Never To Be With

• Isabel Sepulveda, Grade 11
• Short Story
• 2021

Jesse had never felt so hopeless and lost in all his life. Here he was, in centre of war and death, watching as those beside him careened in all directions. Some soldiers hurled themselves toward the enemy, screaming and sending millions of bullets flying. Some cowered back holding their breaths, blood and sweat dripping down their necks. Jesse rushed toward cover, endless swirls of smoke strained to grab him. Seeing a large boulder up ahead, he suddenly felt safe, running toward it, ducking from death. But the moment he reached his salvation, something struck him, something painful. Screaming, he fell to the blood stained ground, crying, gasping for life. Inside him, he felt the bullet wedged between bone and muscle. "Oh God!" He screamed, clawing the ground, his arms growing weak and numb. He choked up blood as he fought with his mind, finding something good to distract him from the agonizing pain, but all he found there was more pain, more hurt. He saw a sweet, laughing young woman, green eyes raised heavenward. A freckled face, turned toward him. It was Rose, the woman he had proposed to just before being called off to war. Fate had a way of being cruel, but couldn't it have spared him this pain? He could think of the day he had proposed, the happy tears she had wept as she hugged him crying, Oh yes Jesse! Oh yes!" Life had been perfect then, dreaming of his beautiful wife he'd have soon, hand in hand with the one he chose to spend the rest of his life with. He'd rather spend one day with her than a lifetime without, and that brought him more pain. More pain than the bullet inside him, more pain than all he'd had. How he had fallen low, out on the battle field, covered in dirt, and ash, and the blood of those he did not know. Beside him, men were screaming, limbs being torn, bits of blood and flesh spattered. But Jesse only saw Rose, and her he saw till he drifted off to a long and peaceful sleep.