Sorry for the long time before updating. But here you all are. Thanks so much for the reviews and suggestions everyone: PurpleBlaze, Superdope, AddictiontoFiction, CrazyAlchemist, DreamerandReckless, SilverGoddess, UandMe, iheartponyboy, mushs-girl13, and anyone else I am thoughtlessly forgetting.
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Enjoy!
Disclaimers: Cursing in this chapter, I don't own the characters, and I went with the time period that S.E. Hinton wrote the book in.
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Well, I fought with a stranger, and I met myself
I
opened my mouth, and I heard myself
It can get pretty lonely when
you show yourself
Guess I could have made it easier on myself
-Dixie Chicks
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Pony's POV
"Incoming!" a voice boomed throughout the night. Crock and I whipped our heads around from our positions in the jungle. Another mission, another attack. I, who had been trying to pee, sighed and hurriedly zipped up my pants.
Something hit the ground and white gas spewed forth from a canister. "Shit! Is it napalm?" Crock yelled, panicked.
Before I could state my unpleasantness at this fact a racking cough enveloped me. My eyes burned like fire and I croaked, "Nope. I think it's tear gas." Coughing too, Crock motioned me to cover my mouth and get low to the ground.
"If it was Napalm you'd feel like you were being burned alive!" Doug yelled at me. "You're lucky Curtis."
"So everyone tells me," I muttered through dry hacking.
"They're gonna try and flush us out now," Sergeant Caplan shouted to our squad. "Stay where you are. As soon as it clears we'll get the upper hand."
Foolishly, Shepard burst out of his tent, wild-eyed and grinning. "Nothing like starting off the New Year with a bang!" he yelped heartily before succumbing to retching sounds.
Hello 1969, I thought dryly.
"Are you alright?" I asked Crock. He dropped to the ground, pulling me down with him.
"Right as rain," he sputtered. "How about yourself?"
"Just fine and dandy."
"Good." He grinned at me. "Let's rock and roll."
I cocked my rifle and waited for the smoke to clear. Anxiety and excitement filled me as the adrenaline built before a battle. Everyone in our squad quieted down as we waited for the smoke to subside.
Because when it did, bullets would fly and no one knew who would go down next.
Sergeant Caplan fired the first two rounds in quick succession; two Vietcong, who had been advancing on us, went down. Crock and AJ ran opposite of me, spewing bullets across the jungle. I steadied my gun and shakily fired rounds. As they hit their targets I shut my eyes tight.
Stupid I know, but I could never get used to blatantly killing anyone. It had to be done, but if I didn't have to look, I wouldn't.
Then I felt the cold muzzle of a rifle pointing at the back of my head. I willed myself still, hearing the Vietcong spouting unidentified language at me. "Take it easy," I whispered, more to myself than him. Suddenly, I jerked around and hit the muzzle away with my arm.
I was not going out this way.
This knocked me backwards and the VC fell on top of me. The Charlie screamed at me and I screamed back, groping frantically for my rifle. His confused, dark eyes stared back at me and I sympathized with his situation. However my sympathy was cut short as my ribs were jabbed hard with the Charlie's gun. I went white with the certainty that I would be feeling the crack of a bullet in my side. The gun went off and I jumped. A crimson stain spread down the front of my chest.
It wasn't my blood.
The Charlie had gone down. Not me.
Breathing hard and coughing, I shoved his limp body of off mine. "Keep your finger on the trigger Curtis," Doug admonished me from about 70 feet away. "I saved your ass! One time is all you get."
Hurriedly, I flipped over on my stomach, reloaded and sought my targets.
Pop, pop, pop.
"Shit! I'm out of rounds," Doug cursed from afar. He had been backed into a corner and was shielded by a few trees and not much else. I ducked and zigzagged through the trees to Crock's side.
"Have any extra ammo?" I panted heavily.
Voicelessly, he multi-tasked, shooting one of our ambushers and handing over the ammo in a swift and dedicated movement.
Scrambling, I grabbed it up. "I'm taking it to Doug."
He seemed to hear me then, turning to me from his enemy. "What? Don't be a blasted fool. You're gonna get yourself shot."
"Didn't you hear?" I smiled wickedly. "I made the track team." Crock made a hasty move to grab my shoulder but missed. "Goddamn you," I heard him swear as I made a break for it.
I may have been sick and tired, but I still ran as well as I ever did. Without a thought to my surroundings, I darted to Doug's position. I leaped over my obstacles and dodged the bullets. Then I tripped, falling flat on my face but recovering quickly. Reaching Doug, I stooped behind the trees and tossed him the ammo. "Need this?" I asked suavely.
He reloaded and chuckled. "Kid, you tend to surprise me everyday."
Doing my best Two-Bit, I raised one eyebrow. "Glad I keep things interesting." Then we shut up and did our job.
When it was over, the quietness swelled around us; the hazy and humid jungle silent for a change. Sergeant Caplan nodded at his squad and we slowly unveiled ourselves from our positions. Crock smiled at me and Shepard sat picking at his nails with his knife.
I laughed aloud. Good to know he had some downtime.
Doug smiled at my laughter and we stepped out from behind the trees. "Thanks for that Curtis. Looks like we're even n-"
He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence because he was hit point blank between the eyes. "NO!" I wailed, trying to grab his body as it fell to the floor of the jungle.
"Where in the HELL did that come from?" I heard Caplan roar behind me. Men yelled as they searched for the sniper. But everything was hazy to me. All I saw was Doug on the ground. The trickle of blood on his face.
"Oh god! Oh god!" I moaned, stumbling backwards, deeper into the forest.
My mind reeled. Everyone around me dies. Everyone who tries to help gets killed.
Johnny, Dally, Tom, Doug…who else?
I was a goddamn curse. I choked on a sob.
However, I didn't have time to finish my thoughts because the hard butt of a rifle struck me on the back of my head and I fell down into darkness.
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