A Soldier's Return
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JacobPOV
~Flashback~
Bam!
Bullets fly over my head, threatening to hit and kill me and also reminding me of how easy it could be for one of them to graze my head and my life to be over. Heavy smoke fills the humid air as more cannons fire, making it difficult to see, let alone breathe. The weight of the gear on my body was starting to make me kneel lower and lower to the dusty ground.
My legs ached from staying in this squatting position. I had my gun propped above the hill I was kneeling behind, aiming nowhere in particular, but shooting anyway. Somewhere out on the battlefield, an unfortunate was probably hit by my bullets. How many people have I already killed? Did they even deserve to die?
At this point ,as odd as it seems, I'm asking myself: Was this war worth risking my life for? Before I got a chance to respond to myself, I hear a shrieking noise coming from the soldier's on my right, filled with panic and stress. Trouble was coming.
Behind them I see a dark cloud of gas quickly pass over each man, engulfing them in what I guessed was poison. I had just enough time to duck and cover from the cloud rising above me, but not before I saw the faces of those who had not enough time to protect themselves. Horror, death on each face.
I stared each men in the eye as I watched them all die.
I woke up in a hospital, slightly smaller in size compared to a regular room, but this was the army, not a place to be cozy.
How long had I been here, and was I going to die? Questions, questions with no answers. All I knew was that my eyes burned as though being dipped in acid, and my lungs hurt with every breath.
A pretty nurse stopped by to give me a glass of water, and I happily drank it down. I asked her what had happened to me, and she solemnly informed me that I had bravely escaped death.
"How?" I asked, curious.
"Well Mr. Black, you ducked and covered your face at just the right moment, protecting yourself from the poisonous gas. Unfortunately, the dozen men that fought beside you were not so lucky. I'm sorry, but they didn't make it."
The horrible image of their hopeless faces replayed again and again in my head.
"But if not for your fast thinking, you would have had the same fate as they." She smiled warmly and walked out the room, an overwhelming sensation passing over me. What had I done to deserve to live, while those other men didn't? I'm sure they all had family who loved them, it just didn't seem fair. I was pondering this when I laid my head back on my pillow, then suddenly drifted into sleep dreaming about the return home, and back to my loving wife, Bella.
~End Flashback~
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The atmosphere changed among the soldier's as the plane was touching down. All I could think about was Bella and everything I loved about her. Once the plane was on all fours, we started to hoot and holler like animals in a zoo. But we couldn't help it, we were home! We had survived the impossible at all odds, and I couldn't help but feel pride curse through my veins. In a way, I was a hero.
Me, a hero!
It was when we boarded off the plane that I noticed how many injuries there were. Men had lost limbs, gotten various burns (Some all over their body) cuts and bruises, illness, anything that could have possibly killed them, didn't. But I also noticed that as soon as the men returned to their families, their face would light up like nothing but them mattered, I had never noticed how strong a family bond could be.
Maybe when I return home to Bella I would discuss the possibility of us having a kid? I knew she would do anything for me now, she was so proud that I had followed my dreams of being a solider. But, honestly, at what cost? The image of the helpless men's faces once again reappeared, but I pushed the memory away and took a seat inside the airport, hoping to catch a glimpse of Bella.
~Two hours later~
"Excuse me sir, you've been taking a nap here for hours, is there someplace you have to be?" A janitor asked me.
Hours? Where was Bella, she agreed to come pick me up at the airport. I pushed back a rush of disappointment and instead searched for her a bit longer until I gave up and went outside to hire a taxi. I didn't have much money on me, but enough to get home. The ride was quiet and peaceful, exactly what I needed. However bombs and guns exploding flashed through my mind, always there like an unwanted memory. I had to put my hands to my ears to stop the noises from pounding in my skull. I hoped this wouldn't last forever.
It was about 5 pm, still daylight, when I got home.
I dropped my suitcase inside the front of the door, and gazed around our house. Just the way I remembered it, brown walls, wolf pictures hanging everywhere, soft plush carpet beneath my feet. Home.
I called out her name, hoping she'd be home to hear. Maybe she was surprising me? I searched the house, no Bella. I went into the kitchen to grab a drink and wash my eyes again, because believe it or not they still burned. I was expecting maybe a note sitting on the table that would tell me where she was, but no. Maybe she just plain forgot?
I grabbed the keys to my old rabbit and hit the streets to search for her. The only place I could think to look was the library where she worked.
On my way there, however, I saw a sight that I hope no man ever has to witness.
Bella, in her red truck, was at a stoplight, me beside her. But she never even glanced my way. She was too busy locking lips with a guy that I recognized she worked with. With every ounce of self control I had, I tried not to roll my window down, get the gun I had my under the seat, and shoot him dead. Anger started to bubble inside me, coming off in waves off steam it seemed.
And I watched as my wife cheated on me.
The two were laughing, talking and giggling, stopping every now and then for a peck on the lips. This was the longest light I had ever been caught on, and I just wanted it to end. This was honest to god torture, seeing the one you love loving someone else.
The light turned green, and I threw my foot on the gas till it hit the floor. There was a huge turn that I had to make up ahead if I didn't want to crash, and I knew that the outcome would be deadly, but who cared? I don't think I could handle the pressure of being the only man that survived my unit.
I couldn't handle any of this.
Right before my truck sped away, Bella finally noticed me staring. We locked eyes, hers apologetic and scared. Fuck her.
I sped by, steering straight even though I was supposed to take a sharp turn. The truck hit the curb, flipping it over, until it landed with a thud into the bayou close by. The familiar smell of smoke and explosion once again hit me, and while I should have been scared, all I could manage to do was think.
Of Bella, of her beautiful brown eyes. Oh god, her eyes. The helpless way she had just stared at me.
I knew I was blacking out.
I could still feel her eyes upon mine as I entered unconsciousness.
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Hope you enjoyed it! I need 10 reviews to go to the next chapter. Believe me, it gets sadder.
~angel~