"Kentin Murphy, report in the range officers' headquarters. There is someone who needs to see you."
I relaxed my finger on the trigger and removed the magazine before laying the gun down on the table in front of me. Looking at the target, I see that a few of my shots were still hitting the shoulders or the thighs. The range officer who was watching me earlier said that if I wanted to get off this camp earlier, I should learn how to pass all the training faster.
"Kentin Murphy, report in the range officers' headquarters immediately."
I did not miss the sound of warning at the end of the announcement so I sighed and started walking back towards the building, careful not to disturb other shooters who are currently practicing with me. The military camp wasn't like what I originally thought. I thought that it would be located somewhere secluded. That part, I got right but the rest was beyond me. The camp was basically like a military academy, except they only teach you basic things that you need to know in the field if ever you want to pursue a military career. Aside from that, the camp only focuses on strict discipline and intensive trainings for physical and mental health. As much as I don't want to admit it, I find the camp very helpful. Over the past few months, I've started gaining the confidence I never had and my usual wimpy, nerdy self was slowly being replaced by a hardened boy reaching manhood. Is this what soldiers felt like whenever they are fighting in a war? Or maybe even when they are just training, does this thought ever cross their minds?
I stopped my wonderings when I saw the familiar camouflage-painted door of the range officers' headquarters. A few years back, according to what my bunkmates told me, everyone just woke up to find that someone repainted the door of the range officers' headquarters. The officials weren't obviously the ones who did them because they would ask permission first from the range officers before they dare repaint the door. Then, they started interrogating the guards who manned that area that night. No one was able to answer the head of the camp satisfactorily until he asked one of the guard interns for the summer.
"I saw a brunette sneak past the sleeping guards in the hallway. I wanted to leave my post but I can't so I just shouted at him. However, he just spared me a glance before starting to paint the door" he answered.
The head then started rounding up all the brunette campers and planned to ask them one by one. However, the culprit turned himself in before they can even interrogate the first brunette in line. When the head asked him why he dared vandalize the camp's facility, the brunette bravely answered.
"Whenever I'm inside the facility, sir, I can't think of a military camp but of a hospital. So excuse me, sir, for wanting to repaint the door since it's the closest one to my bunk. Also, we always get lost every time we try to search for the range officers' headquarters since your office is also inside the headquarters, sir. We have to open the three, same white doors in the hallway before we come up to the headquarters."
In the end, the head just decided to add three more months to his training and extra work in the kitchens as punishment.
Now, standing in front of the very door, I swallowed my nervousness and pushed it open. There were a few officers walking back and forth, holding documents and answering phone calls from different bases and camps in the area. I looked around, looking for someone to ask. Suddenly, an elderly and most likely retiring official approached me with a kind smile.
"Son, this way to the head's office. There's someone there waiting for you" he told me. I followed him towards the door to the right despite being thoroughly confused by all of this. When he pushed it open, though, I finally got my answer as to who is this mystery person wanting to see me.
"Dad," I blurted out, "I mean, Officer Murphy."
It felt weird after seeing him for so long. I've never seen him much around, to be quite honest. He's always away because of his missions abroad so I rarely see him at home. Seeing him in this kind of setting, though, makes him more real and more relaxed. He looks like he feels at home in this camp.
"Stop it with the formalities, son" Dad grunted. "I'm taking you home."
I'm taking you home. The words took some time to register into my head and for me to actually process it into a coherent message.
"Wait, what? I'm going home?" I asked in confusion and bewilderment.
"Yes, you're going home. Unless you suddenly had enlightenment and decided that you want to join the military. Now, pack your things. I'll wait for you in thirty. Meet me at the entrance." And without further ado, Dad strode out of the room. But I didn't miss the proud look on his face the moment I stepped into the room. I looked at the head of the camp for confirmation that I am not dreaming. He just bellowed a hearty laugh and I knew in that instant that I am very much awake.
"I'm going home" I said in a quiet voice. After months of hard training and pushing myself to the limits, at last, I'm going home! The first thing that came into my mind was my mom. She must have missed me to the point that either made my room her personal bedroom for the time that I was away or she made a shrine for me in her and Dad's own room. I quietly chuckled at the thought as I bade goodbye to the head and to the officers milling around in the headquarters before rushing to my bunk. All of my bunkmates – Andrew, Thomas and Reese – were surprised to see me grinning from ear to ear as I barged in.
"Whoa, what just happened? Did Christmas come too early for you?" Thomas asked, staring at my grinning face.
"I'm going home" I told simply. But their eyes all widened simultaneously and they all sprang up to engulf me in a final bear hug that would mostly likely be a breach to the strict discipline doctrine we have here.
"Wittle Kenny is going home. Oh, I'm going to miss you!" Thomas said, only half-teasing me.
"It's Kentin, not Ken!" I groaned. "And will you please release me now? I'm having trouble breathing!"
They didn't let go but just loosened their grip on me as Reese said, "No, we're not going to let you go for as long as we haven't finished saying our goodbyes."
"There isn't really any need for that. We'll all stay in touch and continue on betting as to who will be the last one out of the camp" I told them. They acting like emotional girls right now and as much as I find it touching and amusing, I have a time limit to abide to.
"Well, just make sure you keep that promise and I really think it's Thomas who will be the last one out of all of us" Andrew said, the first one to pull away from the bear hug. The others soon followed and helped me pack up my things.
"Hey, you two" Reese said, addressing Andrew and Thomas, "you guys owe me a week's worth of free deserts. And Kentin, you owe me a trip to your town, you hear me?"
I rolled my eyes but I nodded in understanding, remembering that in my first week here with them, we better as to who will be the first and last one out. We name our prizes when there's already a winner. I voted first for Andrew and last for Thomas. Reese was the only one who voted first for me.
"You never know, miracles might happen" he reasoned back then. His prediction came through not by miracles but by hard work. Now, after taking one last glance at my bunk, I walked out alone to the entrance to where my father waits.
"I imagined you said goodbye to a few people?" Dad guessed. I nodded, the sadness settling in. I might not be fond of the trainings but those three idiots were with me through thick and thin while I was here. I climbed into his Jeep and he started driving towards Amouria.
At least I have something better to look forward to. Home.