This is a small account of Teddy Duchamp - the day he went to the registry office to join the army. The non-italic sentences is Teddy talking,and the italic sentences are the actions happening in real life.
I,Teddy Duchamp,will not stand his guard down. He will protect his men,and leave nobody behind. Not a single soldier. I,Teddy Duchamp,will guide them safely through the marshes of Castle Rock,and bring every single soldier out alive.
[Teddy starts to march across the field near Royal River,his knees pulled up high as he stomps across the yellow grass. His arms are swung in unison,sharply,professionally. Today,Teddy has decided to practise his march,where nobody could watch him. His head held high,proudly - proudly for Castle Rock and his friends - and his upper lip stiffened,to show he is not afraid of the enemy.]
Quick march,men! The enemy must be taken down,and we will not stop for any reason whatsoever. One,two - one,two - one,two. Head held high,men. No slackers!
[Teddy starts to march faster,quicker. His posture is straight,and stable. The tall grass brush against his legs,and tangle around him,but he stops at nothing and continues to march with his head held high. His glasses are tightly secure,and he can see the horizon of the field where the sun was beginning to rise. He had arrived here at 7 am sharp,like any good soldier should arise at. No slacking - he marched straight to the Royal River field,with the intention of becoming the soldier he always wanted to be when he was a kid.]
Onwards! The enemy is in sight. We must take them down,men. Do not pull back,no matter the consequences. We will stick together,and leave nobody behind. The enemy is our target,and we will use force if we have to. Get your guns ready,men - the enemy draws near!
[A doe had wandered into the field,and was gracefully gnawing the grass that she was stood in. She hadn't noticed the man that was quickly marching towards her. She pricks her large,brown ears up as the strange man stops suddenly,staring straight at her through his glasses. He seems to have stopped for a rest,but suddenly he lifts up his arms and mimics a gun,aiming straight for the young doe. The doe stands to attention,and stares back at the man with an odd curiosity.]
The enemy has spotted us! Quick on the trigger,men. Any sudden movements,and we shall shoot. The enemy must not escape - the enemy must be taken down! Keep your eyes,and ears pealed for any of his colleagues. Do not drop your guard,men. We will not risk losing any of our own. The enemy must suffer.
[Suddenly,the man starts to make terrifying noises,that sounds as though he is shooting. The doe flinches and runs off,but Teddy continues to mimicshooting at her. The doe panics and runs into the Royal River forest,keeping her ears peeled and her eyes straight ahead as she gets away from the frightening man.]
Well done,men. We have safely,and securely taken down the enemy. No men have been injured on our side. Now,straight ahead! Quick march! No slackers! Slackers will be punished severely.
[Teddy begins to march again,making it to the GS&WM tracks and walking down the long line of metal,and wooden planks. His posture is straight again as he marches with crisp perfection. The air is mild,yet just right for the Yet-To-Be Corporal Teddy Duchamp as he marches down the tracks,back towards Castle Rock.]
We will arrive at Castle Rock at 0900 hours. Stay on guard for any sighting of the enemy as we march. Posture straight,guns ready. I,Teddy Duchamp,will have no pussies in my force! Today will be the day we win this war,so long as you stay alert,men. We will not back down. We will keep on battling until the day is over,and our feet are sore. We will help each other through this arduous struggle,even if we,ourselves,are injured. We will put our men before anything,because I,Teddy Duchamp,will bring everyone out alive. That is my oath. Quick march,heads forward and high.
[Teddy continues to march down the tracks,until the familiar streets of Castle Rock are in view. The streets are silent and empty,save for the stomping of Teddy's military boots that he bought at the dollar store. The streets have seen better days,and they were once filled with the hustle and bustle of people that walked along the curb,passing each other with a slight nod. Teddy stops at the edge of the town,and surveys the scene. He remembers back when he was twelve - the days were sunny,and he would spend them with his friends; Chris,Gordie and Vern. But,they are long gone now,and Teddy hardly see's them anymore.]
Forward,men. We must be at the General's headquaters before we lose any men. We need to be briefed again. The General has a plan for us,men,and we need to know how to get around this plan. Remember: keep your ears and eyes pealed for any movement from the enemy. Keep your hands on your guns,and be alert.
[Outside one of the buildings,there is a sign that greets Teddy saying 'JOIN THE ARMY TODAY' but in his mind,it reads: 'CORPORAL TEDDY DUCHAMP AT YOUR SERVICE; LEAVE NOBODY BEHIND'. Teddy marches towards the building with his upper lip stiffened out,and his chest puffed. He is ready,and is prepared. This is the day he'll join the army. This is the day that Teddy's dreams come true,and he will guide his men safely forever more. He will go down in history with many bravery medals.]
No enemies in sight. The General is waiting. Single file,men - the General accepts no slackers,and neither do I. We will listen to every word he says,and we will understand what he is telling us,do I make myself clear? Good,now get in there,and do what he tells you. There will be consequences for those who are too pussy to carry on through this war! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR? GOOD.
[Teddy makes his way into the building and is greeted by posters,explaining how to sign up for the army. There are Generals in uniforms sat at a long,narrow table. Their expressions are serious,and they hold their hands clasped tightly in front of them. Teddy makes his way over to them with a solid expression,his chest puffed and his chin held up high. He greets them with a strong nod,and the Generals smirk up at him.]
Listen to what the General is telling you,men. This is important - so pay attention.
[Teddy can see him becoming a soldier already,and he dismisses the smirks from the Generals.
'Are you here to join the army,son?' One of the general ask,and Teddy nods once. The General stands up.'Very well. We need to run some tests first,and see if you're fit enough to join the army.' He explains,guiding Teddy towards a door. There are other young men here,and they stare at Teddy as he passes. One of the young men snorts,and comments under his breath about Teddy's ear.
'Stand there for me.' The General instructs,and Teddy does so. His arms are strongly by his side,and he keeps his expression solid. He must be professional; this is his dream,and he will not back down.]
This is the day we end this war! The General has spoken,and we will march towards victory. The General has instructed us to stay put near the North-West trench,and so be it. We will shoot when we see the enemy,and we will tend wounds. We will do what The General has told us to do. Anyone who wishes to go home will be classed as a pussy,and WILL be shot for cowardice.
[ 'What happened to your ear,son?' The General asks,and Teddy says nothing. He has missed what The General has said,and he stares blankly ahead.
'I repeat: what happened to your ear,son?' The General says,much louder this time as he stares hard at Teddy. Teddy straightens up again; this time he heard him.
'My father,sir. He singed it off on the stove when I was a kid.' Teddy explained,feeling no shame for his defect. A soldier will stand strong through anything,and he will risk his ear defect to save his country - to save Castle Rock,and do his friends proud. They would all look up to him,especially Chambers.
'I see.' The General replied,taking in a long,deep breath,before exhaling through his nose. He whispers something to the other man in the room,before continuing his talk. 'We will have to run some eye tests,so please remove your glasses.' He instructs. Teddy is hesitant at first,but he does so,and places them in the front pocket of his green shirt.]
Keep your eyes pealed,men. I know I keep saying that,but it is IMPORTANT. Your eyes will guide you through this war - you have to stay alert,and your eyesight must be as sharp as a hawk's,otherwise you are a DEFECT. You do not deserve to be in the army if you are not alert. If you are not alert,you will wind up dead. I,Teddy Duchamp,will not have any of his men ending up on the gurney. Eyes pealed,men. The enemy has started firing,so SHOOT BACK AND KEEP YOUR EYES PEALED.
[The chart with the letters are badly blurred,and Teddy has to squint his eyes to make out the first letter. Even then,he can't see the black letters and he pulls his head back. But,he doesn't give up; he must try if he's to be in the army. He squints his eyes again,and forms the letter 'A'
'A' Teddy says,and The General shakes his head. The letter is 'N'.
'Try again,son.' The General says,but his tone isn't pleasing. He sounds disappointed - annoyed for this young man wasting his time.
Teddy nods,straightens up and tries to read the chart again. 'N...H'
'Wrong.' The General barks,making Teddy flinch. The letter was 'X'. 'I'm sorry,son,but you can't even read the first two letters. How would you cope if you were shooting at an enemy? You wouldn't be able to see a damned thing!' The General explains,shaking his head once more. 'Try again next time,son,when your vision is better. I will not risk having a defect. Especially with that ear of yours; how would you be able to hear orders?' He adds,and sends Teddy out the room.]
Man down! MAN DOWN! I've been shot,men. I need medical attention. Keep shooting at the enemy! They need to be taken down if we're to win this war! I need medical attention. Get the medical personnel! Man down! Man down!
[Teddy hangs his head down as he walks out the building. A couple of the other young men start laughing at him,and make obscene comments.
'You four-eyed pile of shit!' One of them shouts,and Teddy looks back at him. He hasn't heard that nickname for years,and for a moment,he thinks it's Chris. But it isn't; it's a skinny kid with horrid skin. The kid smirks and Teddy looks away with a sigh.
This was meant to be the day he got his dream. This was meant to be the day he joined the army,and fought for Castle Rock. This was meant to be the day he fought for his friends who used to pick on him when he was twelve. This was meant to be the day he would become Corporal Teddy Duchamp,and earn his bravery medals,and go down his history.
But,now,his dream has been shattered and he makes his way slowly out of Castle Rock. He looks back,putting on his glasses that has stopped him from joining the army,and stares at the streets. He misses being that twelve year old,because he had no cares in the world. He would hang out with Chris,Gordie and Vern everyday,smoke and play cards.]
Get through this war,men. Go without me. I'll rest in the knowledge that I have guided my men safely through the marshes of Castle Rock. I will rest easy knowing that I have kept my men alive. Although my memory may not live on,remember my name: Corporal Teddy Duchamp.
[Teddy smiles weakly,before turning and making his way back across to the Royal River,where he would continue to practise his marching,every morning,at 7 am sharp.]