War Torn

Chapter 1: Just boys

I am trapped under the hellish fire of thousands of bullets as they whistle and scream past my head. The only thing I can feel on my body is my heart beating faster then ten race horses. I can see light shining through holes bullets made in the side of the barn. As more and more bullets are fired the barn begins to become brighter from the pulsing sun burning through the side of the old welted barn. I sit with my gun hugged tight against my chest, as I think about how I am going to manage to escape. While I brainstorm a plan, I suddenly am no longer able to breathe. I grab my chest where there is a piercing pain then slump over to my side and contract in pain. I remove my hand which is now cover in red shiny blood. I feel tears roll down my cheeks, but I do not feel upset. I feel...I feel relieved.
The year was 1918, Me and a few of my chaps are outside playing football in my best mates' yard. We enjoyed playing football everyday after school. We had just started freshman year at a public school because our parents couldn't afford to take us to a private school, like most teens we cause a lot of mischief. After we would play our games we would head to one of my friends brother's house for booze and fags. Everytime we headed out onto the street we would carry my father's star ruby pistol for protection. Ireland is just not the same anymore, as we are walking we hear many men shouting. We turn the corner and to our surprise there are a few lads with stones and large pieces of wood preparing for a fight. On the other side of the street there are many policemen with firearms and batons. We continue to walk on we all think we're tough guys that are invincible, but we are were more wrong then we could ever think possible.
As we sneak past the conflict a loud piercing sound of a gunshot rings and echoes down the street. We look up to see a officer with a firearm aimed at one of the rebellious men. The end of the barrel still breathed smoke like a dragon, but the man in front of the destructive weapon stood unharmed. When I hear my friend James Seamus slam with a huge thud against the brick wall behind him. He looks in shock as he sits against the wall holding his stomach. Is eyes are empty and his face is expressionless. Then James whines out for help and no one moves an inch. The streets are so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Then a police officer approaches James and pushes aside me and my mates. I couldn't see much because I was blinded by the tears in my eyes. Although I managed to see the officer pick James up and put him on the back of his patrol horse. The officer rides as fast as he can to the nearest hospital. While the streets of rebels and policemen disperse into hundreds of different directions, while we sit on the sidewalk in complete awe. No one says a word, while one by one someone leaves. After ten minutes of losing people one by one I am the only one left. I decide to head for home after a little time to be with my thoughts.
When I get home my mother offers me some shepherds pie, but I politely turn her down and just walk up the stairs to my bedroom. It is only 6:00, but I feel like I can no longer be awake for today. Right before I go to sleep I say a pray for my friend James asking God to spare his life. I wake up early in the morning while the house is still resting I head out to the local shop to buy this mornings' news. When I reach the shop I throw two coins at the shop keep as I run to the newspapers in the back of the shop. I nearly tear the paper in half from how fast opened it. My eyes start scanning the paper till I find what I was looking for. When I do find what I was searching for I can feel my heart sink into my toes. I drop to my knees and let out a whale of sadness, my eyes fill with enough water to fill a canyon. All of my emotions have taken over from the news that James had died last night in the hospital. I start to feel no longer sad, but hate and revengeful. I felt like I had to do something about these conflicts. To take matters into my own hands.