Don't own anything.
"If you're not there for them, don't expect them to be there for you."
She needed to get out of here. The forest, her only home, was suffocating her. It reminded her of everything she was and everything she wasn't. Moonlight beams shining through the thick forest canopy were her only source of light. With a bag slung over her back, Sasha briskly walked to the stables. She stopped at the sight of her bow and arrows resting over a tree stump. She kneeled before it and studied the items. Her hands ran over the wooden bow. It was smooth to the touch from her frequent hunting trips.
*snap*
Her back became as taut as the string of the bow in her hands. She couldn't deal with anyone tonight. She needed to leave. Disregarding the noise, Sasha leapt from her crouched position and ran as fast as her legs would carry her.
The young teen hastily reached the stable and saddled her horse. Holding the reins, she led the horse to the village's outskirts. She could see where the forest ended and the rest of the world began. Panic and apprehension endlessly ran through her.
She could go back. She could pretend she never did this. She could return her horse to the stables. She could slip into bed and wake up tomorrow - hoping that a good hunt would come across her. She still had time. A salty droplet reached her mouth. She hadn't even realized she started crying.
"Sasha, are you that much of a coward?"
No. She wasn't. Shakily mounting her horse, Sasha Braus sped into the night without another look back.
She made it. She arrived for military recruitment in the nick of time. After signing the designated paperwork, Sasha was led to a room for the physical medical examination. Stripped of her clothes, excluding her undergarments, she stood in a line waiting to be examined.
Sasha had always been lean. Her years of exploring the forest around Dauper and hunting game made great fitness exercises. Yet, in the past year she had seen her body conform to the dire times. Since the Fall of Shiganshina, more refugees had kept coming to Dauper and its surrounding areas. More refugees meant less food for her. The female recruits around her seemed better off than her. They were probably from the city. Sasha almost scowled at the thought. She never did like city folk. Many believed their lifestyle to be better than hers. No matter how she felt about them, she would help them reclaim their land. Even if only to get them off of hers. She would be brave…
"Next!" A nurse in a white coat hollered. The woman motioned Sasha to come into another room. "Name, cadet?"
"Sasha Braus, ma'am," Sasha recited as she was led to a scale.
"55 kilograms," the nurse scribbled on a board. "168 centimeters, hmm," The older lady carried on, mostly talking to herself. "A bit thin…" mumbled the nurse. "But not enough to cause worry. You've passed the exam. You're official, cadet. Now, get going."
This was the first step and she had done it - she had passed! She was going to help humanity reclaim their land. Even if her life was lost in the process, she would be brave.