WAR

It was absolute hell, trudging through knee high mud a new fever every other day another inch or sore, too tired to walk and too scared to stop. I was on my own lost, my team dead. Down to just a handful of rounds for my pistol, my rifle slung at least a day ago. I had ran out of food and water hoping for rain, you couldn’t drink what was at your feet, I’d seen men go mad after drinking from puddles, one shot himself the other ran off a cliff edge naked, I preyed for their souls. I think I was about to give up myself when the trees started to thin, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I stepped out onto a track, I chose to walk down hill, it was easier I truly had no idea where I was , I tried to remember maps but my memories were a muddle. A day and night passed when I came across the bridge.

Something made me look up, there in the middle of the bridge stood a young girl, the look on her face was numb , I new her intention was to jump, I started towards her as quick as my tired body would allow, I stopped, as I’d gotten closer the picture became clearer, her torn dress bruised face n’arms blood soaked her dress , I new two things at that moment, this child had been through hell and I had to let her jump . I closed my eyes and turned away. She never screamed, I only heard the splash as she hit the water rushing below me. Feeling less than human I struggled on up the track, night was ever looming I needed to find shelter, luck was finally on my side as I rounded the corner I saw a lean too in the trees, as I slumped down I could hear shelling and gunfire in the distance, I must have been on the other side of the island thank god. I knew as I closed my eyes that they may never open again and I was ok with that!

As I lay in my fevered state what you might call dreams or nightmares came to me, I know them to be memories, those of the jumper.

I saw through her eyes, she left her hut happy playing with her friends, while adults looked on smiling then returned to the jobs they were doing. A loud bang came and with it fire all went dark for a moment, her eyes reopened on those of her lifeless friend covered in charred blood. She stood tears in her eyes and saw the adults gunned down, before she could cry out a rough looking man grabbed her arm and dragged her to the floor, she closed her eyes tightly as he ripped her dress and crushed her flower, then another and another and one more, beaten and curled up they left her in the mud as they smoked and laughed, then they took turns again, she could hear other girls scream as they took turns were being rapped beyond life. It was dark when one eye opened, she was alone in so much pain she felt numb, she got up and ran until light came and she found relief at the bridge.

I rose to my feet, headed inland somehow I knew just where to go, I walked for about an hour through trees and over rocks to a clearing and the village, a few huts lay ahead, I stood for a moment on blood stained grass the few bodies that lay close were mutilated, war was bad but this was something far worse. As I moved on I could hear the grunts of man and the cry’s of the young. I saw a axe in a stump then in my hand, at the first hut I listened , only for a moment, closed my eyes to the hateful music and kicked the door in , a guard turned his head eyes widening at my intrusion, his head hit the wall and thuded to the ground. I stooped and held out my hand to the girl, or what was left of the innocent child, I spoke to her in a language I’d never spoken, saying she was free. She never moved so I turned and left, it was then I saw the pile of hacked bodies in the fields. The next hut was a mess but empty bar a pool of blood and some big black rats. I moved to the last picking up a stained machete on the way , three more grizzled soldiers met the same fate as the first. When my eyes focused I hurled in the corner as I realised the horrors of that hut and the fate of that village, a girl the one they’d been toying with lay on a thin blooded mattress barely alive, against the wall were the half naked bodies of women and children all bloody all torn.

I checked the village twice but found no survivors, I followed a bloody dirt track to the next village no hope lay in me only disgust at what man could turn to, i despatched 3 more soldiers laughing and smoking outside the village. I heard the crack of a single gunshot and fell where I stood. Well that’s my story, I’m happy to go where you send me. Go with Mae she’s been waiting for you… Mae was the girl from the bridge, she took my hand and lead me away in a content silence…….

THE END?