†-Army Dreamers.

Chapter 3: The cold goodbye.

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The night was still, the only sounds the soft rustling of leaves and the distant hoot of an owl as the soldiers made their way through the forest. The darkness pressed in on them from all sides, the thick canopy of trees blotting out the stars and casting the path ahead into deep shadow.

Daniel walked in silence, his thoughts a jumble of exhaustion and lingering fear. The victory in the clearing had been hard-won, but the cost was still settling in, the adrenaline wearing off and leaving him with nothing but the heavy weight of everything they had endured.

Sam was at his side, his expression grim and focused. The two of them had been through so much together, but now, more than ever, Daniel felt the fragility of their situation. The forest seemed to close in around them, the branches of the trees reaching out like skeletal fingers, and every shadow felt like it could hide an enemy.

As they moved deeper into the forest, the temperature began to drop. The warmth of the day had long since faded, replaced by a biting chill that seeped into Daniel’s bones. His breath misted in the air as he trudged forward, his steps heavy with fatigue.

The sergeant led them through the underbrush, his steps sure even in the darkness. The rest of the group followed in a loose formation, their eyes scanning the trees for any sign of movement. They were all on edge, the tension palpable as they pressed on.

After what felt like hours of walking, the sergeant called for a halt. They had reached a small clearing, just large enough to set up a temporary camp. The soldiers moved quickly, setting up a perimeter and finding what little cover they could in the sparse clearing.

Daniel and Sam found a spot near the edge of the clearing, the trees offering a bit of shelter from the cold wind that was beginning to pick up. They sat down on the ground, their backs against the rough bark of a tree, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.

The silence between them was heavy, filled with unspoken fears and the weight of everything they had been through. The exhaustion was bone-deep, a weariness that went beyond the physical, settling into their very souls.

Daniel shivered, pulling his jacket tighter around him in a futile attempt to ward off the cold. The air was freezing now, the chill biting through his clothes and making his teeth chatter. The weather was unseasonably cold for this time of year, and it felt as though the cold was seeping into his very core.

Sam glanced over at him, his eyes filled with concern. “You alright, mate?” he asked quietly, his voice barely audible above the wind.

Daniel nodded, though he didn’t trust himself to speak. The truth was, he didn’t feel alright at all. His body ached with the cold, and a deep, unsettling numbness had settled over him. He felt distant, disconnected from everything around him, as if he were fading away.

Sam didn’t press him further, instead pulling his own jacket tighter around him and leaning back against the tree. They both knew there wasn’t much they could do except wait for morning, when they could continue their journey to the next rendezvous point.

The minutes stretched into hours, the darkness seemingly endless. Daniel tried to stay awake, but his body was so tired, his eyelids so heavy. The cold sapped what little strength he had left, and despite his best efforts, he felt himself slipping into a restless, uneasy sleep.

He dreamed of home, of the farm bathed in golden sunlight. He saw his mother standing on the porch, her hands wiping flour on her apron as she called out to him. It was a comforting, familiar scene, but something was off. The sun was shining, but Daniel felt cold, so cold, as if he were standing in the middle of a snowstorm.