Chapter 6 Ophelia

It took a week to get into Tennessee. We were Spotted by their drones before we breached the border.

“Get down.” I young man with a rifle demanded.

Hunter, Reyes, and I got down, touching our hands to our heads.

The soldiers sat us up, removing our weapons. Then let us put our hands down. “Who are you.”

“Ophelia Dusk, former sergeant in the Northern military. This is Hunter and Reyes. They are college students who were arrested for treason against the United states for attempting resistance in Louisville.”

“We are required to detain you and bring you further into the state. We will conduct a series of interviews and then deliver our verdict. Welcome to the New CSA.”

We were treated very well, all things considered. The Southern military lacked the structure of the North, but ran much faster. The interviews took less than an hour before we were released. They gave us Southern uniforms and different options as to what we wanted to do.

Reyes copped out and became a citizen of the Confederacy, but Hunter and I joined the military.

“Atkins, escort these two for training. Inform Calloway that Ophelia is advanced.” Michael Richards requested. He had conducted our interviews and given Reyes citizenship.

Richards turned to us. “Welcome to the south, to the great country of the confederacy. General Calloway will oversee training, and will take good care of you.”

We made our way across the hijacked college campus to the training grounds, formerly the southwest lawn.

Hunter and I stood among the other recruits. I felt rather out of place among them, but maybe it was just my pride thinking for me.

“Alright you guys. Everyone here knows how to work a gun. Our new recruits do as well. I’ll allow you two to introduce yourselves.” General Calloway said.

“Hunter Rowan, avid hunter and former college workshop assistant at the University of Louisville.”

“Ophelia Dusk, former member of the northern army.” I recieved a ton of boo’s so I went on. “Left after the WKU massacre, refusing to kill them, and deserting from the military.” the crowd shushed.

“Now, since we’re discussing this sort of thing, whyd you join to begin with?” Calloway asked.

“Well, my family has been a part of almost every major conflict. And for years i have found what the south was doing by slowly leaving was wrong. My family sided with the north the last go round, i have always learned all the negative qualities and propaganda. This time, after fighting you and learning about you, I can easily see why you were right. The martial law should have been my first que.”

“Well i agree with you there. Now you have had actual training before correct?”

“Yes sir.”

“Cool. You can mingle with your peers and meet back up here around dusk.” he paused, and passed a slight smile. “And you hunter?” Calloway looked back at me, “You're dismissed when i have made it clear like that. You’ll get the hang of it. We aren't near as strict as your former comrades.”

I left the stage and entered the main forum, well, the grass in front of the building we were at. I got some dirty looks from people, but most were a mix of fear and curiosity.

By this point i was vaguely listening to Calloway’s questions, standing at attention facing him.

A couple minutes later I felt a hand on my shoulder. “Dusk?” a girl asked.

Girls were rather uncommon in the northern military, i was quite surprised to turn and see another girl. She was Brunette, shoulder length hair, freckles dotted her face sparingly. She stuck her hand out in greeting. “Lily Andrews, Delta.”

“Ophelia Dusk, former northern.”

“Its good to meet you. I’m glad you found us.”

“We’ll see how glad i am. But your people have treated me well, despite my actions.”

“We like to keep it that way. I’ve been assigned as your trainer, just mostly to explain how our military functions.”

Some time later was dinner, something i really needed. A full meal, I sat with Lily as I waited for hunter to arrive.

“Known him long?” Lily asked.

“A week. Not interested.” Girl talk wasn't my thing, clearly Lily enjoyed it because she was always asking questions.

“That's good because Jade is gonna flip when she sees him.”

“Oh?”

“She’s a friend from childhood, she loves him but won't say it.”

“Ah.” I lit a cigarette, which were in short supply down here. Up north we had more.

Just a minute later I saw hunter, he came and stood by us for a minute, “Lily, good to meet you.”

Lily stood to shake his hand, “and you’re hunter.”

Before Hunter could sit down, he almost fell over on me. He looked light headed, I put my hand on his shoulder to steady him. “Come on Hunter.”

“Oh my god.” Presumably Jade ran over to us. “Hunter!”

“Heya Jade.” He said, embracing me the blonde. They stood like that for a minute, has she pulled back he put his hand to the side of her face, and smiled. “My god I have missed you.”

“Same here.”

“I’m sorry about Zane.”

“It wasn't you. We’re here now.”

“This is Ophelia, she helped me get here from prison in Kentucky.”

She looked me up and down. Surely an odd site, with how I dressed and looked.

I’d been born to a poor Indiana family, my twin sister had joined the military as well. I had red hair, lots of it. But I always loved the more gothic or emo look. I wore dark clothes and black lipstick. It countered my rampant freckles well, but it was still not a normal sight.

Jade was a cute girl, blonde choppy hair, she also wore dark makeup, but it made more sense on her. “Deserter?” She raised an eyebrow.

“After the massacre at WKU I left.”

“Shit. Well, welcome to the less horrible side.” she said dryly.