Jury Binder pt. 1: Love and War

Love and War

Monday December 19, 1930

The sun has long since passed below the white horizon, and the moon is now suspended high in the sky. It is an odd shape. Not the grand full or the mystical crescent, but a gibbous. Merely a misshapen lump in the sky. Nevertheless, its light made the snow on the ground shine white-silver, like a powder of finely ground diamond. It had stopped falling, and the wind had stopped blowing quite as strong. Everything was still, and silent.

Captain keeps walking. The snow sticks to his long coat, seeming to grab at its ends in an attempt to drag him finally underneath the frozen earth. He breathes out. Fast hard gasps that stung his tongue every time he breathes in and sent his breath clouding out in small, steamy explosion every time he breathed out. The silence pressed like a hollow weight against his ears. A shiver crept down his spine. He shook it out. Snow went flying from his fur, spraying out in every direction. Some of it sprayed on his companion’s ankles, sticking like a plaster to his winter-stiffened trousers. The man bent down and brushed it off, stopping as he straightened to scratch Captain behind the ears. Captain wagged his tail contentedly, staring up into his warm eyes. The man’s dogtags had escaped from under the rim of his shirt and were now hanging freely, reflecting the light of the moon in a tantalizing dance. Silver reflecting white.

Tuesday December 20, 1930

The wind is blowing again, bringing with it fresh snow. Captain struggles by the man’s side, breathing the hardwater stench of winter. The air entered his nose in barbed trails, every breath scraping against the inside of his snout and lungs with icy claws. The man draws his jacket around his body tightly, a futile effort to ward off the infallible enemy of the wind. he stops walking. The man shivers and stares ahead of him, eyes roving the horizon. Captain stared too. The only thing for miles was snow. Not unbroken by so much as a single tree. The man sighs, and sinks down into the snow. “Come ‘ere, Cap.” He beckons his partner over to his side. The gesture seems tired. Hollow. But his eyes are bright. Captain trots over, and at a command for the man, sits down next to him. The wind blew around them. Snow drove against their sides, but the man did not move.

Perhaps, Captain mused to himself, sniffing at the snow this is where he left his boot. We must have stopped to find it. Captain stood, shook the snow from his fur, and nosed around curiously in the snow. The man watched him for a long time, then buried his face in his hands.

Wednesday December 21, 1930

It stands in the snow alone. The branches held high, stretching out needles that reach for the white speckled sky, stroking the flakes of snow that fell from it. The man stared at the tree. The worry lines etched onto his face seem to grow deeper. Captain crept forward and sniffed the roots. He licks his dry nose, as if trying to taste the smell as it entered his nose. He looks back up at the man. He had sat down and was leaned against the tree. His eyes were closed, his face turned to the sky. Captain trotted closer. The man stirred as warm breath wet his cheek. His eyes opened slowly. He smiled at Captain, but his eyes were empty of their warmth. He reached out to his companion. Captain weaved himself into the man’s arms and onto his lap. The man rubbed Captain’s ears. Even through his fur, captain felt the numbing cold radiating from his fingers. The man bent over, curling himself around the warmth of the dog’s coat, whispering his companion’s name over and over like a mantra. Captain waited for him to give an order.

They didn’t come.

Thursday December 22, 1930

The man’s eyes are closed. His arms are still wrapped around Captain, but the warmth has long since left them. The dogtags were dangling from his neck, swinging idly, brushing Captain’s snout gently. Captain licks the man’s chin and waits. The man didn’t stir. Captain wriggles out of the man’s arms. He fell over on his side. All the warmth had seeped from the man’s body. Captain sat in the snow, watching the man with his head tilted. Tail wagging, eyes sparkling as he watched the man, waiting for his eyes to open.