Monday, XXXX
We are still in this cursed fortress. Despite the destruction, I must admit, this place remains breathtakingly beautiful. It is well built, to say the least. I would say it was well guarded too, but alas, it seems not. Unni and I snuck away yesterday evening. People at the Camp were depressed and tired, and the continuous moans of the injured hung upon us all like the heavy winter fog. There is this dilapidated park that Unni discovered - even though now it resembles a construction site I once worked at - and the next thing I know, he is waving his list (yes, the bastard made one, even though he kept telling me he did not) in front of my face and jabbing his dirty, long-nailed finger at the first point. "Connect with nature." Connect with nature my foot! So, all those times we spent crawling like termites through the woods did not connect us with nature? All the time we spent eating whatever nonsense we could get our hands on - including wild animals - did not connect us with nature? No, apparently, they did not.
So, then we sat on a rock and swung our legs like fools. I'm sure the spirits were laughing at me, dear one. Unni, however, soon gave up trying to sit and flopped onto his back, looking up at the sky and grumbling about how cloudy it was. He told me about sitting for hours on his rooftop with his family and counting the stars and constellations. I told him I did the same with you. Unni looked oddly displeased about it. I asked, "Why so sad?" He told me, "It is nothing." Naturally, you know how I am, I kept on poking and prying. But, apparently, our friend here has a lot of restraint. He would not tell me! I know you think I'm not good enough for gossip, but I can tell you - even the best straight- laced collar has spilled all his secrets to my silver tongue's provocation. But, I flatter myself. Anyhow, he did not tell me. So, I gave up - I know, strange - but I just did. We talked of other things, you know, the kind two bored soldiers might talk about. It was unusually pleasant. I must say, as I have done before, I do enjoy Unni's company. I wish everyone was like him. But then, I suppose everything would be so drab. Heh, probably a good thing, there's only one of him.
Sincerely yours,
The Soldier.
YOU ARE READING
At War
عاطفية"Revenge by young men is considered victory, but old men who stay at home in times of war, and mothers who have sons to lose know better." -Chief Seattle This is an anti- war epistolary novella written for ONC 2022. Prompts 5 and...
