War Is Hell

I Run. It’s all I can think of doing to escape the hell before me. I dive, soaring through the air and landing on the rubble and dirt that litter the road. My side burns in pain but it doesn’t matter, I have found safety behind the remains of a building. I scream in fear and shock as an explosion erupts a couple of meters away, taking a chunk out of the road and sending the body of someone I used to know flying over my head into the rubble. The clatter of machine gun fire, explosions and people screaming puts my mind and body into a state of numbness. I drop my rifle and drag myself to my feet, watching the bodies of men not much older than me fall to the ground, blood seeping from them and covering the road in bright splotches of red.

I scream once more as the gunfire changes direction to intercept me. I drop to the ground, crawling over to my rifle and snatching it up into my shaking arms. I drag myself to a position where I can fire at the enemy and peer through the sight along the top of the rifle. I find a target then fire. It’s a hit, and the man goes sprawling to the ground. I stop looking and tuck my head back under what’s left of the cover I am under.

“Good shot Davis!” I hear someone yell at me but I don’t pay much attention. The numbness is back with me and my mind is repeating the same words over and over. What have I done? It plays over and over....

A blurred figure runs over and grabs me by the arms. He is yelling something but I can’t hear; it’s like I’ve gone permanently deaf. Suddenly, my ears reactivate and I can hear what I describe as the sound of death once more.

“We gotta move soldier! Corporal York over there is about to blow this place to hell and back!” I look to the right to see a man loading a mortar and another marine giving him covering fire. I half fall over as my sergeant drags me to my feet and pulls me into cover with a bunch of other marines. I watch as the mortar is fired and the shell is blasted over to the enemy at a high velocity. The explosion sends the enemy flying in multiple directions. After the dust and smoke clears the only sound that can be herd are cheers from my fellow comrades. I step out from the cover and make my way over to the body of the man I killed just minutes before. I fall to my knees and stare at the body for a few seconds, then I notice something red inside the camouflage jacket. I reach in and take it out. It’s a rose. I tuck it inside my own jacket then whisper softly “Sorry.”

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