Drafted- A Story Of Heroes

7

"Your families have already been contacted and you will be put on car going to the planes in 16 hours. Prepare." He had dark crescent shaped puffs of skin under his eyes. He was blinking away sleep.

 How am I supposed to feel, if our leader came barely keep himself awake? He's human. That's how I feel. I about gave up hope at that moment. Right then. But he simply wasn't perfect. There was always that chance he'd get us killed. 

 We waited our time out and got on the cars. The families that could make it in time were there, sending their sons and fathers off. I looked around under all their gazes, there was that one I couldn't take my eyes off of. Linda. She was waving her hand. She kissed her hand and blew it to me. Next to her was my sister.

"This is the reason you are fighting!" Jones yelled. 

"These people are expecting you home!" He had stopped us from looking at our loved ones. His voice demanded our attention.

"Tell them how much you love them. Tell them you'll come back. And then tell them goodbye." We stood up and ran to our loved ones. I ran into their arms. 

"John!" Georgia was a mess, crying her eyes out. Her make up smudged further down with every tear. I took my hand and wiped them. 

"Your hand!" She held it tight. Linda looked like she was about to be hit by a car and couldn't do anything about it. 

"Linda..." She held my face.

"You don't have to say anything." She kissed my lips and held the back of my uniform tightly. She sniffled. 

"We've done this once before.... so I didn't think it'd be this hard." Her voice broke, her gaze landed on my sister. She stepped back to let my sister hug me and kiss my cheek. Holding them now...it was all I ever want. 

"I can't tell you anything." I whispered in a broken words. 

"Only how much I love you. And how could I possibly put that in words?" I held each of their faces. 

"How could it be humanly possible?" I kissed their cheeks. "I'll be back. I would never let your hearts break...I could never let that happen to you two."  I breathed in. "Never." 

"This is the part where I let you go... and I walk away from the two most important people in my life. And have the courage of a million men. But I only need mine, because I have you two." Our arms wrapped around each other once more. Tighter, and somehow, in more pain. Breaking apart from our hug was one of the most difficult things I had ever had to do. Linda slipped a letter in my hand. Jones called us back. He had stayed by the car the whole time. He got on and we followed.

Nothing happened on the plane. Except me reading the letter. A picture of them was put neatly in the folds. She apologized about nine times for not picking up the call and why she didn't. I wasn't mad at her and now even less so. She told me about her getting the job she wanted and how she was ready to get married when I come back. Oh when I come back.... I hold her so tight that I never let go. 

I was in a hurry to write this. They say a writer is only good for what he knows. I only can remember this. What was life like before that war? Before training? Before I was put on the plane and flown across the world? My only memories are of my sweet Linda and Georgia.  My life is them.

Lemka used to be a place of immense beauty. It is ins ruins and empty now, it now looks like nothing more than a ghost town, so I've been told.  Fen stayed by my side the whole time. Our roles had been switched and he was relying on me. We had our hands holding our guns at all times and rarely ever slept. And we had been here for only a few days. 

I told Fen about me writing this and he just told me that any person who'd read this was psychotic. I could write on and on about the days where nothing happened and yet time went by so fast. I live for the day I get to go home. I won't hesitate. I won't.

We are arriving in Lemka in a few hours. Everyone's on edge, somehow even more. I'll write more when we arrive.

We arrived. The city was in ruins. We lost three men. Not much, but in light of things, we lost men. Oh god, even just thinking about it makes me angry and sick. How could they? How could they send untrained, civilian  men out to a place like this without warning? All I wanted was to live with my family. I can't even write right now.  Fen was shot in the back and I couldn't help him. He's resting now. We had to pull back due to our loss of men, although not great. They were some of our best. Gilligan, Porter, Michel, you will be missed and remembered as heroes.

We managed to take the city back, although the point of doing so is lost to me. There's nothing here...Some of the men have been telling stories of their families, Jones and Fen sit it out. I've noticed that about Jones, he doesn't mention what he fights for. He just does. He's kept up the moral when I couldn't even think about doing so. He took Gilligan,Porter and Michel's deaths pretty hard. But he won't let it show to the other men. I share a tent with him and Fen. He can try to hide it but I hear his sobs. Fen has gotten better, I took his word for it when he said he gotten shot. It was a passer, meaning it only cut him.  I can't believe he whined that much over a cut.

We lost another today. Even as I'm writing, the enemies are waiting out in the rocky mountains. We are at a stand still. Until someone fires the first shot. I chose this moment to write because I have no idea if I'll make it out. Linda, Geo, I love you. I love you two so much. 

I thought I was going to die. When my hand couldn't pull the trigger.... I couldn't pull the trigger. My mind raced through a million things in that one moment. It wasn't of my life, but Geo and Linda. Of course it would be them. The men who died are as listed Gilligan, Porter, Michel, Terrence, and Nos. You'll be remembered and missed. We'll make sure to get you back home.

It's really taken a toll on Fen. It's as in everything. He's gone half insane. I've gone emotionless, all expect for the feelings I feel when one of our own die. No casualties today. Those who have died are Gilligan, Porter, Michel, Terrence, Nos, Lerant, Sydney, from our people. More have died from our allies. I'm sorry to admit I don't know their names. 

Fen has calmed down, but I think its only because he's lost his mind. He keeps mentioning that he only wants one thing. He won't tell me what. Thats the least of my worries though. Gilligan, Porter, Michel, Terrence, Nos, Lerant, Sydney, and Collins, you are the reason we have peace for today.

The days are getting longer and nights are barely existing. I used to star gaze and think that I was looking at the sky with my sister and Linda, now I can't even keep my eyes open. Gilligan, Porter, Michel, Terrence, Nos, Lerant, Sydney, and Collins are our dead, our heroes that won't be able to see our close victory.