. 11 smiled weakly, resting his head against 73’s shoulder.
“Where have you been?”
“I-I thought you were mad at me.”
“Did the commander told you to only visit me at midnight?”
“Yes, brother!”
“Hey, don’t call me bro-“
“I missed talking and playing with you! Should I bring cards next time?”
“I can’t move my hands tho…”
“I’ll move the cards for you! I will not look at them but show them to you, then you say which card you want to put down, and I put that down without looking at the rest!”
11 laughed.
And from then on, 73 would always go to the underground prison. He'd bring all kinds of surprises - food and water, but also random things he found - a pendant, an acrylic tulip, a carved lighter, or a badly drawn map. At first 11 would try setting a happy face - he'd smile as bright as he could, even if his eyes were falling shut. Sometimes when the gravels under his knees were redder than usual, he wished that 73 would get bored and not come. But as 73 sat for hours with him, sometimes spooning him soup, sometimes treating his wounds, sometimes just sitting in silence, he gave up. He'd close his eyes, sometimes crying, but other times just listening to 73's non-stop yapping until he fell asleep.
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