I have a fourth chapter here! If you have any comments or ideas or something feel free to leave a comment. I'd love to hear your feedback on what you think of my story! Without further ado I give you chapter four.
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Everything about today felt wrong. Starting with the fact that I literally woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Now my bed is against a wall and it's been that way since we moved in about, you know, before I was even born. So if I wake up on the wrong side of the bed by hitting my face on a wall that has been there for 17 plus years, there is most likely a problem.

Then, Kate didn't walk to school with me today, which I forgot, so I was just standing there awkwardly for ten minutes until I remembered that 'Hey! Kate isn't walking with you like she has been since kindergarten.' That was the second weird thing.

After that, I got to school, and it was quiet. I'm talking about silent, no people, not even any cars on the street. Which is really weird for 7:50 on a... Saturday. It was Saturday.

Saturday also means that I have training and conditioning with Kate, Anne, Lex, and Matt. It starts at 8:02 sharp. Don't even ask me about why it is 02. Sometimes I think that Anne is just a little strange. Unfortunately, this also means that I have exactly 10 minutes to sprint over to the same place that we meet.

Training is the only thing that I have never been late to in my entire life, and I was born a week after I was due, so I was not about to start being late now. I run the eight blocks from school to the tiny, old warehouse used to train and plan and meet in.

One room in it is dedicated to planning and is where we meet. Another room is our armory. This room has a password so that no curious passers will stumble across a stash of weapons. There are some other small rooms for other purposes, but my, and everyone else's favorite room is the training room.

There are all sorts of things to do in there. Some weeks we just have to do conditioning, which is like running, strength exercises, and things like that. But, occasionally we do a game that incorporates everything that we have learned so far. You can tell when we do this because all the equipment is moved around strategically.
I get there literally with seconds to spare, as the clock on the wall turns to 8:02, 8 seconds after I run in.

"Impressive," Anne says to me, looking actually impressed. "You actually made it and still are holding your record for only thing that you haven't been late for."

"Thanks," I practically gasp.

She smiles at me says, "While we wait for Ryan here to catch her breath, I'll explain the rules of what we are going to be playing today."

I finally look up from where I'm sitting with Kate, and notice that there are short walls or just things to hide behind in general all over the room. There are weapons placed in some places, and a brightly colored flag on either end of the room.

"Today we are going to be playing a game that happens to be one of my personal favorites- Capture the Flag."

"You will be split into two teams and have ten minutes to strategize then we will start. Weapons are stationed around the room. Some are hidden, while some are in plain sight. You may use these weapons to the best of your ability as they will not inflict permanent injury."

"Will it hurt?" Lex asked.

"Well it is a weapon. What do you think?" Anne asked not unkindly.

"Oh."

"Any other questions? Ok. As you hopefully know, the object of the game is to get the other team's flag. But here is the twist. Instead of just getting the other team's flag, you must also have one prisoner on you side, in a cage of some sort."

"What do we need a prisoner for?" I asked.

"Well that is a wonderful question."

Anne was obviously in a very good mood today.

"If we are actually in a battle or something like that, you will need a bargaining chip for whatever, a good bargaining chip is a person, or just an enemy... because they might not be a person."

"Well that was vague, but I'll go with it because I want to get started."

She smiled, then said, "Let's pick teams.

"Two of us will be captains. I am one and Matt will be the other." She turned to him. "You can pick first."

"Come on little brother," Matt said as Lex jumped up from where he was sitting to high five his brother then stand next to him.

Anne took no longer in thinking about who her choice would be. "Kate. That means that Ryan is on your team Matt. We each get 20 minutes to hide our flags, plan, whatever you may need. It starts now."

Matt, Lex, and I run over to our side and see a bright red flag, one starter paint gun, and a bit of rope. It is pretty obvious what each of these is supposed to be used for. The flag to hide, gun to attack, and the rope to tie up our prisoner.

"So what's the plan?" Matt starts off our planning session with this question.

"I think that we should start by getting the flag then deal with Anne's craziness. What do you think?"

"Sounds good to me," Lex says. "I can hide the flag on our side."

"I'm also okay with your plan. It actually might work. Ryan, are you okay with going to get the flag while I guard, hidden nearby the flag, first? After you come back with it, we'll switch, and I will go look for someone to take prisoner."

"Sounds good," I reply.

"In that case, Lex, go hide the flag."

The little boy quickly runs off with the flag in tow. While he is gone I think about who should get the gun (though it is a paintball one), and who has to look for one along the way. My thoughts are disturbed by Lex coming back, and Matt voicing my question.

"There are only two more minutes until the game starts. I think that I should start with the gun because I am just going to sit over by where the flag is. Ryan you will need to pick one up on the way to the other side. Lex, you do whatever.... run around be a distraction, whatever you think is good."

I nod to agree, and so does Lex.

"Well in that case, lets go."

He goes to the right, in the same direction that his little brother had gone earlier. Lex runs straight down the middle, so I decide to split and go to the very left.

One of the few things related to training that I am actually good at is sneaking around because I can be silent if I want to. Usually I do not pick the quiet option, but that only works to my advantage most of the time. If I am loud all the time, then people assume that I can't slip past anyone or anything without them noticing.

As I'm running down the room, I hear someone, and duck behind one of the many walls that has been set up in the room. In fact there are so many that it loosely resembles a maze. After they pass I risk a glance to see who it was, and fortunately it was only Lex.

About three-fourths of the way across the room, something shiny catches my eye. Lodged underneath the heavy temporary wall, is a knife. As the weapons we are training with are not life-threatening weapons, the tip is very rounded, and the sides are much thicker and rounded as well, but used correctly, I think it could inflict a pretty good bruise. Now the only problem I faced was getting it out.

There was the option of tipping over the wall, but that would make too much noise so I am reduced to having to pull it out. I waste a good at least four minutes, pulling on the dull knife until it comes out. Then I take about fifteen seconds to rest and start running again. In about twenty feet, there is a small paint gun that I pick up without stopping, and shove into my waist band. By the way, if you ever think about doing it because your favorite heroine did, well just don't because it is extremely uncomfortable. I can assure you that whoever you are copying was also uncomfortable as they did this.

Just as I start to run again, I see red in my vision. Not as in I was angry, but literally. There was a scrap of red over in the corner. Got it I think to myself, as I run in that direction.

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A/N So hopefully this chapter is longer to make up for the really short one I posted before. :) If you like this story you can check out my other story that I started not that long ago. I only have a couple parts up right now, but oh well.

It's called Myth of the Mermaids and is about a girl named Mai that goes to test a so called "myth" that has been around her island since forever. Find out what happens to her when she goes.

So yeah. Please check out that story or follow me, or whatever. Bye!