Season in hell:
Christian, fifteen, is expelled from his third hs. Rather than enroll him in another and make him work for the Lincolns. Carrick decide to send him to a special education program run by a retired Army General. Christian is faced with men who have no problem kicking his ass, or guiding him into better coping skills. The program pit's each troubled kid with two experienced ex-military hard-ass. Christian will either grow or break. How will his issues end?
Chp1 amok
"please Carrick, don't sent him away. Elaine said he can work for them."
"no. Grace. This is the only way. Christian needs this. We've tried everything else."
"but it sounds brutal, and his past. I don't want to lose him"
"Gracie, if we don't; the fighting, drugs, and alcohol will kill him faster. The general has a high success rate. Please Gracie."
"Alright, but if we lose him, I'll never forgive you."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cpov:
I lay here in my bed exhausted and broken. So dam horny. I hear the patter of rain against my window. The soft hum of the central air heater thru the vents. The quiet sounds of the house at night. I try to sleep, but it eludes me. I am fuck up; an I can't see any future. The tracks of the rain along the window give the illusion of bars, prison bars, my only future. I have disappointed my parents by getting expelled from my third high school. Some jock grabs me; I lost it. A now their talking military school in Michigan. I hear someone up, heavy steps, must be dad. I fake sleep; at least no nightmares, yet.
The door opens, "Christian get up and dress, we're going out" shit, out, I guess Michigan and Cadet-Ville. I rise and dress, he didn't say pack, but I throw some stuff into a sport bag. My notebook, my company I want to start; my fantasy future. I walk down stairs with heavy tread and heart. I expected mom to be up to see me off, but she not? Dad is sipping coffee, toss me an apple "let's go".
We drive thru the city and catch a ferry. I don't remember any military school west of Seattle. maybe this is another heart to heart. Or am I being dumped. I am screw up, problem child. Maybe he's abandoning me to another family, or foster care, nut ward. I stare into the rainy night, every mile a pain in my chest. No words, I asked early in the trip, but dad just ignores me. Pains me more than when he yells. I am not even worth of words.
We turn off the main road and into a logging road, deep into the woods we travel. The twilight breaks as grey chase the dark. I see the deep woods, the ferns, the deep shadows. We arrive at a small cabin, another car is there, two men exit the cabin, big, hard, buzz cut types. Maybe the family is getting rid of me, buried in the deep woods of the peninsular. I dread what will happen.
Dad turns to me "Christian, we love you, we want you to get, be better. Please try" the door opens and a hard voice "Christian get out of the car and follow me" I am frozen, I can't move. Hands reach in an take off the seatbelt, grab my shirt, touching my chest, I freak out, but the hands drag me out as the car drives away. I land in the dirty, my bag beside me. "get up Christian, it time to get to work" I rise and throw a punch at his face, connecting he staggers back. I start to swing again and snap, his fist connects and I'm back in the dirt. He hit me, a kid. "if you want to fight, stand up we'll go again. You get physical, we get physical. You act like a brat; we'll punish like a brat. Now get up and follow me"
"Don't touch me again, I don't like to be touched"
"tough, here and now, we will touch you, punish you, reward you, and do anything we deem necessary to make you a better person; so suck it up and follow me"
I rise grabbing my bag, "I'm a minor you can't hit me."
"tough, you're here and your parents sign off on this treatment. You get physical, we get physical. You act like a brat; we'll punish like a brat. Now get up and follow me" treatment, one of those encounter group things, can wait to me the rest of fucked up brat pack. We walk into the cabin, it bigger than it looks from the outside.
"this is Mr. Rogers and I am Mr. Steele, that is how you will address us. That is your bunk, and gear. Change into the cloths on the bunk. We have work to do."
"when do I meet the rest of the students?"
"There are no other students, just you and us. Now change, daylights' burning"
No other students? What is this? I wonder how long of a walk it is home, shit, do I have a home? I change into military cameo. We head out to a fallen tree in the woods about a mile from the cabin. Steele hands me an axe. "clear the branch from the tree. Cut the tree into six foot lengths. Water over there. The restroom is behind the bush. And chow is in three hours." I stare, toss the axe and head back to the cabin. Fuck this and them, dad, SNAP. I'm in the green mulch the forest floor, a knee in my back and hands on my arm. "clear the branch from the tree. Cut the tree into six foot lengths. You will do this, now, tomorrow till it's done. Resistance will be direct met. Now get to work" he hauls me up. And push me back to the tree. I pick up the axe. Stare at him, imaging sticking the axe in his chest. But the gun on his side stops me. I start the work.
I hate my dad, swing. I hate my family, swing. Every branch is a thought. I hate my life, swing. Bye the time I'm finished the thoughts have changed. Why can't I be better, swing. Why can't I try to hug mom, swing. I stare at the sky. Could I, can I try. Should I?
Three hour later:
A plastic bag, MRE pork patty stenciled on the thing, what is this thing. "What is this thing?" nothing they look at me a say nothing. "Hey, what is this?" holding up the bag. Again silence. They simple stare at me. "Fuck you assholes! I toss the bag. Get up and start to walk away. Suddenly a hand shoves me into a bush. "Where do you think you're going Christian?"
"What now you're talking to me, I ask you what that thing was. You didn't answer. So I'm leaving." I get up he push me back into the dirty. I repeat for next several hours, I covered about a half a mile. I tried running but Rogers is faster than me. I just don't give up till a stream. Steele hold me down; I think I'm drowning. He dumps me on the rocks. "We have all day Christian, you're here to stay and work." "Than answer my questions." Silence, I 've had it I stagger to my feet and square my shoulders "you will address us as Mr. Rogers and Mr. Steele" I blink "Mr. Steele what was that thing you tossed at me?" "that Christian is a MRE; a Meal Ready to Eat. Standard military field ration. Everything you need even toilet paper and candy." "Let 's go back to the tree, Christian" I follow them back, find my MRE and open it. Follow the instruction and god this patty thing is disgusting. Rogers hands me a small bottle of tabasco sauce. Barely edible. I start quartering the tree into sections. Lunch is another MRE chicken al king, looks like vomit; taste like shredded cardboard.
As dusk falls we walk back to the cabin. I take a shower. Dinner is surprisingly good, a large can of stew and bread. I sleep exhausted. Two days later the tree is sectioned.
Steele ties a rope around one of the section hands me the ends. "you will move the section to the cabin, you will drag them" "you mean we will drag them Mr. Steele." "no, you will drag them alone." I drop the ends and tackle him, we roll as I rain punches. I wake to a canteen of water dripping on my face. "nice try Christian, now get up a drag the logs." I do it, it takes 1hour and forty minutes to drag a log to the cabin. I have nine logs.
I lay in my bunk, exhausted, aching, so far no nightmares. My eyes close. I wake to water dripping on me. "you had a nightmare. Go back to sleep" I can't remember the nightmare. Dawn breaks, a real breakfast, final. We talk about the world, politics, everything. We argue, and debate. I am treated as a equal, not some kid. The new task is to saw the logs into one foot rounds, I know the next task is to split them to pieces.
Xxxxxxx
End of week two in the woods. The firewood is split, stacked and covered. I am tired and bruise. After one fight Steele sat on my stomach and touched, holding his hands to my chest till I passed out. He repeated till I just lay there. I spend three days fight them. They can beat me, but I don't give up. Till Steele ask "Christian don't you want your family to proud of you, hug them, your mother loves you and wish to hug you, hold you; don't you want her to be happy" I stare, turn a walk into the woods. I sit in the gloom and shadows and cry, cry really let everything go. I want my mommy; I want Grace to hold me. Love me. Be proud of me. I lay till dawn breaks. Getting up I find Steele sitting twenty feet away. He hugs me and I feel better. I can do this. I can be better.