Post by Aaron Hroda Schellenburg on Nov 18, 2012 6:34:02 GMT
Character Name: Tobias E. Locke (USAAF Application)
Rank: Private
Nationality: American
History: Many are born with many blessings; few are born already with a curse tattooed on their lives, but there is rarely a soul that was born with blessings that became a disturbing curse at such a young age. Those souls seem to be the nicest people that walked the earth. So innocent, jaded by what is only in front of them, born into a life that was so perfect but somewhere the pages became ashes; this person was Tobias Elliot Locke.
Tobias Elliot Locke was the child of a Scottish maniac and a former hooker, both appeared to be an unlikely couple but fate had different plans. Tobias’s father, Edward Collough Byrne, emigrated from Scotland in 1893 and settled in the bustling steel city of Pittsburg. Edward came with only a name; he smuggled himself onto a cargo ship and hid among the luggage, trying to evade the authorities and the law. He left his dark past behind in dreary Scotland to make a better future in America. Edward eventually obtained a decent job in a steel mill, it was a dangerous one but he thought “to hell with it, as long as I get my damn money”. The Scotsman sacrificed lung and limb each day under pressuring circumstances, eventually he saved up enough money to by a decent shotgun house just outside of town. For years Edward’s only lover was the slapping sting of aged alcohol and cigars, but that was soon to change due to unusual circumstances.
Edward finished his shift at the steel mill, leaving him drained and agitated. The exhausted Scotsman staggered through the city until he came across a local tavern. He just wanted to get his share of whiskey and maneuver his way home to take a smoke or two and succumb to the drowsiness, but tonight Edward was going to leave with more than just a sloppy hangover. Everything was normal for a few hours, Edward downed about two glasses of whiskey, nursing his third one with he turned his head and saw her. Edward was beside himself. He thought that it was the alcohol affecting him, but surprisingly he was still sober. The Scotsman did not want to entertain the woman so he returned his attention to his glass; that was when the woman made her move. Edward never met the woman, nor did her even bother to know her name at that moment, but she left an impression on him.
The woman was a hooker, a street rat that was trapped in the vicious cycle of selling herself to the night, but she captured his soul with just eye contact. All she wanted to do was give a false sense of intimacy just for fledgling currency, but it ended up being something more. The woman, named Scarlett, ended up falling for the stranger and promising to live a life of monogamy to her new lover, but that was a promise that was meant to be broken. After a few months of dating Edward, Scarlett began having an affair with Edward’s one and only friend. Scarlett became pregnant by the man she was having an affair with. Edward caught wind of the affair after he overheard his only friend boast about it at work one day. The past demons that Edward tried to leave behind in his homeland crept into his flesh causing blind rage to boil, Edward lived by only one philosophy “hurt those who hurt you” and that is what he did. While his friend was inspecting the cauldrons filled with molten steel, Edward quietly came behind him and pushed his only friend off of the balcony. The man landed into the cauldron, the hot steel ate way at his flesh and bone. The Scotsman felt no remorse for what he did, he just simply reported it to his superiors and they noted it as an accident. The Scotsman still had a bone to pick with his impregnated lover. With anger sketched in his forehead, Edward made his way to his home after another day’s work and encountered the woman sleeping peacefully on the cot in their bedroom. Just the sight of the woman alone caused all of the anger that was stored in him to release upon the poor damsel to evaporate. Maybe it was fate that kept him from murdering his pregnant girlfriend. A few months later Scarlett gave birth a boy, giving him the name Thomas. Edward secretly despised the child, even going so far to give him the nickname “bastard”. The deranged Scotsman distanced himself from Thomas, not wanting any part of the boy, but Edward warmed up to the babe and adopted Thomas as his own.
Years passed and Edward wedded the former prostitute. Both appeared to be happy, despite their different backgrounds. Years after first tying the knot, Scarlett gave birth to another boy, giving him the name Tobias, after her surname. Life for the young child was rough from the beginning, his family was tight on money they could not afford the proper medical care and almost simple necessities. This affected the growing boy, causing him to become ill and develop Scarlet fever around the age of six. The lack of proper care and antibiotics caused his parents believe that Tobias would perish, but he managed to fight for his life and survive. The survival of a deadly illness marked Tobias’s last blessing for many years. Ever since Tobias survived his illness, Edward gave in to more and more of his demons. He would lash out at his family both physically and verbally. At one point, the boy’s father attempted to drown Tobias in bathwater and beat Thomas to death. Around the age of nine, Tobias’s mother disappeared, never to return. This vanishing act caused Edward to irresponsibly spend nearly all of his money on alcohol. Starvation drove the young child and his older brother to commit crimes of thievery just to get a day’s meal. Thomas would protect both his younger brother and their bounty from falling into their insane father’s hands; Tobias looked up to his brother and developed an unbreakable bond. Tobias lived in sickening fear. Fear of getting beaten to death by his father, fear of losing Thomas, fear of starving to death… for the next year the young boy would hide in Thomas’s shadow.
The Great Depression hit the steel city of Pittsburgh with a sucker punch. Many lost their jobs, including Edward Byrne. Distraught and on the end of his sanity, the deranged man spent his last pennies on his Achilles’ heel. His beatings became more violent and seemed to last for hours. Thomas, around the prime age of seventeen, had enough and abandoned the family, leaving the frail and vulnerable Tobias behind with the maniac. Alone and frightened, Tobias hid in a linen closet, watching his father search the small shack for the boys’. The young boy could never forget the brazen screams and shouts erupting from his father’s throat, nor could he forget the sounds of objects crashing to the ground. Tobias would also never forget when his crazed father found him, dragged him by his hair into the makeshift kitchen, and forced liquor down the preteen’s throat. Tobias passed out, much to the delight of Edward. He believed that he caused his youngest child to die from alcohol poisoning; not caring to check over the mess he made, the man drank the rest of the poison and staggered to a drawer. Edward clumsily opened the drawer and pulled out an S & W Model 3 revolver, that he kept, and released a bullet into the brain.
When Tobias awoke from his alcohol-induced coma, he was met with the sight of his father lying in a pool of his own crimson liquid. Fear, grief, and disbelief filled the twelve year old boy. Tobias gathered his bearings and fled from the home. The child was forced to live on the streets, begging for spare change just to receive a piece of stale bread; when begging failed, the young boy turned to pick pocketing and stealing goods from stores when clerks had their backs turned. For months the young child wandered from place to place to rest his head, at times sleeping under bridges and on balconies. Tobias accepted the fact that he would die without a home and birds would pick his decomposing flesh, but a kind old couple adopted the distraught child and cared for him like their own. Tobias received the proper education from both his adoptive parents, Henry and Lucille Locke. He also learned the arts of violin and piano and foreign language (Latin, French, and German). During the duration of living with his new parents, Tobias became interested in aviation. Henry would share Great War stories of flying fighter planes like the Packard LUSAC-11 over enemy lines. He would mold and shape the imaginations for Tobias to live off of. When Tobias matured to the age of sixteen his adoptive father fell ill. Tobias would visit his father’s bedside and listen to more stories about his youth and the Great War every day after he completed his lessons and chores. As days passed, it became more and more difficult for the teenager to hear the fading voice of the man was ever a true father to him and to watch as disease eat away at his pale flesh, death was knocking at his doorstep. Over the next few weeks, Lucille and Tobias would sit quietly by Henry’s bedside. Lucille would weep while Tobias would hold Henry’s trembling hand. On the eve of the Pearl Harbor attack, Henry Locke was whisked away to the afterlife.
The family of two discovered the body the next day, lying in bed. His face was facing the sky and a small, faint smile was painted on his thin, parched lips. Tobias continued to hold his feelings inside as he watched Lucille rush to Henry’s bedside, weeping bitterly holding onto the lifeless hand. The funeral was short and had a few close friends and relatives visit. Right at that moment, when the coffin was lowered six feet underground, Tobias decided to relive the stories that his father would tell him. A few days when the aftermath died down, the young man approached his mother and told her about his decision. Lucille reluctantly approved of her son’s decision, but she knew that he resembled her husband. Tobias made preparations to leave home for the military. He felt a quiver of nerves and excitement inside him as he placed his suitcase on the floor, in near the front door. Lucille watched as Tobias rushed back and forth for various items to carry with him, she wore a small smile on her face as she knew that her son would be fighting for the right cause. After was seemed like hours of constant bee-lining, Tobias finally stopped and checked over his single leather suitcase and duffel bag. After he was content, the young man walked to his mother and gave her a deep embrace. It was his silent way of thanking her for everything. The two remained in the position for a few minutes before they broke away. Lucille had a few tears in her eyes as she gave Tobias his last few gifts: Henry’s dog tags and $300. With that note, Tobias gave his mother a peck on her aged cheek before heading out of the door.
Writing Sample: Time: 13:00 (or 3 PM)
Date: February21, 1942
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Tobias returned to the infamous city that flashed horrid memories in his mind. The young man gripped his suitcase until it blanched his knuckles. The bus soon screeched to a stop at Fifth Avenue and Forbes Street. Tobias released a small breath as he made his way out of the slightly empty bus and onto the sidewalk. Tobias watched as the bus pulled off to its next location. The city seemed familiar yet foreign to him; maybe the foreign part the erased part of his memory gave him the distant feeling. Tobias drawn in the by buildings and traffic of cars and people, that he nearly forgot his purpose of returning to Pittsburgh for. Tobias quickly lost the “honeymoon phase” and searched for a recruiting center. It seemed like a lifetime to find a recruitment building maybe it was because of how alienated he felt or the fact that he never asked for directions.
Finally Tobias came across a long line of young men. The young man believed that his was the recruitment line, but he wanted to make sure. Tobias approached a young, ruddy looking man. He appeared to be preoccupied with a cigarette and distant, but that did not stop Tobias from asking.
“Excuse me… um… is this the line to enlist in the military?”
Tobias nervously asked. He never really held conversations with anyone other than a small circle of family. This was a new gig to him, something that he knew that he needed to work on. The ruddy man inhaled the cancer stick and let out a smoky breath, appearing to ignore Tobias’s question. The man threw the butt on the sidewalk and killed the flame with his shoe. He appeared agitated and impatient.
“I don’t know kid; maybe looking at the goddamn sign in front of you could ring a bell.”
The man harbored a Jersey Italian accent. It was quite distinguishable, but that was not here or there. Tobias looked around for any sign that would give him any clues, eventually his eyes found a colorful sign with the famous Uncle Sam. Tobias thanked the rude man before briskly walking to the back of the long line and waited for his turn. Minutes passed to hours as the line only seemed to move an inch. Tobias set his luggage down and decided to count his money. While reaching into his coat pocket to pull out the money, his calloused fingers brushed against something cold and hard. Out of curiosity, Tobias pulled out the object. It was Henry’s dog tags, Tobias ran his fingers over the rusted and raised letters as flashes of memories with Henry appeared in his brain. A small smile graced Tobias’s lips as he remembered the last words he told him before he passed away, “Fight for what is true and just; don’t run from your past, shoot it down”, the small smile evolved into a larger one as a chuckle escaped Tobias’s mouth. The young American placed the memorabilia back in his pocket and sat on the concrete, resting his eyes. Tobias was awoken by a person calling his name and nudging him.
“Hey, Sleeping Beauty, get up… the line moved up.”
He heard the voice tell him. Groggily Tobias opened his eyes. He scanned the scene and saw that twenty-something impatient men stood behind him. Tobias looked over at where the long line was and instantly shot up. The line moved quite a bit while he was taking a rest. Tobias gripped his luggage and moved up the line. Surprisingly he was only eight people from enlisting.
“Thank you. I would have missed my chance.”
Tobias turned his head to the man that saved his spot. The stranger just nodded in response. He was the common blond hair, blue eye heartthrob that held a New York accent. He appeared cold and tired, but not as agitated and rude as the first man Tobias came across. This time he did not feel as uneasy to hold a conversation with the man.
“The name is Tobias… thank you again for putting up with my sleeping.”
With that he released a small snigger as he reached in his pocket a pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. He placed the smoke between his lips and lit it up. The stranger extinguished the flame and placed the lighter back in his pocket. He took a drag of the smoke and released a breath before speaking.
“No problem. I just didn’t want to see you trampled by angry men… The name is Barclay.”
With that note a small conversation sparked as the two waited in line to sign their lives and souls away for combat. About fifty minutes or so later, it was finally his turn. The butterflies swarmed again in his stomach as he came across a table. Tobias was asked the general “Name. Age. Occupation, etc.” When asked about what his service would be, a roadblock smacked him in the face. Tobias’s eyes automatically scanned to room at different recruitment posters littered on the walls; from Army to Navy and everything in between. He was indecisive and considered the good ole’ army, until a USAFF volunteer poster caught his attention. Tobias answered the woman and was enlisted under the 33rd American Volunteer Wing. A sense of relief washed over Tobias as he finally was a part of something meaningful, but this relief was also a gateway to escape his dark past and walk into a brighter future. The woman gave him some information about what recruitment room to visit. Tobias gladly thanked the woman as made his way to the room.
He was so excited that the poor soul almost left his luggage in the lobby. Tobias awkwardly retrieved his belongings and rushed to the room. The room appeared to be bland with a few posters here and there and a blackboard on the wall. Chairs littered majority of the space, but it was in neat rows. A considerable amount of people filled the room, some were asleep, smoking, or doing both. Tobias set his leather suitcase near the door with many other suitcases and found a seat in the back row near the door. Seconds later the man he met outside made his way into the room too. He slung is case down carelessly on the others and found a seat near Tobias. Tobias watched the man as he made his way to a seat near him, giving the young man a small nod. Tobias was amazed at how fate turns out and someone he just hit it off with is in the same wing as him. Minutes later, the CO entered the scene and addressed the crowd. He was tall and held a strange accent; he appeared passionate about what he was saying… the same fan fair garbage to rally up the crowd and information. Tobias scanned to room to see most of the men awake and without cigarettes, maybe one or two that were asleep. The speaker did flash out some insults at the ones sleeping, resulting in a few laughs, but the atmosphere quickly returned to its serious, deadpan silence as the CO addressed that they were now a part of US property and blood would be on their hands. Tobias swallowed dryly as he began to ponder what the hell he got himself into. The officer exited the room and men rose from their seats and grabbed their respective things and left the room. Tobias and Barclay were last to exit the room as they made their way outside to board a tan bus. Tobias released a small sigh as he waited in another line to board the bus. He felt a hand grip his shoulder as he looked back and was met with Barclay; he gave him another reassuring nod without uttering a word. Tobias swallowed again as he climbed aboard the bus and placed his luggage on the shelf above him. He plopped into a seat, looking out of the window at a few people that were scattered in the streets. His thoughts were focused on the mother he left behind and the estranged older brother and his whereabouts.
[]
Rank: Private
Nationality: American
History: Many are born with many blessings; few are born already with a curse tattooed on their lives, but there is rarely a soul that was born with blessings that became a disturbing curse at such a young age. Those souls seem to be the nicest people that walked the earth. So innocent, jaded by what is only in front of them, born into a life that was so perfect but somewhere the pages became ashes; this person was Tobias Elliot Locke.
Tobias Elliot Locke was the child of a Scottish maniac and a former hooker, both appeared to be an unlikely couple but fate had different plans. Tobias’s father, Edward Collough Byrne, emigrated from Scotland in 1893 and settled in the bustling steel city of Pittsburg. Edward came with only a name; he smuggled himself onto a cargo ship and hid among the luggage, trying to evade the authorities and the law. He left his dark past behind in dreary Scotland to make a better future in America. Edward eventually obtained a decent job in a steel mill, it was a dangerous one but he thought “to hell with it, as long as I get my damn money”. The Scotsman sacrificed lung and limb each day under pressuring circumstances, eventually he saved up enough money to by a decent shotgun house just outside of town. For years Edward’s only lover was the slapping sting of aged alcohol and cigars, but that was soon to change due to unusual circumstances.
Edward finished his shift at the steel mill, leaving him drained and agitated. The exhausted Scotsman staggered through the city until he came across a local tavern. He just wanted to get his share of whiskey and maneuver his way home to take a smoke or two and succumb to the drowsiness, but tonight Edward was going to leave with more than just a sloppy hangover. Everything was normal for a few hours, Edward downed about two glasses of whiskey, nursing his third one with he turned his head and saw her. Edward was beside himself. He thought that it was the alcohol affecting him, but surprisingly he was still sober. The Scotsman did not want to entertain the woman so he returned his attention to his glass; that was when the woman made her move. Edward never met the woman, nor did her even bother to know her name at that moment, but she left an impression on him.
The woman was a hooker, a street rat that was trapped in the vicious cycle of selling herself to the night, but she captured his soul with just eye contact. All she wanted to do was give a false sense of intimacy just for fledgling currency, but it ended up being something more. The woman, named Scarlett, ended up falling for the stranger and promising to live a life of monogamy to her new lover, but that was a promise that was meant to be broken. After a few months of dating Edward, Scarlett began having an affair with Edward’s one and only friend. Scarlett became pregnant by the man she was having an affair with. Edward caught wind of the affair after he overheard his only friend boast about it at work one day. The past demons that Edward tried to leave behind in his homeland crept into his flesh causing blind rage to boil, Edward lived by only one philosophy “hurt those who hurt you” and that is what he did. While his friend was inspecting the cauldrons filled with molten steel, Edward quietly came behind him and pushed his only friend off of the balcony. The man landed into the cauldron, the hot steel ate way at his flesh and bone. The Scotsman felt no remorse for what he did, he just simply reported it to his superiors and they noted it as an accident. The Scotsman still had a bone to pick with his impregnated lover. With anger sketched in his forehead, Edward made his way to his home after another day’s work and encountered the woman sleeping peacefully on the cot in their bedroom. Just the sight of the woman alone caused all of the anger that was stored in him to release upon the poor damsel to evaporate. Maybe it was fate that kept him from murdering his pregnant girlfriend. A few months later Scarlett gave birth a boy, giving him the name Thomas. Edward secretly despised the child, even going so far to give him the nickname “bastard”. The deranged Scotsman distanced himself from Thomas, not wanting any part of the boy, but Edward warmed up to the babe and adopted Thomas as his own.
Years passed and Edward wedded the former prostitute. Both appeared to be happy, despite their different backgrounds. Years after first tying the knot, Scarlett gave birth to another boy, giving him the name Tobias, after her surname. Life for the young child was rough from the beginning, his family was tight on money they could not afford the proper medical care and almost simple necessities. This affected the growing boy, causing him to become ill and develop Scarlet fever around the age of six. The lack of proper care and antibiotics caused his parents believe that Tobias would perish, but he managed to fight for his life and survive. The survival of a deadly illness marked Tobias’s last blessing for many years. Ever since Tobias survived his illness, Edward gave in to more and more of his demons. He would lash out at his family both physically and verbally. At one point, the boy’s father attempted to drown Tobias in bathwater and beat Thomas to death. Around the age of nine, Tobias’s mother disappeared, never to return. This vanishing act caused Edward to irresponsibly spend nearly all of his money on alcohol. Starvation drove the young child and his older brother to commit crimes of thievery just to get a day’s meal. Thomas would protect both his younger brother and their bounty from falling into their insane father’s hands; Tobias looked up to his brother and developed an unbreakable bond. Tobias lived in sickening fear. Fear of getting beaten to death by his father, fear of losing Thomas, fear of starving to death… for the next year the young boy would hide in Thomas’s shadow.
The Great Depression hit the steel city of Pittsburgh with a sucker punch. Many lost their jobs, including Edward Byrne. Distraught and on the end of his sanity, the deranged man spent his last pennies on his Achilles’ heel. His beatings became more violent and seemed to last for hours. Thomas, around the prime age of seventeen, had enough and abandoned the family, leaving the frail and vulnerable Tobias behind with the maniac. Alone and frightened, Tobias hid in a linen closet, watching his father search the small shack for the boys’. The young boy could never forget the brazen screams and shouts erupting from his father’s throat, nor could he forget the sounds of objects crashing to the ground. Tobias would also never forget when his crazed father found him, dragged him by his hair into the makeshift kitchen, and forced liquor down the preteen’s throat. Tobias passed out, much to the delight of Edward. He believed that he caused his youngest child to die from alcohol poisoning; not caring to check over the mess he made, the man drank the rest of the poison and staggered to a drawer. Edward clumsily opened the drawer and pulled out an S & W Model 3 revolver, that he kept, and released a bullet into the brain.
When Tobias awoke from his alcohol-induced coma, he was met with the sight of his father lying in a pool of his own crimson liquid. Fear, grief, and disbelief filled the twelve year old boy. Tobias gathered his bearings and fled from the home. The child was forced to live on the streets, begging for spare change just to receive a piece of stale bread; when begging failed, the young boy turned to pick pocketing and stealing goods from stores when clerks had their backs turned. For months the young child wandered from place to place to rest his head, at times sleeping under bridges and on balconies. Tobias accepted the fact that he would die without a home and birds would pick his decomposing flesh, but a kind old couple adopted the distraught child and cared for him like their own. Tobias received the proper education from both his adoptive parents, Henry and Lucille Locke. He also learned the arts of violin and piano and foreign language (Latin, French, and German). During the duration of living with his new parents, Tobias became interested in aviation. Henry would share Great War stories of flying fighter planes like the Packard LUSAC-11 over enemy lines. He would mold and shape the imaginations for Tobias to live off of. When Tobias matured to the age of sixteen his adoptive father fell ill. Tobias would visit his father’s bedside and listen to more stories about his youth and the Great War every day after he completed his lessons and chores. As days passed, it became more and more difficult for the teenager to hear the fading voice of the man was ever a true father to him and to watch as disease eat away at his pale flesh, death was knocking at his doorstep. Over the next few weeks, Lucille and Tobias would sit quietly by Henry’s bedside. Lucille would weep while Tobias would hold Henry’s trembling hand. On the eve of the Pearl Harbor attack, Henry Locke was whisked away to the afterlife.
The family of two discovered the body the next day, lying in bed. His face was facing the sky and a small, faint smile was painted on his thin, parched lips. Tobias continued to hold his feelings inside as he watched Lucille rush to Henry’s bedside, weeping bitterly holding onto the lifeless hand. The funeral was short and had a few close friends and relatives visit. Right at that moment, when the coffin was lowered six feet underground, Tobias decided to relive the stories that his father would tell him. A few days when the aftermath died down, the young man approached his mother and told her about his decision. Lucille reluctantly approved of her son’s decision, but she knew that he resembled her husband. Tobias made preparations to leave home for the military. He felt a quiver of nerves and excitement inside him as he placed his suitcase on the floor, in near the front door. Lucille watched as Tobias rushed back and forth for various items to carry with him, she wore a small smile on her face as she knew that her son would be fighting for the right cause. After was seemed like hours of constant bee-lining, Tobias finally stopped and checked over his single leather suitcase and duffel bag. After he was content, the young man walked to his mother and gave her a deep embrace. It was his silent way of thanking her for everything. The two remained in the position for a few minutes before they broke away. Lucille had a few tears in her eyes as she gave Tobias his last few gifts: Henry’s dog tags and $300. With that note, Tobias gave his mother a peck on her aged cheek before heading out of the door.
Writing Sample: Time: 13:00 (or 3 PM)
Date: February21, 1942
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Tobias returned to the infamous city that flashed horrid memories in his mind. The young man gripped his suitcase until it blanched his knuckles. The bus soon screeched to a stop at Fifth Avenue and Forbes Street. Tobias released a small breath as he made his way out of the slightly empty bus and onto the sidewalk. Tobias watched as the bus pulled off to its next location. The city seemed familiar yet foreign to him; maybe the foreign part the erased part of his memory gave him the distant feeling. Tobias drawn in the by buildings and traffic of cars and people, that he nearly forgot his purpose of returning to Pittsburgh for. Tobias quickly lost the “honeymoon phase” and searched for a recruiting center. It seemed like a lifetime to find a recruitment building maybe it was because of how alienated he felt or the fact that he never asked for directions.
Finally Tobias came across a long line of young men. The young man believed that his was the recruitment line, but he wanted to make sure. Tobias approached a young, ruddy looking man. He appeared to be preoccupied with a cigarette and distant, but that did not stop Tobias from asking.
“Excuse me… um… is this the line to enlist in the military?”
Tobias nervously asked. He never really held conversations with anyone other than a small circle of family. This was a new gig to him, something that he knew that he needed to work on. The ruddy man inhaled the cancer stick and let out a smoky breath, appearing to ignore Tobias’s question. The man threw the butt on the sidewalk and killed the flame with his shoe. He appeared agitated and impatient.
“I don’t know kid; maybe looking at the goddamn sign in front of you could ring a bell.”
The man harbored a Jersey Italian accent. It was quite distinguishable, but that was not here or there. Tobias looked around for any sign that would give him any clues, eventually his eyes found a colorful sign with the famous Uncle Sam. Tobias thanked the rude man before briskly walking to the back of the long line and waited for his turn. Minutes passed to hours as the line only seemed to move an inch. Tobias set his luggage down and decided to count his money. While reaching into his coat pocket to pull out the money, his calloused fingers brushed against something cold and hard. Out of curiosity, Tobias pulled out the object. It was Henry’s dog tags, Tobias ran his fingers over the rusted and raised letters as flashes of memories with Henry appeared in his brain. A small smile graced Tobias’s lips as he remembered the last words he told him before he passed away, “Fight for what is true and just; don’t run from your past, shoot it down”, the small smile evolved into a larger one as a chuckle escaped Tobias’s mouth. The young American placed the memorabilia back in his pocket and sat on the concrete, resting his eyes. Tobias was awoken by a person calling his name and nudging him.
“Hey, Sleeping Beauty, get up… the line moved up.”
He heard the voice tell him. Groggily Tobias opened his eyes. He scanned the scene and saw that twenty-something impatient men stood behind him. Tobias looked over at where the long line was and instantly shot up. The line moved quite a bit while he was taking a rest. Tobias gripped his luggage and moved up the line. Surprisingly he was only eight people from enlisting.
“Thank you. I would have missed my chance.”
Tobias turned his head to the man that saved his spot. The stranger just nodded in response. He was the common blond hair, blue eye heartthrob that held a New York accent. He appeared cold and tired, but not as agitated and rude as the first man Tobias came across. This time he did not feel as uneasy to hold a conversation with the man.
“The name is Tobias… thank you again for putting up with my sleeping.”
With that he released a small snigger as he reached in his pocket a pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. He placed the smoke between his lips and lit it up. The stranger extinguished the flame and placed the lighter back in his pocket. He took a drag of the smoke and released a breath before speaking.
“No problem. I just didn’t want to see you trampled by angry men… The name is Barclay.”
With that note a small conversation sparked as the two waited in line to sign their lives and souls away for combat. About fifty minutes or so later, it was finally his turn. The butterflies swarmed again in his stomach as he came across a table. Tobias was asked the general “Name. Age. Occupation, etc.” When asked about what his service would be, a roadblock smacked him in the face. Tobias’s eyes automatically scanned to room at different recruitment posters littered on the walls; from Army to Navy and everything in between. He was indecisive and considered the good ole’ army, until a USAFF volunteer poster caught his attention. Tobias answered the woman and was enlisted under the 33rd American Volunteer Wing. A sense of relief washed over Tobias as he finally was a part of something meaningful, but this relief was also a gateway to escape his dark past and walk into a brighter future. The woman gave him some information about what recruitment room to visit. Tobias gladly thanked the woman as made his way to the room.
He was so excited that the poor soul almost left his luggage in the lobby. Tobias awkwardly retrieved his belongings and rushed to the room. The room appeared to be bland with a few posters here and there and a blackboard on the wall. Chairs littered majority of the space, but it was in neat rows. A considerable amount of people filled the room, some were asleep, smoking, or doing both. Tobias set his leather suitcase near the door with many other suitcases and found a seat in the back row near the door. Seconds later the man he met outside made his way into the room too. He slung is case down carelessly on the others and found a seat near Tobias. Tobias watched the man as he made his way to a seat near him, giving the young man a small nod. Tobias was amazed at how fate turns out and someone he just hit it off with is in the same wing as him. Minutes later, the CO entered the scene and addressed the crowd. He was tall and held a strange accent; he appeared passionate about what he was saying… the same fan fair garbage to rally up the crowd and information. Tobias scanned to room to see most of the men awake and without cigarettes, maybe one or two that were asleep. The speaker did flash out some insults at the ones sleeping, resulting in a few laughs, but the atmosphere quickly returned to its serious, deadpan silence as the CO addressed that they were now a part of US property and blood would be on their hands. Tobias swallowed dryly as he began to ponder what the hell he got himself into. The officer exited the room and men rose from their seats and grabbed their respective things and left the room. Tobias and Barclay were last to exit the room as they made their way outside to board a tan bus. Tobias released a small sigh as he waited in another line to board the bus. He felt a hand grip his shoulder as he looked back and was met with Barclay; he gave him another reassuring nod without uttering a word. Tobias swallowed again as he climbed aboard the bus and placed his luggage on the shelf above him. He plopped into a seat, looking out of the window at a few people that were scattered in the streets. His thoughts were focused on the mother he left behind and the estranged older brother and his whereabouts.
[]
