Letter Day.

"Ok kids. I have told you what you needed to think about what you want to be when you are older. Today, I need all of you to write a letter to your future self that will be mailed to you when you graduate high school. That will determine what you will be when you are older. Once you have it written down on the piece of paper, exactly what you want, you will hand it to me. If you disobey what you write down when you are older then there will be terrible consequences. I wish you all luck. I can answer your questions, or help you write them down. But you must try to do your best, and tell me at the end. This is the most important thing you will ever do children. You have your paper. Go on."

My teacher is smiling. I go to my desk, and I think. I decide on the safest option. I am going to be a-and then the memory gets cut, as I am brought back to reality. My letter, sitting right in front of me. I have been putting this off all day, as I did not know what is in here. I just cannot remember what I put in this document. I was about to, but I can't remember at all. I slowly open it. A soldier. Great. I wanted to be like my dad when I was older. My dad is now dead. Why? He was a soldier. And that was what I had picked. Of course. Why could I not be an accountant like my mom? I loved my mom. Her job was a bore, but she was safe like me.

Now I had to cancel all of my college applications, and the one I was accepted in. I had to enroll in the military. The worst thing I could have chosen at that moment. I remember my teacher saying what a great person I was going to be, and self-less. And then I go back to the rule book. The book says you have to do it, but not for how long. I filled out an application. I was accepted immediately, and I cried. My dad was dead from fighting. Thanks to him being so inspirational, I now had to go and be a soldier. What was I going to do? I did not want to be on the front lines. I cried myself to sleep that night. Why did I pick that job?

In the morning, I packed my bag, left my mom a note and a bus came to my house. I climbed into the bus and I sat down. My poor mom. Who raised me, telling me about how I was not to be a soldier. On the bus to my death, just like my father. Sure I was proud of him. That does not mean that I wanted to be just like him, especially after his death. But I missed him. Maybe he would know that I'm following in his footsteps. Maybe I'll be high in rank. I'll get free college. I can still have a good life. Maybe there would be a way that I could live up to his standards and make my father proud. Be a protector for my mom.

I knew she didn't want this, but I couldn't back out. I have to do this. I had to be this. I watch the town I knew so well fade away, and my future be the only thing I could see for miles. Others flooded the bus, but it still felt like I was on an island of my own. I labeled it misery island before I slowly drifted off to sleep, hoping that this was not reality. That there was a chance it was fake and it was unreal. Or maybe I wouldn't be alive when I woke. But whatever happened, it was soon to be over. Soon was my pain and suffering to end. Be rid of all living misery that I was in. I was asleep in minutes, my last comforting thought, my mom.

When I wake up, we're at a station. "You will all stay here for basic training. Once you are done with that, you will go to training and then military." We're driven to the first stop. We get off and carry our bags. Maybe I will have to be took home, for a medical condition. I pray they find something wrong. I remember Having diabetes as a kid, and then asthma. It was less now, but still there. I tell them about how "bad" it is. They have to have me took home for that. They eventually tell me to go stand in a line with a couple other people.

"You all need to be in the military. So we will put you down as kitchen crew. You will serve for a month, and that is all you need. Then we will send you on your way." I thank god. I can cook for a month. Easy. Training was skipped, but we still had some teaching. Military food was easy. There were only a few other people on kitchen duty. A week passed. Then two. And eventually we got through the month. Thank god. We were sent home on the same bus at our houses. While I was in the military, I wrote to my mom. I didn't know when she got the letters, but I knew she was getting them.

I see the house and I look up. I walk up to the front door and knock. There's an answer, my mom is working at home. Perfect. She comes out and sees me. She squeezes me hard. I tell her all about what happened, and she's really happy. I get started with her in her work. I apply for the job, and I get it. I file paper work for her and her co-workers. Soon my mom will retire, and I will get her job. I'm so excited to do this.