The Rookie: A Short Story............................. By Colin Carson

The Rookie

A Short Story by Colin Carson

The small town of Vanderfield came into view as I peeked over the crest of the hill. Nestled between rolling slopes, straw topped houses were corralled by a lazy river. The remainder of the company of soldiers paused alongside me. A gentle breeze swirled through my unruly hair and brought a freshness to the damp odor that clung to us from our long march from King’s Crossing.

As a new recruit I hadn’t gotten to meet many of my counterparts, and the quick pace we’d been walking prevented most amiable conversation. The one face I did recognize, the captain of our unit, paid me no mind as he surveyed our surroundings.

“Squadron, Halt!” he bellowed. His command was most unnecessary as we had all but dropped our packs already.

My mother named me Rook before she died, and when the Captain had asked for my name he misheard me and thought I wanted him to address me as Rookie. Or maybe he just liked the word play of it and thought himself clever. Either way, I was informed to refer to him merely as Captain and never did get his name.

I’d joined the company at King’s Crossing, a small stronghold built to levy taxes on travelers moving through the mountain pass. I’d grown up in the cave system around the area, living mostly in isolation, though I’d visited many towns on both sides of the mountain, trading what little I found in order to survive. I always thought the life of a soldier would be easier than my own, and had finally decided to beg the Captain for admittance. If i’d only known how wrong I was, I would never have given up my simple existence.

The captain cleared his throat. “Davey and Rin, head back to the forest and gather some wood. Tandry and Spauld, take positions to the east. Badger and Fraun, to the west. I want sharp eyes tonight, boys! No drinking or slacking off. Three hour shifts until morning light. The rest of you set up camp, plan for three days, but I expect we’ll be here longer.” There was an audible groan as Captain paused to take a breath. I sprawled myself out on the ground, staring into the waning light of the sky, and picturing tiny people eating tiny corn in the village below.

“Don’t forget why we’re here,” the captain interrupted my musing with a swift kick to the ribs. The surprise I felt at the sudden abuse prolonged the pain that had exploded in my side.

The Captain’s eyes met mine. “I’ll need bright shining faces in the morning to gather supplies from the village. Don’t get too comfortable either, Rookie. We’ve gotten some gruesome reports from people passing through these woods. Things so terrifying, just imagining them will stop you in your tracks.”

Still recovering from the sudden kick I whimpered a bit as I stood up.

“Yes sir, Captain, sir,” I replied. He held me in his gaze for a long moment. Then, laughing, he turned his attention to setting up camp with the rest of the men. I must have looked worried because a fellow soldier, just a bit older than me, put a hand on my shoulder.

“Don’t worry about the ghost stories,” he said in a gruff whisper. “It’s the people you’ve got to worry about.” With that he walked away with a chuckle.

“It must be pick-on-the-rookie day,” I muttered under my breath. I didn’t think much of his comment. People had been my enemies my entire life. I resented the rest of the squad for their jovial demeanors at my expense. Sighing, I rubbed my side where the captain’s boot had made purchase, and got to work myself. By the time camp was set, the stars were clear and the fire was warm, even at the distance from which I sat.

I woke to hushed tones. Feigning sleep, my ears perked up to the deep tones of a fellow soldier. Badger and Fraun apparently hadn’t reported back, and the two soldiers sent to replace them

found no trace of the pair. The captain ordered replacements, and three other men to do a sweep of the area. I assumed Badger and Fraun had probably disobeyed orders, got drunk, and lost in the unfamiliar woods.

“Rookie,” the captain barked, snapping me out of my pretend sleep. “I know you’re awake. I was going to have you take the next watch at the camp but, seeing as how you’re already raring to go, how about you make yourself useful and head to the village. I’ve already sent most of the squad to collect supplies. I’m sure they’ll be grateful for the extra hands.”

I quickly dressed. Breakfast had been sitting in the pot by the fire for too long and it was even mushier than usual. By the time I made it down the hill the morning fog had dispersed and the warm rays of light trickling in energized me. As I approached the villagers seemed awfully quiet. They kept to their homes. Some even closed their shutters as I walked down the cobblestoned road. As I rounded the corner of the main street, I discovered why.

Broken glass littered the street, some of my fellow soldiers were holding the vendors hostage while the rest looted the stalls and shops, shoving produce, smoked meat, and bread into burlap sacks. One man lay in a bloody pile, his face smashed to pulp. I stared at the scene before me, a little incredulous. Obviously, I knew this was the kind of thing soldiers did, but somehow, I had thought the squadron I’d been assigned to would be better than this.

A pretty girl, who must have been as oblivious to the inner workings of the King’s Army as I was, broke through the crowd, saw the broken man, and screamed. The closest soldier, roughlooking and scarred, I think they called him Mack, grabbed her by the arm and dragged her away. “Wait,” I interjected, pushing through the crowd and grabbing his uniform. “We aren’t here for that. Let her go and help me bring back these sacks.”

He laughed in a half grunt. “Whatever you say, Rookie.” Before letting the girl go he turned her face aggressively toward him. “I’ll be back for you,” he threatened and licked his lips. The second he dropped her arm she quickly ran away. Mack turned back to me. “You’ll learn. Life on the road is hard as it gets. You’ve got to take the opportunities when you get ‘em.” He slapped my shoulder and bent over to pick up a sack, laying three or four across his back before heading out of town. The whole encounter left me cold, and a bit queasy.

The captain gave us new orders the second we made it back to camp. We were to join the scouting party for Badger and Fraun. It didn’t take us long to catch up with the rest of the company. They were sitting around playing cards and drinking. They didn’t seem to be taking the search too seriously.

Mack’s finger’s clenched and he cursed them out under his breath. “We don’t have time for cavorting! No one wants to search these woods all day looking for a pair of slackers. Get a move on!” Mack moved through the soldiers, picking one up by the collar and plopping him on his feet. He clapped his hands together and continued to the front of the throng. patches, slinked into the clearing, Mack was the first in line to meet him. The company immediately took formation with weapons drawn. “Come no closer, stranger!” Mack warned.

“Tsk tsk. I’m no stranger to you, Mack.” The specter’s face transformed as he spoke. His jaw hung limp, as if unhinged. His eyes exploded from their sockets, blood spraying the soldiers closest to him. Slowly, unmistakably, his face mimicked first Fraun’s, then Badger’s. The specter’s lips, still wearing the face of our fellow soldier, curled into a wide beaming grin. Mack scrambled backward, as a burst of light erupted from the spirit.

Clearly though the man looked human at first, he wasn’t. I dropped to the ground and curled into a ball, rolling as tightly as I could against the roots of a tree, hoping it couldn’t see me. I squeezed my eyes shut, but it didn’t seem to matter. The specter hadn’t lifted a finger, or moved an inch, but whether it was fear that killed my company, or if the creature had ripped their souls from their bodies, their deaths were swift. The bark of the tree I took shelter in carved lines into my forehead as I prayed for the screaming to stop. Hearing no more commotion I opened my eyes and peered around the tree in time to see the creature’s horribly long tongue lash at Mack’s body. I could only assume it was tasting him.

The sound of gluttonous, wicked delight echoed through my head, as if it originated from my own throat. I quivered in the ecstasy of it, my legs going limp. I tasted tears as a wide smile stretched the aching corners of my mouth. One by one soldiers took their turns with the specter, frozen in place and wearing the same smile that felt etched into my own face. The creature took his time picking at them, letting them slowly melt in his mouth, the pleasure increasing with every lash of it’s tongue. Though their flesh wasn’t devoured, the bodies shriveled away, leaving only dust. I experienced some sort of satisfaction at watching the last remnants of life drain from the bodies of the other soldiers. I should’ve tried to run, but the sickly sweet pleasure of overwhelming power rooted me to the spot.

I found myself laughing maniacally. My hands had been gripping the tree so hard blood trickled from my fingernails. Any hope I’d had of concealing myself had vanished. I was already dead. There was no point in hiding. I could only watch as it stalked toward me. The moment it was done however, the feelings emanating from the specter, and through me, changed. It seemed taken aback at my presence. Then the tall man that had come into the clearing just minutes ago once again stood before me. His already worn suit now hung off of him, exposing a large muscular frame. I collapsed to the ground as a surge of peace and calm flowed into me.

He lifted me off the ground, cradling my head against his shoulder. His soft bared skin and gentle demeanor are all I recall of the journey back into the village. Only now, as I sit here in this bed, surrounded by the villagers who found me on the outskirts of town, are the words he whispered to me clear.

“Whether you sink or float, all men must cross the waters of the In-Between. Keep your burden light, and we shall never have cause to meet again.”