This is my first submission, and I was not able to work on it that much. I spent about 30 minutes writing all this.
Snow… That’s all I was able to see. I had been walking for who knows how long. I don’t even know anymore why I’m walking anymore, for all I know, I might as well drop dead. But my instincts keep coming at me like some animal, telling me to keep going wherever I’m trying to go to, but at the same time, I feel as though my instincts got me into whatever mess I’m in now.
I kept on walking, thunder combining its awe-inspiring effects with that of the blizzard. The blizzard had been getting worse, my knees deep in snow. I hardly had any vision left, whether it was from the intense cold harming the eyes, the lack of sleep, or the snow itself acting as a substitute for thick fog, but it didn’t matter, I kept on going. I don’t even recall walking down this street, if it even is a street, for that matter, I don’t recall anything. Last thing I can remember was being dropped off at a bus station because I was remaining in a bus for too long, but that’s not really useful in retrospect. While I was walking, there well small lightbulbs, illuminating for a good three feet before being consumed by the fog-like snow.
And so, I kept on walking, my guts now having some sort of hyper butterflies, and for what reason, I can’t decipher. I walked by a wall of bushes, part of which had been dying. Inside there, I saw a small patch of dirt, completely free of the white horror. I couldn’t stand the blasted cold and I didn’t really even have a choice anymore. All I saw was a small glimmer for rest, and that would be nice right now. I dashed over, stumbling and almost hurling from the amount of energy I had putting in to reach that area. I dashed over, just to take a small nap is all, and then I’d go back to my hellish quest to nowhere, I promised myself. A few small glances here and there, and I already had my heart racing. I saw trenches, and dead trees, a massive hill and a small frozen river; I saw massive ditches randomly everywhere, and even what seemed to be a small hut. If only…
I fell to my knees in a heartbeat. I couldn’t control it; I couldn’t even control my own will for that matter. My eyes instantly shut themselves, yet all I saw was white. I forced my eyes open, and instantly did I regret that action. Middle of a battlefield, red banners on one side with black on the other, guns firing off in rapid succession, and just about any other qualities of the evil invention that is called war. The scenery before didn’t change at all, yet militia and mercenaries alike were swarming the area, killing others and allowing their blood to spill up to their ankles. I turned around, trying to escape, and only managed to ruin myself by running into a tree. I turned around once more, and only saw a man in a red beret charging at me, gun in hand, knife in the other. The man didn’t have any soul in his eyes, only the manifestation of bloodlust. I tried to stand up, but my own legs flopped before me, with a warm sensation instantly notifying me that I had been shot right into the femur. I only watched into innocent fear, like lamb before their slaughter. The man jumped at me, and what ever happened, I hoped it would be quick and painless…
I snapped out of it, but out of what, I don’t know. Seeing that wretched scenery…I just couldn’t handle it. I instantly stood up, and began walking to my unknown destination. For what seemed now hours, turned into days, but my energy didn’t dwindle, but neither would anyone else’s when they experience a vision of death. All hope was lost, but not to my surprise, when suddenly, I noticed a small house, and my instinct took over. I began dashing with all my spirits and upon reaching the door I knocked with extreme fervor.
A stranger had answered my pleas of help, a familiar stranger, but a stranger nonetheless. “Oh my… Are you alright?! You look horrible. Come right in.” I had to resist myself from barging in, but I managed myself well enough.
We talked a little bit, and everything just seemed like home, tranquil and calm.
“So what’s your name? I’ve met a guy who looked like you, but I never saw him after my departure to Iraq.”
“I…I…I don’t know. Come to think of it, I don’t remember anything.”
“What? How’d you get here? You can’t just appear here out of nowhere.”
“I don’t know anything anymore sir. And in contrast, I really don’t care. Will you just let me stay here for a while to recover? I don’t even know what dragged me here.”
“Maybe you’re that long-lost friend of mine, ha-ha. Sure, you can stay as long as you don’t do any harm.”
I couldn’t count my blessings. I was ecstatic beyond belief, that the very idea of my gut-instinct actually saving me. I had went to my room, and rested for a good time.
I had been at peace for several days, but with my memory still at a blank. After few moments of complete tranquility, I walked into my room, seeing what seemed to be a sergeant. The man was stern and in a stiff position, looking out the window for whatever reason. Instantly turning towards me when I walked in, he said, “It’s been a while hasn’t it? I searched day after day after day for you, yet you managed to slip by. How did you do it?” the sergeant said chuckling, and continued, “Jokes aside soldier. We need you back, you may have retreated, but you’re needed if we want to win this war.”
“W-wh-why? I’m not in a war… I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I began to slide back to the door.
“Oh, don’t be so naïve. You were our best man. Now com- Hey, you are not leaving a superior without being said so!” The sergeant grabbed me by the arms, and flew me into the walls, scolding me and beating me, consistently yelling at me that I will fight for him. I shouted in agony, and the stranger had barged in. “What in the devil is going on here?!”
“Please…Please stop that man…”
“What the… You’re the only man in this room sir.”
I groaned in agony, and didn’t want to believe him…but he was right, I was alone. I don’t know how, but I was. I could only apologize for my actions.
The next week, a man with an eye patch was in my room, speaking in a Middle Eastern accent however, yet said the same thing. I couldn’t do anything, I couldn’t even fight back, and these men had strength that made bears cower in fear. Same situation happened: the stranger came in, told me I was alone, and I was left to wonder what happened. Last horror that I recall was walking down that one patch of dirt…and another “whatever” happened.
I was in a battlefield, this time in a cabin firing a sniper rifle, and was about to shout a an holding the enemy flag, valiantly waving the red cloth. Suddenly, a man had barged in, and I was forced to flee by jumping out into a small trench to the side. After that… After that I can’t recall. All I saw was a line of men in red berets charging in one direction.
Whatever was going on, I couldn’t handle it. These men were becoming more and more common, and battles, oh the battles, they kept coming back. I shed tears at the very thought of these images of war. Soon, I just cracked.
I woke up, and saw a nurse, holding surgical utensils on a small table. “No…” That was all I could muster to say. I dashed out of my bed, preventing the woman from stabbing me with anesthesia, saying that I was mortally wounded. Did I feel any pain? Not at all. I just didn’t know what was happening, and I cracked. I dashed to the stranger, pleading with tears running down my face, “Please, please help me. Something’s wrong with me. There’s some ‘nurse’ after me…” The stranger analyzed me for a moment, with a worried look on his face, which oddly enough, also looked familiar. He grabbed my hand, and we went into the car.
We drove to the hospital, where I was almost immediately recognized by the doctors for some reason, and was instantly put to sleep. I woke up, wearing nothing more than a white jacket. When then an old doctor noticed me, he grabbed my hand, and took me down a white hall. Nothing looked the same, but there was that gut feeling inside of me. We reached the end of the hallway, where there was a lone room. The doctor muttered something, probably in Slavic, and told me that I was to not leave.
Opening the door, he wretched battle scene appeared, roaring gun shots and all. And yet, I realized that the whole place seemed to release a familiar vibe.
