The glorious days of the soldier

1) PROLOGUE

I feel the glorious sun beating on my face. The sweat silently trickles down my face, I try to rub it out of my eyes, my eyes are bloodshot, stinging, but relieved. It was the first parachuting accident I've had, and it's probably the most important mistake that I'll make in my military career.

My body lays motionless on the ground, my head thumping from the impact. Suddenly, a stinging sensation shoots up my leg, I crazily throw my leg in all directions. My heart skips a beat, I ask the question all soldiers dread to ask, have I been hit? I hastily roll my trouser leg up to find a huge scorpion clinging to my Achilles tendon with all it's strength. It's black, beautiful pincers showing the brutal personality of the beautiful beast. I quickly, but calmly pull the scorpion off of my shredded leg, a rush of blood pours through the wound left by the beast. I sit and look at the scorpion squirming and struggling to get free from my giant hands enclosing him. I lower my hand to the ground and let him run free, I sit and watch him for a little while, watching him confused in which direction to go.

Now, I'm exhausted, the humid conditions causing my clothes and gear to stick to me like glue, my heart is pounding faster each second, I know I'm far behind enemy lines, I know I've lost the rest of my unit and I know I don't have much resources. But my military instincts kick in, it controls my body, this is why I passed through selection, this is why I am the best of the best.

My name is Private. Sam Tomkins. I'm part of a crack unit in the Military. It wasn't an easy road to take, but I got it. I got my life long dream, to be a respected member of the elite forces. It's been a good career choice for me, I've always been one to love the outdoors and thrive on what nature has to offer me. It's what I do, it's in my genes...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) CHAPTER 1

First day of training, I'm excited I'm finally doing what I've been waiting to do my whole life. At the age of 21 I haven't really experience life, but now I'm about to experience life... the military way.

Me along with 9 other lads are about to embark upon an amazing adventure, but first the training must be done. There is no military experience between all of us, but we are all ready and willing to work to work our arses off to become the best. It's always been my dream to go into the elite forces and basic training will help me get there, its all to be done, one step at a time.

The bunk house is a very basic, rectangular room, the walls are painted white and the floor shining in the artificial lights that dangle above our heads. I'm amazed by the cleanliness of the bunk house, I had imagined it to be a very dirty, unpleasant place. But it was the opposite it was squeaky clean and odorless, even with 10 young, soon to be military personnel in its presence. I felt proud already standing in front of my new bunk, i'm sure the others felt like that too. I didn't know any of these guys, for all I know they could be complete idiots, but all I knew was I had to befriend them as they will be with me fighting on the front line, as brothers.

As we all exchanged smiles and the occasional nod to each other, footsteps grew ever louder as they approached the room in which we stood. Two men stood in the doorway a short, stocky but cleanly kept man was in front of the taller but skinnier man. The smaller man had a smart parting in his matt-black hair. He was a cleanly shaven man, a typical image of a military man, he had the muscles and the brains to prove it as we would later find out. He called through the register with his manly deep voice, it echoed the small rectangular room we all stood. He quickly read out the names in which we quickly, but surely replied 'Yes Sir'.

"Tomkins?"
"Yes Sir"

Before I answered his name call, I stumbled, I guess it was just first day nerves, but who knows? All I knew was that this man was to be our officer. As he had finished the register, he slowly, but purposely walked in front of all of us as we stood tall and proud. He looked at us all sternly. He finally spoke quietly and introduced himself.

"Alright lads? My names Captain. Bridge, from now on i'm your mother both at camp and on the front line. You listen to me any time I take the effort to talk, so you better listen, it might come in handy one day".

After that brief speech, the Captain swiftly pivoted his feet and sped off out of the door, the taller, skinnier man followed him like a dog following his master. One of the lads sarcastically laughed, "well he's gonna be fun to be 'round!". We all shared a quick laugh, but we all knew this was serious and no one wanted to be the first to show it.