There is a use of Tarot Cards in this chapter and in subsequent chapters as well, so card interpretation will be included at the end, regardless of whether or not they are explained in the text.

Also, just a heads-up, I'm totally grounded. My grades in math are slipping so I won't be able to post until they're back up. Technically, I shouldn't even be posting now. But, I promised a chapter by Friday. Unfortunately, there won't be any chapters for a while, but for ever Saturday I miss I swear I'll post a chapter as soon as I get back.


The train ride was relatively uneventful. The two highlights were that I finished the H.P. Lovecraft book and I narrowly avoided punching a man in front of a small child. I thought the story was very interesting, I could really see why Nicolai loved it so much, but I'll admit that I accidentally fell asleep right in the middle. I'd stayed up all of last night with my younger siblings since they were heartbroken I would be leaving so I was exhausted beyond belief.

I guess the unfortunate instance with the man in the diner car could be considered eventful, but not really out of the ordinary for me. People don't tend to like me, or gypsies in general. He was giving me some bullshit about being trash, and the only reason I didn't lay him out like my brothers had taught me was because his young daughter and wife were sitting with him. They didn't seem to agree with his views, but there was nothing he could do so I just took my food and went back to my bunk without a word. That little girl didn't need to see me whale on her father. Or, more realistically, see him hit a woman, cause I might have a mean right hook but he was a big fucker.

About an hour before the train was scheduled to arrive at the station, I began to slowly weave the golden beads out of my hair. I felt like every bead that I removed took me farther away from my home, but I took my aunt's advice to harden my heart and continued until I had finished and could not find any more of the gold pieces in my tangled hair. I would have to find a hairbrush soon, but for now I settled for pulling it back tightly.

Out the window, I still couldn't see the station, just a bunch of open fields and a mountain looming in the distance, so I sat back on my bunk, cross-legged, and took a moment to thank god that I'd managed to get a single cabin before pulling out my tarot cards and shuffling them on the mattress. I was willing to leave a lot of things behind for the 101st, but my tarot cards and lucky stones were not among them. Real magic or not, they were a sense of comfort that I could put my faith into. Whether they really worked made no difference to me.

Once I was satisfied with the shuffle, I began to lay out the cards in a basic planetary pattern, channeling a single question. What will Camp Toccoa and its 101st Airborne bring me? I took a deep breath as I put the leftover cards to the side,closing my eyes for a moment before turning over the cards in order. Most of what I saw was no surprise. My Significator, the Queen of Swords, sat at the top where I'd placed it. The second card, signifying the moon and home, was the Three of Swords upright. That was saddening to see, but also relieving that something that hit the nail on the head came so early in the reading. Sometimes, entire readings were just garbage, but hopefully this would give me insight. The third card, Mercury meaning my business and integrity, was the Nine of Pentacles inverted. Whether that meant I would become overly invested in my training as a paratrooper or the family business was about to meet financial setbacks, I wasn't sure, but I'd have to send a letter to papa. He took mama and my tarot cards very seriously. Venus was strange. At the fourth card, love, I found the Chariot inverted. I couldn't see how uncontrolled aggression could be my future love life, but it was possible that it was the Significator of a person I was about to encounter, or, more likely and more desirably, the cards were just wrong this time. The Emperor inverted was my fifth card, Mars, my conflict and the source of upcoming opposition, probably meaning the rigidity of the United States Military would rub me the wrong way. No surprises there. The Wheel of Fortune upright as my financial future, obviously the $100 dollars I would be getting a month for being a paratrooper if I could hack it. The Ten of Wands upright revealed itself as Jupiter, my intellect. Hopefully I wasn't taking on too much with this army business, but the card seemed to tell me it would be worth it. Then, the final card was my question outcome. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that they were just cards, that I had control of my life no matter what they said, and flipped over the card. The Two of Cups inverted. Fuck.

I shook myself off and quickly put the cards away, trying not to dwell on what the cards had told me. They were only cards. I just kept repeating that until I had almost convinced myself as I looked out the window to see if we were arriving at the station. I couldn't see it down the tracks, and the wrist watch my cousin Ferka had "acquired" for me said we were still a good twenty minutes away from our scheduled destination time, so I stood up in the small cabin and pulled down the shade over the window. I'd planned on waiting to arrive at the base for this, but I might as well do it now. When I was sure no one would be able to see into my cabin, I pulled off my shirt and took out the roll of bandages Cousin Ari had given me from my bag. She'd walked me through how to bind my chest with "only a small risk of permanent rib damage," which was probably poor phrasing on her part, but it needed to be done. I wasn't large-chested, by any means, but I knew I would have to press myself almost flat for this. If not only for the physical training, then to stave off the attention of the men I knew would look for any reason to harass me and get me thrown out. This is gonna be a helluva ride.

When the train finally arrived at the station, I grabbed my bag and stepped off onto the platform as quickly as I could, hoping to be the first person on the bus to the camp. I was successful except for one man and sat myself down directly behind the driver. Only ten or so men climbed onto the bus before we departed, and each gave me a strange look before walking to sit further back with the others. I ignored them as best I could and was off the bus the second the doors were open. It's best I try to stay out of trouble as much as possible. I was off the bus for maybe thirty seconds before I was stopped.

"Miss Ricci? Aishe Ricci?" A voice asked to my left. I looked over from staring and rubbing at the place on my arm that was bare of jewelry for the first time in years to see a young officer coming towards me. At least, I thought he was an officer. That's what papa said the bars on the shirt collar meant. I'd say a lieutenant, but I wasn't confident.

"That's me, although I hardly think there'a another woman here you could mistake me for. You are?" I asked him, accepting his offered handshake with a strained smile.

"2nd Lieutenant Coppola. I'm here to take you to Colonel Sink's office." He said, giving me a small smile that reached his young eyes with ease. I nodded and he motioned for me towards the jeep he'd jumped out of to catch my attention. I held my bag tightly as I climbed into the passenger side and he started the engine, roaring off quickly. I couldn't help but smile a little when a small group of men just barely jumped out of his path in time, swearing at him as we drove away and he grinned. He looked over at me quickly and I gave him another small smile before he turned back to watch the path.

Colonel Sink's office wasn't too far from the buses, so it only took a few minutes to arrive. Lieutenant Coppola quickly ushered me inside and to the large wooden door with Colonel Sink's name on it in a large plaque. He knocked as I stood behind him, clutching my carpetbag in front of me tightly, hoping my white knuckles wouldn't give away my nerves. A harsh voice called from inside, "Come in!"

The Lieutenant opened the door quickly and poked is head in to address the man I couldn't see.

"Aishe Ricci is here, sir. You asked me to bring her to you when she arrived, sir?" He asked stiffly. There was a grunt of approval and what I could only assume was some kind of gesture, because Lieutenant Coppola then backed up and turned to me with a reassuring smile.

"You can go in. Good luck." He said before vanishing down the hall. Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the heavy door and walked in, closing it behind me a little louder than I would have liked. Colonel Sink looked up from his paperwork to give me a once-over and a tight smile. He was an older man with graying hair and a thin mustache obviously trimmed to meet military regulations. His scowl seemed to persist even as he attempted to smile, but it wasn't as off-putting as I thought it would be. He seemed kind of like a grumpy grandfather more than anything, but that didn't stop me from standing stiffly in front of his desk after dropping my bag at my feet.

"So you're our new G.I. Jane, huh?' He asked, leaning forward in his chair to brace his arms on his shiny desk. I nodded once.

"Yes sir." I said, focusing everything on keeping my fingers from twitching. I couldn't afford to screw any part of this up, and the nerves made me ache for a distraction. Usually I would fiddle with my bracelets or roll my rose quartz between my hands, but I had neither here.

"At ease, kid. You ain't a soldier yet." He said, looking back down at his papers and finishing whatever he had been writing. I frowned, a little confused, but didn't move. He looked back up at me and waved me back. "Well go on. There's a chair over there for a reason. Take a load off. If it makes you feel any better, I intend to make sure you succeed here as a paratrooper," h said. I nodded a little before picking up my bag and bringing it with me as I moved to sit in the chair slightly behind me. I sat down slowly, looking at him carefully. Not many higher-ups in the military were very fond of the idea of me coming in, so I was expecting a much less welcoming response. I was expecting this to be some kind of test.

"Alright, Ricci. I've looked through your file and everything seems to check out. No criminal history, good school record, work history. No college, but I don't blame you for that. How old are you again?" He asked, flipping through what I assumed was my file.

"24, sir," I replied, sitting stiffly with my hands clasped tightly in my lap. He nodded slowly as he continued to read.

"Your brother is going out to be a surgeon in England, correct?" He asked. I swallowed thickly but forced myself to nod.

"Yes, sir. It's been agreed that Davide will join as a surgeon as soon as he finishes his semester. He'd more use to them once he's finished with his classes," I said, clenching my hands even tighter to ground myself. Davide would be going off to England soon, it was only a matter of time before Nicolai's long list of misdemeanors wouldn't be enough to keep him out of the draft office. Amalia was already working as a nurse at the local recruitment center, and if the war kept up, Teresa and Luca would be old enough to join soon. Papa's lasting handicap from the Great War was the only thing keeping him home with Mama and Aunt Selena. With such a big family, we were risking and losing so many people.

"That's good. We need as many young men as we can get. If not a soldiers, then as medics and surgeons. He'll be doing good work, just like you will, if you make it through," he said. I frowned a little at the way he phrased that, but tried to wipe my face clear when he looked up at me. Apparently it didn't work. "I have the utmost faith that you'll succeed, Ricci. You got the brains, you obviously have the spirit if you've made it this far, and I don't doubt you've got the strength in you. And even if you don't got the strength, you'll get there," He said firmly, as if he really believed it. It felt good to know someone so high up had faith in me and supported me, but I knew that wouldn't make my experience any easier. He stood up and walked around to stand in front of me, leaning against the large oak desk.

"I've personally assigned you to E Company, Second Battalion of the 506th. You'll report to Barrack 13 as soon as you leave here, the Lieutenant will show you the way. 1st Lieutenant Sobel will be your commanding officer. He's been instructed to treat you no differently than the men, and I know he's a man to take that very seriously." Oh great. That probably means he doesn't want me here, Strongly. "Now, it's very important that you come to me if you believe you are being treated unfairly because you're a woman. Only because you're a woman, mind you. As your CO, he is allowed to say a lot of things and single out men as he chooses if he believes it will help them become better soldiers. You are not excluded from this, but he is not to do this to you solely because of your gender. He's a man who'll ride you hard, so only come to me if it becomes about you being female. Ya get me?" He asked and I nodded.

"Yes, sir. Expect him to be on my case about everything but don't allow anything about gender," I summarized and he nodded.

"Exactly. Alright, Lieutenant Coppola should be outside waiting for you. Remember that as soon as you get to your barracks, you're a Private. Dismissed, Ricci," he said with a smile and I stood up with my bag in hand.

"Yes, sir. I won't let you down, sir," I said, shaking his hand firmly.

"I have faith in you. And, off the record, fifty dollars riding on your success," He said, winking at me. I couldn't help but crack a small smile and nod.

"Yes, sir." I said, nodding again.

"Alright. Now get," He said, waving me off as he went back to sit behind his desk. I quickly ducked out of his office, holding my bag less tightly than before, but still jittery from nerves.

I found Coppola outside, waiting beside the jeep with another man.

"Got your barrack designation?" He asked me as I came up, the other man quickly making his exit.

"13. Easy Company, 2nd battalion, 506th." I told him and he nodded.

"Alrighty then. Let's get this show on the road, doll." He said, jumping into the drivers seat.

"Don't call me doll, Lieutenant." I said firmly, my smile dropping off my face. If I was gonna be here as a soldier, I was going to be treated like one, dammit. He looked over at me, a little surprised, but nodded after a second.

"Alright, Ricci. Whatever you say," he relented as I climbed into the passenger seat. As soon as we were off, I was immediately consumed with the thoughts that maybe the men in E Company wouldn't want me there. My mind went back to the Emperor card that had come up in my tarot and I worried whether or not this Lieutenant Sobel was going to be the authority issue it had predicted. For a moment, my thoughts lingered on the Chariot and the inverted Two of Cups that had also made their appearance, but shook them away and focused on steadying my breathing. I would be able to handle anything these men threw at me. Such were the benefits of growing up with two older brothers and more than ten male cousins, in a neighborhood surrounded by people who hated you for the heritage of your grandparents.


Significator Card- A Significator Card is a card chosen form the deck to represent a specific person, usually the questioner. They are usually the King, Queen, Page, or Knight of a suit, but can also be Major Arcana or other card, and are usually chosen based on the attributes of the person, such as age, gender, appearance, and zodiac sign.

Queen of Swords- As a significator card, the Queen of Swords indicates a woman 18 or older who is highly independent and a quick thinker. Someone who is organized and perceptive, but can be cold-hearted and bitchy if angered or irritated. As a card in general, it implies strong feminine energy, clarity of mind, and the strength to make the right decision, when upright. Inverted, it can mean emotionally-clouded judgment or a person ignoring their emotions to become narrow-minded and cold.

Three of Swords upright- Upright, the Three of Swords represents a painful separation and heartbreak. It means strong grief and, in certain situations, the pain of rejection.

Nine of Pentacles inverted- Inverted, the Nine of Pentacles means financial setbacks or that a person is or will become over-invested in their work.

The Chariot inverted- Inverted, the Chariot represents lack of control and direction in a situation or in life in general. It can also mean that you are beginning to collapse under pressure and losing control, and that you feel a strong aggression because of it. As a significator card, it indicates a person with a strong sense of determination and a need for control. Someone with a strong will who will do almost anything to win or get the last word.

The Emperor inverted- Inverted, the Emperor indicates there is a possible imbalance of power or even an abuse of power. Whether it means a person or a structure in general, there is a strong sense of being controlled in a way that is very rigid and unwavering. It may make a person feel powerless and with no control, and can indicate a current or upcoming struggle with an established and rigid hierarchy.

Wheel of Fortune upright- Upright, the Wheel of Fortune indicates good luck or karma. It indicates that life is cyclical and a new cycle may be beginning. A cycle that will turn out in your favor. You should go out and find your destiny, because luck is on your side and you are approaching a turning point that will lead to good things.

Ten of Wands upright- Upright, the Ten of Wands represents hard work, stress, and burden, but also achievement. You have or will achieve a goal, but achieving it has or will lead to heavy burdens of responsibility.

Two of Cups inverted- The Two of Cups is the Minor Arcana pair to the Lovers card. It indicates relationships and love, but inverted it can mean a lack of harmony among two or more people. It can mean a struggle to form new relationships or that old ones are crumbling. Reversed, its original meaning of love and unity is changed to one of disjointedness and an imbalance of power.