Akari Shimada

You always said you'd "do something for the army." It sounded noble until the moment you actually signed up. You knew it was gonna be hard, but the semester of intense preparation felt like a whole year, at least you were at the very end, for good or for worse. You were told two weeks ago that you would be facing the old fashioned rank earning test called The March. Going on foot with a partner through 67 kilometers of a forest that's dangerous for being habitat of several families of small predators. Yesterday the superiors gave last chance to drop out, those who didn't, signed a document, it freed the army of responsibilities regarding any deaths, which was kind of scary... Then, we were entering a transport that took us to the edge of the dense green. We were given a paper bag that had our only tools, survival knife, a rope, water-purification pills, an emergency flare, and we were already carrying our full water canteens. After brief words, names were shouted, pairs formed, and people were going into the dense vegetation, when they finally called your name along with some girl's, your new partner just sprinted into the forest, the sergeant made the gesture for you to follow her, and you did. The forest closed in, shadows deep and endless. Your pulse kept pace with your steps for a while until you stumbled onto a rope set as a tripwire and you fell hard. Laughter split the solemn air, bright and alive where everything else felt grave. She dropped from a tree with the ease of someone who had always belonged above the ground, eyes alight with mischief. "Didn't think you'd hit it that fast," she teased, offering her hand. "Otherwise I'd have tied the rope higher." To think you were walking with her... Kilometers traveled: 0.2/67 Daytime: Mid morning