Bridge of Worlds

August 12, 2024

ROTC team captain, Mark Anderson, was starting to question whether an eighteen-year-old should be in charge of leading others.

Then he dismissed the thought.

He and the other four boys walked into thick woods, leaving the late-day heat behind them. The multi-day navigation course on the military training reservation was starting to wear on all of them. But it was his responsibility to make sure nothing went wrong.

And he was pretty sure something had gone wrong.

The temperature dropped a couple of degrees, and birds shrilled overhead before taking flight at their intrusion. The woods were a mix of deciduous and conifer trees, and a breeze moved pleasingly through the branches.

“We’re camping here,” Mark said. “We have two more days to finish the course.”

“Ah, finally,” Sonny Jamison said and stripped off his pack. He dropped it and plopped down on a thick layer of pine needles. “My feet are killing me.” He yanked off his boots and socks and wiggled his toes. “That’s better.”

Johannes Adenauer sat beside Sonny. “Scheisse. I feel like we’ve walked a hundred miles today.”

Luke Baker joined them on the ground. “Wait for basic training.”

Sonny laughed. “Maybe I’ll go to university instead and just stay in ROTC another four years.”

“You und me both,” Johannes said.

“And miss sweating your balls off in the military?” Luke said.

“I think they already fell off,” Sonny said and burst out laughing.

“Sonny, you’re the medic, heal yourself,” Johannes said with a snort.

The last one in their team, David Wayne, caught up. “Camping here?”

“Yeah,” Luke said. “You’d know it if you hadn’t stopped to piss on that tree.”

“Good enough spot. And that tree was calling my name. I just answered.” David dropped his pack. “I’ll gather some wood and get a fire going.”

“It’s still hotter than hell,” Sonny said.

“It is now,” David said. “But it won’t be when the sun goes down. And you damn well know it. You’ll all be crying that you’re cold. There’s an abundance of wood perfect for a campfire. So I’ll collect some and get it started.” He moseyed off to scavenge for wood dry enough to burn.

Mark took off his cap and set it on his pack. Time to own it. “We’re lost.”

“I’ve been thinking we were lost for a couple of hours,” Sonny said. “Get the map. Let’s see if we can figure out where we are.”

Mark dug the map out of his pack and spread it out on the ground.

“David,” Mark called. “Come here.”

David dropped the little bit of wood he’d gathered and sat beside Mark. “We’re lost, aren’t we?”

“Yes,” Mark said. David was too intelligent for his own good. “Where are we?”

David looked at the map for several minutes. He pointed to a section. “I think we passed Bear Rock about two hours ago. There are only two forests marked on here. We could be in either one. But I think we’re in this one.” He pointed to the larger one. “Yes, we’re in that one.”

“Why?” Mark said.

“Because we passed a dried-up stream bed a while back. I’m guessing it flows into Blue Creek, which is marked on the map and close to the other woods. That stream isn’t big enough to be classed as a creek. Therefore, we’re here.” He pointed at the map again.

“You’re certain?” Mark said.

“I am.”

“Good,” Mark said.

They’d been a team for the last three years in the rigorous ROTC program they’d joined. After years of working, sweating, and drilling together, he would trust any of them with his life.

Now they were in their last year of high school. They would be splitting up at the end of the school year, either going to college and continuing ROTC or enlisting in the military like he and David had already committed to. They weren’t just cadets who worked well together; they were close friends.

“How do you think the other teams are doing?” Sonny said. “We haven’t seen any of them in the last two days.”

“Hard to say,” Mark said. “I doubt any have finished. The terrain hasn’t been easy.” He took a long drink from his canteen and lay flat on the soft pine needles.

“Last weather forecast said it was going to rain tomorrow night,” Sonny said. “Think it will storm? Or just a little tinkle-piss?”

“Why? Think you’ll melt?” Mark said and lifted an eyebrow.

“Aw, shit, you know I hate getting rained on.” Sonny took his cap off and wiped his forehead.

“You’ll smell better,” Luke said. “We smell like dead mules.”

“Well,” David said, “what can you expect? We’ve been sweating our balls off on this course for the last four days. I’m glad Janie can’t get a whiff of me at the moment. She’d swear I died and arrange my funeral service. We can clean up if it rains.”

“Isn’t there a lake marked on that map?” Johannes said. “Don’t answer that. I know there is. If we’re where David thinks we are, we’re close enough that we could go for a swim and wash up. Because, unlike me, you all stink to high heaven.”

“You smell like a dead rat,” Sonny said and grinned.

“No, I don’t,” Johannes said. “Germans don’t stink. We’re above that.”

Sonny grinned. “Got news for you, bro…you smell like you haven’t seen water in a month.”

“Pft, I smell like roses compared to you four.”

“I just wish I had a girl to complain that I smelled bad,” Sonny said.

“You’ll find one,” Mark said.

Sonny snorted. “I doubt it. I’m blaming my hair.”

David said, “Lots of ladies love strawberry-blond hair. You just haven’t met the right one. Besides, you’re not exactly over the hill. You’re not even eighteen yet.”

“I’ll be eighteen in a couple of months.”

“Don’t sweat it,” Johannes said. “I don’t have a girlfriend either. It isn’t the end of the world. We’re not going to be knocked off anytime soon. At least, I don’t think so.”

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” Luke said, “Don’t give a rat’s ass. I’d rather spend time at the range than deal with some hormonal girl that complains constantly.”

“You’re going to marry your rifle,” Sonny said and brayed laughter.

“I think he already has,” David said. “It isn’t optimal, but…”

“You guys wish you could shoot as good as me,” Luke said.

“Actually, I don’t,” Sonny said. “I’d rather patch up your victims and send them on their way.”

“That’s why you’re the medic,” David said. “And he’s the marksman. Ironically, both are necessary to proper team function.”

“Let’s find the lake,” Mark said with a tad of annoyance. Sometimes they acted younger than they were.

He was a little older than they were because of his late birthday. He was nearly nineteen, but they weren’t far behind. They were all in an ROTC program that demanded more than the usual training.

“Yeah,” Luke said, “we stink.”

They stood, grumbling as they got moving again, boots dragging through dirt and brush.

“David,” Mark said after a while, “you sure about this?”

“Absolutely,” David said without hesitation. “Based on our last heading and the terrain shift, we should be within—”

“Distance,” Mark cut in.

“Close,” David said. “Very close.”

They kept walking and crested a hill.

The lake stretched out below them, wide and blue under a cloudless sky.

David gave a small, satisfied smile. “As predicted.”

Mark nodded once. “Good.”

“Come on!” Johannes said. “Last one down’s a coward!” He was already moving.

Sonny lit up. “Oh, you’re on.” He took off after him, fast.

“Don’t break anything,” Mark called after them, already moving downhill himself.

David hesitated half a second, then followed, less gracefully.

Luke just went.

They hit the bottom, laughing like fools.

Sonny got there first, breathing hard but grinning. “Worth it. Completely worth it.” He was already pulling at his uniform. “I’m not even waiting,”

“Careful,” David said, catching up. “If the water quality is questionable, we could be introducing—”

“I don’t care,” Johannes said, tearing off his jacket. “If it is poison, I’ll die clean.”

“That’s not how poison works,” David said automatically.

Mark was already wading in. “In. Now. Before I change my mind.”

The water was cold enough to sting.

Johannes swore.

David hissed.

Sonny laughed. “Oh, that’s—yeah, that’s cold, that’s really cold.”

Luke just exhaled once and kept moving.

Mark dunked under completely, came up, and dragged his hands through his hair. “Better.”

“Objectively, yes,” David said, splashing water onto his arms. “Though without soap, we’re only removing surface—”

Johannes splashed him. Hard.

“Hey!” David sputtered.

Luke got hit in the crossfire. He blinked, wiped his face, and flicked water back once. That was enough.

Soon they were all scrubbing, arms, faces, necks, trying to erase four days of sweat and dirt.

Sonny dragged his hands over his face. “I feel like a new person.”

“Debatable,” Johannes said.

Mark scrubbed his arms harder. “Good enough.”

Then Johannes shrieked. A full, unfiltered, high-pitched sound that echoed off the water.

Mark froze. “What?”

Johannes slapped at his arm violently. “No—no, no, no—”

Johannes?” David said.

“Leeches!”

The word hit all of them at once.

“Out,” Mark said immediately.

They all moved. Fast. Water churned as they scrambled for the bank.

Johannes was already there, stumbling out, looking like he wanted to tear his own skin off.

Mark hauled himself up—and looked. “Johannes.”

“There’s one on your…” He stopped. Recalibrated. “…lower.”

Luke glanced up. Paused. “Nope.”

Johannes went very still. “Where,” he said slowly.

Mark pointed.

Johannes looked down. There was a moment of silence. Then he shrieked again. “Scheisse!”

He grabbed himself with one hand and smacked at the leech with the other. He looked half-panicked, half-furious. “Get off.”

The leech tore free and hit the ground with a wet little sound. Blood welled immediately. Johannes stomped it. Hard. “Die,” he said, his accent deepening.

It burst.

That did it.

Luke turned away abruptly and threw up.

Sonny flinched. “Oh, okay, yeah, no, that’s…” He stopped, immediately checking his arms. “Nope, nope, nope.”

David was already inspecting himself with increasing urgency. “They attach silently, that’s the issue, you don’t actually fell them until…”

“Check me,” Sonny said.

“I am checking,” David said.

Mark did a fast scan of himself, then the others. “Clear. Anyone else?”

“Clear,” Luke muttered, wiping his mouth.

Johannes was still breathing hard, staring down like he expected another attack.

After a second, Sonny let out a shaking breath. Then a laugh. “Okay…okay, that was—” He laughed again, harder that time. “That was bad. That was really bad.”

Johannes looked at him. Then he snorted.

David looked like he was trying not to laugh. Failed.

Luke sat down hard and just shook his head once, a faint, disbelieving smile slipped through.

Mark exhaled, tension bleeding out. “We’re not telling anyone about this.”

That did it.

They all lost it, laughing, loud and uncontrolled, echoing out across the lake.