(Unknown at the time)

My name is Johnny Pierce I am 16. The date is July 5, 2029. The "Freedom War" as it is called has been going on now for eight years. America is in turmoil and the major cities are all most all destroyed. I go to school at a place the Government calls "The Institute.” The Institute was located on the Atlantic coast near Washington, D.C. The Institute is a school for the Government Officials' Children. The students who go to school here at the Institute are not allowed to talk about who their parents are nor are they allowed to say their name. Each student is given a fake last name by their parents when they first enroll in the Institute. The Institute was converted from a Prison into a school. The reason why they converted a prison into a school is because a prison is pretty much like a fort you have everything you need in one place. There were fortifications like watch towers and walkways on top of the prison wall. They renovated the prison cells to accommodate the students, faculty, and the guards. They build a half a mile "No Man's Land" (NML) to protect the children. On the outside of the Institute they built walls of metal and concrete then put barb wire on them. They even built Machine Gun outposts that were authorized to shot anyone who tried to cross the NML that weren't authorized to be there. They also had mine fields. There were also Navy patrols every hour. In the morning the Military leaders stationed at the Institute taught us to fight using weapons of all sorts including guns, knives, swords, sticks, rocks, and anything else we could get our hands on during a fight. They also taught us to use Martial Arts. Then during the afternoon we went to the school part of the Institute and learned Math, Science, English, and then finally we learned about Battle History/strategies that were used in famous battle throughout time and the world. My three Favorite things to learn were how to use Guns, Knives and History/Strategy. Those were what I was best at. I can answer almost any question about wars that we were taught and be right. I was also the second-best knife fighter in my class. I loved guns just because they were cool to learn about and the feeling you get when you can pull the trigger and there is a jolt and a bang and the very next thing you know there is now a hole in a piece of paper down range that wasn’t there a second ago. A couple of days ago a kid tried to escape from the Institute after hearing his father was assassinated by the Militia and while escaping he ran smack dab in the mine field and got himself blown up. They tell us that this is the safest place to be and that we are safe from outside forces but what they don't understand is that were aren’t safe from ourselves. This is the fourth kid so far this year to die in NML after hearing that a loved one was killed or captured by the Militia. The kids try to escape going home and be with the remaining loved ones but in the escape they forget about the Mine fields and if they try at night, which most do, they forget about the Machine gunners who rip the kids apart as they try running past them because there spooked and scared so they open up on them. I lost my best friend, Lee, this way he learned that his dad who was a Congressman was killed by the Militia in a raid. I remember when they came in and told them he begged to go be with his mom and they wouldn't let him and they escorted us back to our barracks and then left. Later that night he escaped under the cover of night and made it past the mine fields just to end up in front of a Machine gun nest and the guards thought he was an intruder and fired at him. The official report said he was hit several times and started screaming that was when the guards realized he was a kid the rushed over to him but Lee was mortally wounded and told the guards that all he asked was to be with his mom to make sure she was ok. He then told them to deliver me a letter that he had written in case he didn't make it. The letter was covered in dried blood when they gave it to me the next day after telling me that Lee had died. In the letter there were sentences and words that were crossed out, this was probably due to the fact that Lee wasn't a 100% believer in the Government but actually felt sad that this nation could be torn up because a power greedy man. I read that letter over and more than five times. In the letter Lee said how he believed the War would only end if the President died and they didn't let his son or daughter take over. Little does he or anyone here know that I am President Pierce's son. Here at the Institute my name is Johnny Walker during the holidays I am one of the few who don't go home to see their parents and family, Lee was another who did not leave. After I got done reading the letter I asked to see the body so I could pay my respect to Lee but they said no. None of the students was allowed to see Lee after he died and all of his stuff was collected from our barracks' and taken to the main building. He is now the fifth student to die in the NML this year. A couple days after Lee’s death some of the guards came into my classes' barracks and escorted all of us to the main building and we were met by the Dean of the Institute Dean Brown who told us that we would be eating Lunch and Dinner with him. We ate lunch while we talked to each other and enjoyed the meal that the Dean's cooks cooked for us. The Dean just sat there watching each of us and listened to our conversations. After dinner Dean Brown said he was sorry and sad to hear about Lee’s death and asked us what we thought about Lee he then asked if Lee ever said anything about joining the Militia of course I didn’t say anything and nobody else ever talked to Lee as much as I did. It was weird that the Dean was asking about Lee like he was a traitor to the Government. That day he also told us that we were being trained to be leaders in the Governments Army and that we were leaving in three days to go to Fort Drum. Dean Brown also told us that for the next two days we were permitted to do anything we wanted. He said we were free to rest, mess around, and swim in the ocean. He also said that if we wanted to we could continue to go to our classes and learn or we could go to the ones we liked. For two days I went to classes. Only my three favorite ones. I spent the morning shooting guns at the shooting range. I spent the afternoon learning different techniques of fighting with knives. Then in the evening I went to my History/Strategy Class where I learned about the French Revolution and how there was a man named Robespierre, who was nicknamed Robespierre the Incorruptible, and how he had Corrupted Government Officials publicly beheaded for not being 100% loyal to the Revolution. Later Robespierre "The Incorruptible" was beheaded for being corrupted. On the third day all 19 Students in my Barracks met in the front of our Barracks and we were escorted by the Guards to the main building and into the Auditorium. There we were met by all of our teachers and Dean Brown. He told us to sit in the chairs in the front row. Right after that all the other students in the Institute entered and sat in the rows behind us. He then proceeded to welcome all of us here. He read each of my classmates' name and my name. He then said that we were graduating and moving onto bigger and more important things in life. He then said he was happy to see each and everyone in my class seating before him. He then said it was time to announce the top student in each Subject. He introduced each teacher and that teacher’s subject. "Mr. Trimble from the English class please step forward and announce the number one student in your class" said Mr. Brown. I realized that I would not be up there for the basic classes like English, math, or Science so I just daydreamed. Then all of a sudden the boy to my right nudged me with his arm and said "Yo Johnny I bet five bucks you'll get weapons one!" "Ya and I bet ten he'll get two of them. Weapons and Knives" said the boy to my left. "Come on guys I don't think I'll get any of them except for History/Strategy class" I said. Then I looked up and Mr. Brown announced. He would now announce the number one student in our class and also the number one student in the last three classes. There was a silence and he said "The number one student in this class is Johnny Walker! Johnny please come on up" I was in so much shock I Just sat there and the Boy on my Right nudged me and I got up and walked up and shocked hands with Mr. Brown. He gave me a diploma and then motioned me to the podium and all could say was thanks. After I sat down Mr. Brown announced that we would be moved to Fort Drum where we were to be trained as Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs). Later that day we left for Fort Drum on a military helicopter. When were arrived at Fort Drum we were greeted by a man who is carrying a folder and some other officers, one of them ordered us to stand in formation and at Attention which we did. The man with the folder steps closer and greets us "Good morning maggots I am Lieutenant Locke your commander. At the Institute you were treated as gods because of your parents' position in the government but here you are the same as the rest of the maggots in the army. From here on till the end of training you are privates each one of you. Here you have to prove that you are willing to fight to death for your country. Those of you who don't make it, it will be a sad homecoming because you will lose the respect of you parents because you couldn't handle what normal men and women handle all day every day. Here you will be trained to be NCOs and some of you, if there are any at all who excel at training might be made a higher officer in this great Army of America. After you are trained, you will be given weapons, armor, and food. You will then be in the field defending against the scums that are destroying this great nation. There is one student that I took notice of a boy named Johnny Walker. Private Walker step forward." I stepped forward and stood at attention. "Now Private Walker it says here you made top of your class overall and top of two weapons class and War history/strategy class is that right Private?" "Yes Lieutenant Locke." "Well private let’s see what you’re made of! Sergeant give this Private an SR-25." I took the gun and the Lt ordered me to shoot a target about 600 yards down range. I laid down flat on the ground and put a round in the chamber then announced the gun was loaded. "The weapon is loaded." "Good Private fire when ready." Said LT Locke. I adjusted my aim for the wind, gravity/distance and humidity and fired one shot hitting the target in the middle of the upper chest. And I fired once more and hit the target in the middle of the face and then made sure the chamber was clear and stood up at attention. "Private why did you fire twice even though you hit the target in heart?" I answered "Lieutenant Locke, I fired the second shot to make sure the target was dead. He might have been wearing armor where I shot him and if he was you don't want him to kill you didn't make sure you shot him dead. So I made sure he was a dead target, Lieutenant Locke." "Well I Believe if we trained the Private, a little bit more he'll be the best sniper for his age." Said Locke. Locke then wrote something down in his folder then ordered the Sergeant to get the training on. The Sergeant then ordered us to call us Drill Sergeant Black. Drill Sergeant Black then marched us to a barracks. "This is your new home ladies! Don't fall in love with it because you'll only be here maybe four to five hours a day if that! Not to mention when you are here you will be sleeping and is that it understood?" We all answer back "Yes Drill Sergeant Black!" Then five men came in, with their heads shaved and walked all most as if attention, four of them carried four boxes and the fifth carried five boxes. We were ordered to stand at attention near a bunk. I immediately stood next to the closest bunk to me. Everyone scattered to a bunk with their closest friend. "This isn't a sleep over boys find a bunk and stand at attention." Said Drill Sergeant Black. When everyone was done finding a bunk Drill Sergeant Black ordered us to but are duffel bags on the beds and move back and strip to our underwear. We said "Yes Drill Sergeant Black!" We did this and then Drill Sergeant Black waved the Soldiers forward. The soldiers first dropped a box in front of each of us and then they stood at attention and Drill Sergeant Black waved them to continue. The soldiers then went to each bunk dump each mans' duffel bags' contents and items in the cloths on the ground separated the pile on the ground, so they could see each item clearly, with their feet. Then they proceeded to the back of the room and stood at attention again. The Drill Sergeant then walked to each man's bunk and looked at the items on the floor and then ordered us to put all of our pairs of pants and shirts with any hats we had in the box the soldiers put in front of our bunks. After we did this Sergeant Black ordered us to put and metal jewelry in the box and then close it. We did this then the Drill Sergeant waved the Soldiers to continue. They picked up each mans box and walked out then five new soldiers came in with uniforms. Each uniform had each private’s first initial and last name on the tag. The Drill Sergeant then proceeded to order each of us to put on a uniform and to meet him outside. We got dressed and moved outside and stood in formation at attention. The Drill Sergeant then said, "Ok girls you are now to do a six mile run with these backpacks over here. Each one was just weighed in at 50 pounds exact. When you finish if your bag does not weigh 50 pounds then you will do another three-mile run. Oh by the way you have one hour and ten minutes to run 6 miles with these backpacks. If you do not finish in time, you will do another 3 miles. So say if your bag isn't 50 pounds when you finish and you’re a minuet late you’re doing another 6 miles. Understood?" "Yes Drill Sergeant Black!" we said in harmony. "Get moving then follow the red flags! Start the clock!" Each of us grabbed a pack and started down the road following little red flags. Five of the boys, who were all muscle builders, took off as fast as they could run the rest of us including me stayed as far back as we could just jogging pacing our selves. At around 2 miles I passed two of the boys who ran off the start they looked exhausted as if they couldn't run at all anymore because they were sitting on the ground. Right before the three-mile mark I passed the three other boys who were now walking trying to catch their breath. Every mile they announced our times. My time at the three-mile mark was 27 minutes at least that what they said. This meant I was running a nine-minuet mile. I started to get exhausted so I slowed up a bit. Mile four they said 38 which meant I slowed to an eleven-minuet mile and I stayed at this pace.