-Hey Alvarez-said Isaac, an young Afroamerican man and Chayo's best friend-So how you feel with your prosthesis?
-You'll need more than just a grenade to defeat this beauty.
-Persistent and crazy as always, right?
Both of them laughed.
-Excited of going home?-Chayo
-Well-
-INCOMMING!
Then one of the vehicles of the convoy was destroyed by a rocket. Everybody came out of the vehicules and went take their positions, Chayo was already on hers but when Isaac went to take his, he stepped on a mine that sent him away.
-ROGERS!- screamed Chayo. The girl ran along with her dog to aid her best friend, but when she saw him, her heart almost stopped.
-Isaac! Isa- Ay Dios, Man down!
Isaac was laying against one the vehicules, the explosion had blown his legs off. There was blood everywhere, she could see his bones, ligaments, arteries, she knew that if she didn't stop the bleeding Isaac could die. So she applied two tourniquets around his legs.
-Chayo! Help me!
-Take it easy Isaac, I'm right here.
-I don't wanna die Chayo! I don't wanna die! I just wanna go home, please don't leave me!
-You're not gonna die, okay?, You're gonna be fine, I'm not gonna leave you. You're gonna get home, you hear me? I'm gonna take you home.
But then a sniper bullet pierced the boy's head, the blood stained the girl's face making her back up.
-ISAAC!-she screamed as she waked up and sitted abruptly.
-Chayo! Chayo it's okay!-Denahi-It's okay.
The girl was breathing fast, sweating, shaking, on one moment she was trying to clean the blood of her face with her hands. When Denahi took her hands trying to calm her down, then he looked into her eyes.
-You alright?
-Need my backpack.
-It's in the corner, Koda can you get it?-Kenai
The little boy tried to take it but it was too heavy for him, so Sitka took it, smiled at his little brother and then passed it to Chayo. When she opened it, she putted on her glasses, took a flashlight and turned it on, she started to look for her medicine bag. Once she found it, she took a different plastic bottle and took two pills, all the time the brothers could se her hands were shaking until she took the pills.
-Are you sure you're fine?-Sitka
-Yeah it was just a nightmare that's all.
-You wanna talk about it?-Koda
Chayo smiled at him.
-I'm fine Koda, don't worry about me-she said on a kind tone-Why we don't...just, get back to sleep?
The brothers didn't look so convinced, but they listened to their new friend and got back to sleep.
...
Next morning Denahi woke up to find out Chayo was gone. He changed his clothes and went out of his tent to look for his friend, about few minutes he found her on the river along with Saya. The season was spring ending-summer begining, the water wasn't so cold, so she could take a bath. Hopefully she was almost full dressed when Denahi saw her, the only naked part of her body he saw was her back, but instead of getting blushed, Denahi became shocked at the apparently burning scar on her back.
Chayo putted on a black t-shirt, she was wearing grey sweetpants and blue snickers. She putted on a jean's cap backwards, took her stuff and called Saya to leave, but she got scared when she turned around and saw Denahi.
-Wey me asustaste.
-What?
-You scared me.
-Oh, sorry, is just that when I woke up you were gone, so...
-I went running with Saya and then took a bath.
-Great! So, how about some breakfast?
They both started to walk back to the village, they found Denahi's brothers outside Tanana's tent along with Bravo and Havoc.
-Buenas buenas señores.
-Buenos días novata-Clay
-¿Ahora me vas a tirar carrilla en español?
-No me tientes.
-English children-Trent-English.
And he did well 'cause nobody understood what they both said. They started to eat some salmon with berries and tea. It was really good that everyone asked for more. Denahi was stearin at Chayo's right leg that never stopped shaking.
-You alright?
-Yeah, why?
-Your leg still shaking.
-Yes, is normal on me. The other one should really shock you.
-Why?
The girl lifted her pants showing her prosthesis. This one was replacing almost more than half of the leg, it was a miracle that it didn't reach the hip.
-Jesus Christ!-Ray
-What happened to you?-Sitka
-Never try to kick a grenade.
-You crazy little maniac-Sonny
-I know.
Later, Denahi and Chayo were walking in the village. Denahi wasn't sure about asking a question he had in mind. But if he didn't tried, he'll stay on doubts.
-Chayo can I ask you something?
-What?
-Who's Isaac?
The girl got a sad look at hearing her old friend's name, she stood quiet for a moment, then she spoke:
-He...he was my best friend.
-Was?...Oh, I'm sorry.
-It's okay-she said with sadness.
-What happened to him?
-Sniper.
-What?
-A...you should see inside my head to understand.
-Then let's do it. Tanana can help us with that, she knows a ritual to explore the memories of a person.
-Denahi-she said standing in front of him-I've seen things you can't even imagine. I don't want-
-I accept all risks.
Chayo stood thinking for a moment, then she spoke again:
-It will be only you?
-Also Sitka, Kenai and Koda.
-No, Koda is too young for that.
-Alright, then just the three of us. So?
...
The four youths were now on Tanana's tent ready to do the ritual.
-So how does it works?-Kenai
-We'll sit around The Memory Rock, we'll take our hands wile two of you will touch her head with one hand. All the time we'll have to keep our eyes closed wile I tell a spell to see her memories-said the Shaman.
-I'm just warning you that-
-It's alright-Sitka-I survived the fall from a glacier, so we're ready for everything.
-Trust me, you're not for this-she said coldly.
Every body sat around the rock taking their hands. Sitka and Denahi will be the ones that'll touch Chayo's head transmitting the flow of the memories. Everyone closed their eyes and started to concentrate on their breathing.
-Chayo-Tanana-now take the rock with both hands.
The girl did what the shaman said, without opening her eyes. Then Tanana started to say a spell:
-Great Spirits, we have reunited so you let us get into the memories of this child. Our intentions are to deliver her from the pain and suffering that torment her. Please let us see, what she has seen.
Then a white light started to glow from the stone, from that started to grow some light fivers that expanded through the hands of Chayo 'till her head and then passed to the brothers hands creating a head-arm chain.
The ritual had begun.
-Hey Alvarez.
The voice of Isaac wake them up.
-Where are we?-Kenai
-This is one of Chayo's memory-Tanana-She's right there, reviving her memories.
-Chayo-Denahi-Chayo where are we?
-She can't hear us or see us-Tanana
-INCOMING!
The memory was the nightmare of the previous night. The brothers and the shaman saw with horror every detail of the scene, the explosion, the girl trying to save her friend, but the worst part was Isaac's death.
-ISAAC!
The scene changed, the Green Team had the mission of finding mines through military roads.
-Does she really needs another rest?- asked Isaac to Chayo, she still had her left leg.
-She owned it.
Chayo had given Saya a rest after she found many mines. The team was about to leave when they saw a vehicle approaching. The Sargent gave order to be ready for anything.
-Alvarez, check the vehicle-he ordered once the driver was out.
Chayo started to walk with Saya on her left side. Behind her Isaac and other soldiers had her back.
-Do you feel that?-Sitka
-Feel what?-Denahi
-Tension, everything is too calm.
Then BOOM! Chayo stepped too close from a mine. The brothers saw with horror how the explosion sent her away.
-Chayo!-yelled Denahi
He ran were his friend had landed, he found her between a cloud of sand and dust, laying on the ground the eyes closed. She started to wake up slowly, stunned and temporarily deaf. She turned on her side and saw Saya laying on the ground. Not moving.
-Saya?
The girl dragged, with a bit of difficulty and pain because of the explosion. When she reached her dog she started to pet her head to try to wake her up.
-Saya? Saya wake up...Saya...Saya
Nothing.
The memory changed again, now they were in a school for girls that had previously been attacked by the Talibans. Green team beat them but Isaac and Chayo were trapped inside with a group of girls because the building was in fire.
-We have to take the girls out of here-said Chayo to Isaac.
Saya found a way out, so Isaac came out first to receive the girls wile Chayo would pass them to him.
-What's that smell?-Kenai
They turned around and saw a pipe broken, gas was coming out of it. The group stood confused at the object, but when they saw the scared expression in Chayo's look they figure out it was something bad. When Chayo got out the last kid, she had to get Saya out first because they couldn't get out at twice. But before the girl could get out, some electric files sparked and made contact with the gas.
-ALVAREZ!-screamed Isaac
-Rogers advise!-said the Sargent that was coming with the rest of the team.
-Alvarez is inside! We have to get her out!
Then they both took an arm and pulled from it, they both did get her out, but Chayo was on fire, literally, all her back was burning on flames. She was screaming of pain and fear, the soldier took her gun and pointed at her head, she was about to shoot when another team mate used an extinguisher to turn off the fire. She would live, but with a third degree burning scar forever.
When the memory changed, the group was now on a town. They saw Chayo on a platoon that was patrolling the town, ready for everything. The three brothers could see a strange circular object rolling to them.
-What is that?-Kenai
-GRENADE!-screamed Chayo from behind.
The four turned around and saw Chayo running to them, they stepped aside and saw their friend kicking the grenade. But at the same time, this one exploded sending all of them away.
-Kenai!-Sitka started to call as he got on his feet.
-I'm here!
Sitka saw that by his side his little brother was now on his feet.
-Denahi!
-We're fine!-he said as he approached alongside with Tanana-Where's Chayo?
Kenai turned his look and got shocked by what he was seeing.
-Guys?-he said.
The three of them turned to see on the same direction than Kenai. When they saw it, they also got shocked:
Chayo was laying on the ground chest-earth...with her left leg destroyed. The girl was stunned and deaf because of the explosion, she slowly looked back and then she let out a scream of horror and pain when she saw her leg.
Isaac came by her side and quickly applied a tourniquet on her leg. The soldier took his friend on his shoulders and putted her on a safe place.
-Stay here Chayo, you'll be safe behind us-said Isaac and then he took his combat position.
The group then saw a Taliban that launched himself against Chayo, she was injured, but not defendless. She fought back, but then the Taliban was over her with a knife on his hand, he was about to stab Chayo but Saya saved her. The dog attacked the Taliban's arm, moment the soldier profited to take her machine gun and then shot the Taliban multiple times. The blood splashed on her face because they were pretty close to each other.
The group realized that the Taliban was just a kid, about Kenai's age.
Another memory, the S-E-R-E week, a month after Isaac's death, they were now on a dark room. A door opened and two men entered, their heads were covered by thieve's masks, they approached to a small cage where Chayo was.
-Rise and shine sweetie-one of the men told her as they opened the cage, dragged her out and putted a black bag on her head. They tied up her hands to her back and took her to the interrogation room. Chayo was sitted on a chair and then they took the bag off, in front of her was her interrogator, a big, strong, grey haired man on a resting position.
-You wanna talk now?-he asked her.
Chayo stood quiet, with a indifferent smile on her face.
-I don't thing playing brave with us is a smart thing to do. I mean, all your parteners had say something the last three days. But you haven't said a word since then.
The girl just kept quiet, the man then got closer to her, and it was very damn close. He started to rub his hands on her thighs, then started to run his hands all over her torso, touching her breasts and even the parts nobody should touch. Chayo was holding a scream wile she was being stalked.
Denahi couldn't hold it anymore, he didn't care if he was invisible there, he launched himself against the man but at the same time, Chayo woke up along with the others. The girl was sweating and breathing hard, the others were horrified by all they had just saw.
But things weren't better now, from the outside Chayo could hear that it was taking a battle, but like hers: shootings, soldiers yelling and screaming, explosions, planes, helicopters...
She went outside the tent and...she couldn't believe her eyes.
The scenario was a battlefield in Afghanistan, she saw American soldiers fighting Talibans, dead and injured men on the ground, some screaming of pain wile others were yelling orders. But the worst part was behind Chayo.
-Chayo help me!
The girl turned around to see Isaac on the ground with his legs destroyed.
-No, no this isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real, this isn't real, this isn't real, this isn't real, this isn't real! This isn't real! This isn't real! This isn't real! THIS ISN'T REAL! THIS ISN'T REAL! THIS ISN'T REAL! THIS ISN'T REAL!