3 hours before bookout...

Eric gave another loud yawn again. As he recovered his senses, suddenly a cold fear caught him in its grip.It was lucky that once again, noone saw him yawning so widely, a spectacle that could have serious repercussions.

Realising the severity of it all if he was to yawn again, he shook himself and got off his chair. Peering through the Vertical blinds directly behind his desk, he was temporarily dazzled by the piercing sunlight penetrating through. Down below in the parade square, he saw columns of soldiers marching in time to a Sergeant Major's drill commands. He gave a faint smile. It felt oddly thrilling that he was able to observe everything happening so brazenly yet was safe and far away.

As the radio crackled on in the background with its bass grossly distorted, he threw a careless gaze across his room. He had everything, a phone, a computer, a personal desk and a table. What more can he ask for? He slowly lowered his eyelids and listened intently. Amidst the drift of repetitive music from the radio, he heard distant shouting of the Sergeant Major below castigating the men, mixed with an odd smattering of officers chatting joyously loudly and clappering of boot soles on the stairwell just in front of his door.

Eric tilted his head upwards and directed his head to rest on his chair. Then as if his life was in iminent danger, his eyes opened rapidly and were hurt by the brightness of the fluorescent lamp above. Why was the light so bright yet harsh and seemingly devoid of life? The surrounding walls as if on cue from this light, took on a lifeless posture. He clenched his fists and thrusted it against the wall. Pain oozed its way throughout his arm.
He released the clenched fist and took a long hard look at it. He seemed to have forgotten what he had done, fleeting moments earlier...