to the sweetest Chendol in the world,
Well, I hope you haven't been freaking out, in case you thought I was dead or something. (It really hasn’t gotten that bad, honest.) So much shit has happened in the last week. As you might have heard, the Army is sort of panicking over how widespread the mutiny might be and is trying to keep an eye on all our communications. Just in case you know, the traitors might be recruiting through texts and emails and social sites. I really doubt that though -- I mean, it’s the kind of thing that I think the traitors would want to do in whispers. Little suggestions. I think there are some in the battalion trying to "read" everyone, asking subtle questions. At least I think that's how the conspiracy is spreading. No one here really feels like pointing wild fingers at brothers and sisters without good cause. When we start doing that, the traitors will have won. It feels really awful, in a sort of visceral, gut-wrenching way, to be calling other former US soldiers “the enemy,” but I guess this is what it's come down to. Actually I don't know if they'll even let me tell you all this. The censors will probably err on the safe side of strictness and they might think too much talk is bad for national morale. Well I hope most of this arrives unmutilated and it gets to you.
Anyway, for security reasons one or another, we'll have to treasure every moment we can talk. I don't know how the news back home is but as you might know, all our cell phones are now in "safekeeping" and there's a huge line for public phones. I'm not grumbling too much yet -- should I? -- but it's getting to be unpopular. Hopefully this won't last too long. I thought I would have been excited to be called up -- the naive, action-hungry, green I was -- but I never thought I would have to use my skills against fellow soldiers.
We've arrived in Houston, but they probably won't let me say too much. I guess it was a beautiful city before all of this occurred. Except for us, the streets are almost empty at night, even in the safer districts. This is depressing talk, anyhow. I hope everything’s quiet back home. Except for the shop. I hope it’s bustling. I’m excited about your new designs, ya ambitious girl. This restricted internet is getting discouraging but even so you still have to send me all your new developments. I hope the censors will accommodate art and fashion, cuz there’s no reason to censor those! I’ve managed to write a few poems while on mind-numbingly long guard duty (it’s not really /boring/ but I don’t think they’ll let me tell you the details), but I haven’t had the time to enter them in yet. Ah damn it. My public access session is almost over and there’s another guy waiting behind me. Why did I waste so much time on the traitors? I’ll try to sneak another letter in tomorrow ... or better yet, a phone call. Let me know how much got through.
Keep your thoughts bright!
Louis.
