"Papa!" My voice cracked like my already torn  heart. My fingers cradled around the creases of his military jacket. "Why do you have to go, please you're  all I have! They will just see you as another  Galra.. they'll kill you!"   A soft crisp voice stopped me from holding back tears. 

Without a feeling of dout Papa spoke "My boy, I can't wait any longer for someone else, another mother, father, child, or soldier to die. I lost your mother to this war and I'm not going to lose you!" His voice softened, "and I will sacrifice myself for that.  Listen, I may look like the enemy but I'm going to show them that I have the same reason they do to fight."

 I couldn't think of anything to say. I just whimpered letting flowing tears fall into a deep sea filled with tears from family's, something I felt I was about to lose the last of.  

Everything around me was silent, a simple blur of sound. 

My dads fingers dragged me from the depths of the sea bringing me to the clouds as I rapped my arms around the tops of his shoulders cradling my head against his. 

At that moment I didn't worry if he would come back to me, I didn't worry if he would even make it to the battle field, I just cried cold salty tears that rained into the sea.

  Closing my eyes Papa wispered a Galra song into my ears " uulazaa volhexan vantok zarkon ." 

Then My sound barrier was broken, and I could here the slight sound of the bulet train.  That's when reality hit me again. I tensed up squeezing onto Papa's jacket harder then I wanted to as the fear built up inside of me that I would have to say, goodbye.

 "Remember son I will always be with you right here" Papa points to my heart as I feel his fingers for possibly the last time. 

Lost in the chaos and tears running down my face a woman grabs my shoulder and takes me into a building. 

It was a plain, dirty and crowded place. Beds spread across the cracking concrete floor barely a foot apart from each other. People, something I had a custom of staying away from. 

I stared down at my sneakers covered in small holes and patches of dirt.

 Tears filled my eyes again as memories of my mother telling a story of Papa coming home from earth and  bringing back sneakers about the size of one month old me. I smiled for a moment until the tears continued to fall.

A voice I had ignored came into my ears again startling me away from my daydream.

 The women who brought me in this horrible place "And those are the bathrooms, you can pick any open bed and rest for awhile I'm sure you've had a long day." She patted me on my shoulder like she knew what I was going through and it was no big deal.

 She walked away trying to aid a small child wiping his tears away but there was nothing she could do about mine. 

I would never forget what just happened  though I wish I could be a normal happy family but that was impossible to almost anyone in this place.                                                                 

   Not listening before I knew where nothing was and urged to wash up  and pee. "Idiot." I whispered to myself. I should've listened.  

The womans voice yelled at me "Exuse me but what's your name boy!" Tilting my head back up onto the room I had noticed people staring some taking a quick glance at me others just stared at the tears going down my face waiting for me to answer. 

I ran to the nearest bed that was not near children working there lives away; scrubbing, dusting, and some girls changing a baby's diaper. 

The bed I chose was just like all the other beds a thin dirty sheet that from the looks and smells of it I don't want to know where it's been. The mattress was no more than a few inches away from the the rusted metal that held it up. 

One of the multiple things I hated about this place was that there was so many boys crowded around the room even though I was against the wall the chatter and humming reminds me of a shutmeup bird. The birds were big annoying birds that were as quick as the snap of your fingers.

 I needed privacy I thought so no one would stare so, I could try and sleep.  

There was only two windows in the front entrance to give it a somewhat presentable look on the outside.  

I looked outside and saw that the sun was almost down but dark clouds of smoke and rain were knocking at our door.

Tired, I sat on my bed  legs crossed already making my but sore from the metal lying below the mattress. 

The boys around me seemed to have stopped humming and cleaning and began to put the supplies away.  Most of the girls left, tucking the younger ones in and taking the babies into another room to the right side of me. 

Still looking for a way of privacy I spotted two curtains on the ground and grabbed them just as rain started to poor down and thunder beat it's drum. 

The lights went out as everyone settled down to sleep.

       I looked up at the ceiling and spotted a leak "GREAT!" I smiled sarcastically as I  tried to hooke the curtain above me creating a roof that likely wouldn't hold for an hour. "Just great!" I sighed.

  A boy next to me snickered trying to  hold in his laughter.  I ignored him still trying to reach the poles on end of my bed standing on my tip toes.  The boy laughed again at my failure much to loud.

  "Shut up!!" Two voices said in sync as they drifted back to sleep. 

 The boy didn't listen and whispered "you forgot your pajamas, they're over there." He pointed to a dark lumpy shadow just as I finished putting up both curtains, one to try and cover the leak and the other facing his bed.

  I grabbed the pajamas and closed the curtain so I could change.  I was cold and could feel tiny raindrops leaking through the curtain. 

Thunder raged as I tried to fit the striped pajama bottoms through my leg, hopping up and down. Hoping I wouldn't be half naked for much longer it made me feel vulnerable and cold.  Something I've felt enough of today. 

I could hear the boy shuffling into bed as I finished changing. "So... I saw you today, sorry about your dad." The boy whispered.  I pushed open my curtain trying to hold back tears angry that he knew about that and reminded me of reality. 

"How did you know that! Who even are you!" I wispered loudly my tears rain leaking through my eyes.

 "Look I'm sorry, I.. I just thought that maybe I could talk to someone like you and I would have someone to talk to if I bought it up! It was a dumb idea. The names Lance by the way." He snapped at me.  Lance's face grew tears as he hid underneath the torn sheets shivering.