"Leave well enough alone"


    The grey dawn was retreating from the magnificent sun rise of a new day dawning. The low lying mists were disappearing like the smoke from a discarded cigarette flung carelessly on the fertile soil. Laying among the tattered remnants of a ferocious battle, the discarded weapons and supplies, I found what I was looking for. A shaving kit. If I didn't get rid of this four day growth of unsightly hair on my face I would go nuts. I must uphold the clean cut image, yes, I must.

    The forces amassed against each other now have one thing in common, they are all dead. And what for? A piece of real estate is what it amounts to. I alone survived. So I guess I won. I wonder what the prize is. So much blood... Conventional battle does have it's merits. Nature seems to soak up all the blood we can spill, and survives just fine. Thirsty little bitch she is. Send a few Nukes her way and watch her melt. Not this time.

    I started my hike out of the battle zone, with the help from a broken tree limb as a crutch for my useless leg. Thank you tree. The leg quit bleeding right after I tortured myself with the red hot K-bar that has been my only lasting friend these past days. I didn't feel much. The drugs in the med pack did their job as advertised. To bad there aren't some sort of happy pills to go along with them to help with the guilt. Seems like they never give you quite enough of everything you need. Just enough to keep you on your feet is all. If I were running things around here, we would be a bunch of happy campers let me tell you. Death has such a finality to it you know?

    I stopped for a rest after a bit. I was mesmerized as I looked back to check my forward progress by the interesting design the dragging of my leg drew in the scared landscape. It looked like the kind of trail you would see in a sunday comic where you have to find your way through the maze with Sly Fox. Looked like I kind of misused my resources a bit actually. When the rasping of my tortured breath subsided, I could actually hear the sound of my cigarette tabacco burning its way towards my stained fingers. And something else..... Someone..... breathing. As my hearing enhancement worked overtime, I glanced around and prepared for the anticipated attack, muscles tensing for the assault I knew would be forthcoming.... that prickly feeling on the back of my neck....

    Silence.... Measurable by the lack of noise.... I crouched as best I could and advanced in the direction that I felt danger and I would most likely cross paths.... only to find a dead soldier. An enemy, a good enemy. Dead....... A dead enemy soldier, still warm. It was he I heard drawing his last breath. One less human to breath oxygen.... 100 less trees needed to support one less life. That's some accomplishment. I knelt beside him.... rummaged through his stuff.... A few family pictures,... lovely wife and child..... some loose change. And a full med pack. Complete with unused stim! Why did he not use it? The wounds were not unmanageable... With no thought towards the consequence, I administered the stimulant and proceeded to perform CPR.... training so deeply ingrained that it was impossible to deny this man another chance at what I also was trained just as rigorously to take.... his life.

    I was smoking again. I stole them from the enemy, the one sitting across from me, breathing.....leaning against the rock he tried to crawl under when the ordinance started removing great quantities of earth from under his feet. I introduced him to Mr. K-bar while he was still out, red hot and eager to perform as it had for me. I offered him one of his smokes, lit one and threw it to him. We glared at each other for a while.... He smoked, I smoked, and we glared at each other. He spoke....

    "I was dead," he said.
    "Yes you were, I couldn't allow that," I replied.
    He had this tortured look in his eyes and continued...."I was with my family again..... they are dead you know."
    I didn't know what to say.... I hung my head in silence....
    With tears streaming down his cheeks and an uncontrollable shudder wracking his body he sobbed..."It's the happiest I have been in years..."

    I removed my pistol from the holster, emptied all the rounds but one and laid the gun beside him. "There's one round in there pal, you can use it on me or your self. Right now it really makes no difference to me." Having said that, I offered him my back and limped slowly down the path. I saw the puff of exploding dirt at my feet just before I heard the shot. I looked back..... he was just sitting there staring at me.... vile hatred infested his being the likes of which I have never seen. A vicious snarl escaped his throat as he started laughing..... I continued on my way listening to his voice echoing in the distance...... "You have no idea what you have done!!" he shouted. "I am your worse nightmare..... I'm coming for you..... your days are numbered and counting down..... A DEAD MAN WALKING!!!!!!.... YOU HEAR ME????"

    I lit another of his smokes.... exhaled the waste and had to wonder why I have to be such a clean cut upstanding guy all the time. Gets me in so much damn trouble at times..... Sheesh..... what next??...


The Hal


To be continued......