Excerpt: Infantry 41 Psi

"Halt."

Both girls stopped with impatient want, Arissa barely keeping herself above the ground as her knees bent, a droplet of sweat blurring her vision as she panted, trying to blink away the salty sweat from burning her sight, but she was still able to see the very agitated look of the the male next to her as she dared to meet his eyes. If . .. just to get that sweat from meet at her lashes.

"Smalls . . .I've heard of you," he begun, his deep voice resonating into her from his squat position. None of the humor or mock or feign joy he held earlier was present, finally dropping his pose and giving her what she would be dealing with for as long as he remained here. "You're suppose to be that Psi soldier, huh? Blood test coming back positive for the results? Well guess what. I've met your like before, always thinking that you are better than the rest of these real soldiers here. Well, do you think you're better now?"

Oh crap . . . . It was one of those rhetorical questions again, wasn't it?

'Answer? Stay silent? Stare dumb in defeat and hope he shows mercy!?' A nervous, grim smile perked the left side of her face. A very fatal personal flaw if she had any. The nervous and grim smile was obviously not interpreted right as the self conscious and unconfident mess it was a the image was construed into the drill sergeant's mind, his own smile mirroring perfectly what he was thinking.

"Oh! So you do, think you'll just fly on by with ease . .. Well guess what, Smalls! You just made the best choice ever about joining this military, because even though you're Psi- chics are all high demand and rare and HAVE to be graduated through training, I'm gonna make sure you get, every, single, training option there is before I send you and your worthless ass out with those real soldiers. Do I make myself clear!?"

Arissa nodded fervently as she turned her head from the sadistic drill sergeant. Was he really serious about what he said? Did he really have that much of a problem with her? Before she could even utter a "Yes Drill Sergeant her ear drums were ringing with another yell as her brain barely comprehended the "PUSH" order again as her arms buckled under her, her body finally giving out.

If she DID make it through training, the least this man would get out of her would be damaged hearing. Permanent, she was sure it would be.