Saturday, April 12 2014

War Flashbacks

Darkness is all around me, just like in my dreams. I look to my left, I see Jim. He has the same cold look he always has. My heart is beating steady and I keep myself alert. The radio opens up:

“Bravo one contacts on your nine!”

I see them; they are running on the road. I signal to Jim, he takes a position. I hear two clicks, contacts are down. We continue moving up the hill; I can feel my blood rushing, my heart beats steady. We see the compound in-front of us, and the radio calls:

“Alpha team is in position, moving in!”

“Bravo one contacts heading towards you!”

This is it, it is happening now. This is the moment we trained for. Endless nights of repeating the same routines over and over, again and again, all lead to this. All those times I was away from my family, my wife, my children, this is what it was all for.

We quickly move towards the compound, Jim covers the road and I flank the building. Hostile emerges, I take a shot, hostile down. I take cover position, Jim moves forward. After all of this is over we will probably go out for a drink like always, me and Jim, best buds, brothers in arms. I hear Alpha one calling:

“Tango is down, all teams retreat to LZ!”

Hostiles are surrounding us; I provide cover fire while Jim pulls back from his position. I see Alpha team moving up the hill, we can’t pull back. The heart starts to beat faster; I am almost out of ammo. I see more and more hostiles moving forward; I call to Jim signaling him to pull back, but he signals that he can’t. I hear a shriek whistle and it all explodes around me. I call on the radio: “Bravo team is down! Jim is down we need backup now!” But the radio is silent.

I lay on the ground, I see them coming towards us, I yell to Jim but he is no longer there. He has faded. I make a last call on the radio:

“Bravo team is down!”

“Jim is dead!”

“They are coming for us!”

“I Repeat hostiles are surrounding us we need back up!”

“Nooooooooooooo…………………………….”


***

Honey, Honey wake up, wake up baby wake up!

What, what happened?

You were screaming in your sleep. Did you have a flash back again?

I guess… I can’t go on living like this any longer. This is not fair to you, to the kids. I have these nightmares all the time and I wake you up. I can’t live like this anymore.

Oh baby. I am always here for you, you know that. I will never leave you! I love you honey.

I love you too, you are the best. I promise from now on I will lay off the PlayStation before we go to sleep.