The swift swing of the door alerted Luke to the return of the recruiter, who walked around the desk and sat down again. For the first time, Luke slipped of his glasses, but he kept his eyes closed. The bright light burned through his eyelids, and his eyes subconsciously squinted in an attempt to block the light. Slowly, he placed the glasses back on his face, easing the light.   

 The recruiter tapped his pen on the desk, and the gentle sound echoed through the room. He looked up and said, “According to your file, you intend to apply as a conscientious objector.”

“Well sir, I did plan on that.”

“So you don’t believe in death, or are you just a coward?”

“I would fight for something I believe in.”

Luke heard the soft scratch of a pen on the paper, and he felt he heard significance in the movement. His chair squeaked as he nervously shifted his weight, waiting for the recruiter to talk. The recruiter, however, lounged in his chair, resting his heavy arms on the padded armrest. After a short pause, he said, “I have deemed you mentally and socially capable to serve in the army. Are there any physical disabilities that might inhibit your ability to serve for the army, the United States, and the rest of the world?”

Before he answered, Luke’s thoughts returned to the clouds, undoubtedly soaring overhead, deliberately going no where in particular. If only he could be a cloud, to be whisked away with a gust of wind.

The recruiter coughed loudly, snapping Luke’s mind back to the room.

“Sir, you know I’m blind right?”

“Oh yes, but we recently decided that blindness does not qualify for a discharge from services. I am assigning you to the infantry unit on the frontline in Russia. Goodbye, Private.”