All around us, invisible bullets flew; nearly missing or nearly hitting or not even coming close.
The semi-automatics holding the steady melody. Ptptptptptptpt.
Then comes the shotguns, to add a little kick to the beat and echo through out. Pow…Pow…Pow…Pow.
Then the fighter planes chime in with their loud engines flying overhead. Vrrrr…Vrrrrrrr….Vrrrrrrrrrr.
Can't forget about the explosions either. No orchestra is complete without a powerful percussion. BOOM. BOOM… BOOM.
All of this and much more makes up the song of war. But to me it was just a blur. All white noise. Because in that instant, he fell.
"ALFRED!"
I couldn't even hear myself when I screamed his name. It must have been loud, though, for Francis to have been able to hear it over the noise around us. He was just a few feet behind me. Gradually we moved amongst the ruined buildings; Alfred in the lead with Francis guarding our rear. He had just turned to signal us to move forward when two shots went off.
In that moment time seemed to slow down. I swear, I could see the look of pain and surprise quickly flash over his face. It was only a split second though because soon, the only expression he held was the look of life fading from him. When he hit the ground, I half expected the entire ground to begin to quake. I even braced myself a bit.
Soon as I shouted his name, though, all thought left me. I surged forward towards him, not even thinking about the enemy that had just fired at him. Francis had tried to grab me but was too slow.
Pchew!
Another round goes off from the same gun, but this time it's aimed at me. It had just grazed the left side of my head; but I felt no pain. Hell, I didn't even realize I had been hit. All I felt was a strange warmth flowing down the outside corner of my eye and down my face; to my neck.
Francis held still and watched for the enemy; looking around with a keen eye for where he could possibly be. After a moment, he brought his rifle up to his shoulder and squinted those dark blue eyes and then-
Bam!
A loud cry then nothing more than the continued song of war around us. Still, I heard none of it as I dropped down beside Alfred; the magnum I held falling from my hand. On his upper back, two dark-red flowers were quickly blooming.
"A-Alfred!" I cried out as I began to turn his limp body over.
At the sight, however, my breath caught in my throat and a choked noise of pain escaped me. He was already dead.
Those lifeless, light-blue eyes stared ahead of him at the dark, smoke-filled sky. That was it. His life was over. I don't know when they first started but I quickly realized I was crying. The hot tears left streaks in the dirt and soot on my cheeks as I failed to hold back sobs. I could feel my body begin to shake and as I tried to suppress it, more pain only ensued. This wasn't like in the movies. When someone close to the main character gets shot and they lay there, dying in the main characters arms; whispering last words. No. This was worse. It was instant death. No sputtering, no coughing up blood, no trying to hold back cries of pain. Worst of all, no last words of encouragement or unspoken secrets being told. No apologies or arguments being settled. There was nothing. No dying words
Wrapping an arm around his shoulders, I tried to sit his lifeless body up a bit. "Come on, Alfred," I sobbed, "You have to get up!" Bringing my free hand up I began to pat his cheek while my other shook his shoulders. "W-we have to get out of here!"
There was no response though. Just that same lifeless look.
Something grabbed me from under the arms and tried to pull away. I could vaguely hear my name being called as well. Ever so slowly, my senses began to come back to me and after a few minutes of clinging to the bleeding, lifeless body, I realized it was Francis trying to pull me away.
"Arthur we can't stay here! It's dangerous!"
"I'm not leaving him!"
"Angleterre, he's dead! You will be too if you don't hurry!"
Turning around to look at him, I slowly shook my head. By the look on his face, I myself must have looked rather pathetic as well as a right mess. "Then leave me here to die with him," I begged.
"You're being ridiculous!"
I probably was but I didn't care. Nothing mattered to me anymore. Alfred was dead. Shoving Francis away, I wrapped my arms around the limp body and buried my face in his shoulder. As I continued to mourn for him, I heard four or maybe five shots from above me. I think it was Francis firing his gun. Or was he being shot at? It must have been the first one because a few seconds later he pulling at me once more and yelling to me.
"I can't leave him!" I cried.
"Arthur he wouldn't want you to die like this!" Francis said, trying to reason with me. He probably was right. Alfred would want me to keep fighting. But what did that git know. I was supposed to listen to the implied wish from someone who couldn't sit through a 'scary' movie? Ha!
Francis was being relentless though and I could feel my grip on Alfred loosening. "I don't want to leave him!" I tried to hold on but Francis was just too strong and my grief was making me weak. Finally, my hold was broken and I was being dragged away. I still wasn't going to give up though. I struggled against Francis as best I could. My hands reached out for anything I could grab on him; anything that could keep us together!
I heard the small clink of metal and felt something break away. Not really sure what it was I grabbed, I halted my thrashing to stare at what was in my hands.
The dog tags he wore.
To a soldier on the battlefield they were just as important as any weapon. My breath caught in my throat as I continued to stare and I didn't even realize Francis was already dragging me away. When I looked to the body, and how far away it was now, fresh tears began to gather.
"Alfred, I'm sorry!"