This was the day, July 1st. The day that the bloodiest battle on the soil of the United States took place, The Battle of Gettysburg. A three day battle between the union and the confederacy, the turning point of the war deciding who would win. The North or the South. A suicide mission in the finest, no way the already struggling Southern army could pull it off the North even having the advantage of the higher ground. Yet the South threw themselves into this, for three whole days. This is where this one-shot takes place. The third and final day. July 3rd.
You Taught Me the Courage of Stars, Before You Left
Ann paused looking up at the hill that stood in front of them, this was the third day that this simple fight with the union has been going on and things weren't looking up for the struggling army of the South. Though, everyone knew they could do it, they have been unbeaten for the majority of the battles of this war. Looking to her right the blonde saw the familiar form of her closest friend, Joseph who despite seeing like the other men the bodies being pulled away from the battlefield for the past two days had a happy glint in his eyes as he stood in the formation they were told to stand in. It was almost eerie listening to the soft noise of the breathing of the men around her as the officer sat on his horse, explaining what was to happen today. Once the officer finished he turned his horse, ready to lead the anxious men into the already nerve wracking field in front of them. Just as her breaths evened out, Ann felt a hand on her shoulder looking over she could see the smiling face of her brunette friend, "Hey, Dixie don't worry if we've survived everything else I'm positive that we can survive this." He whispered to her smiling still, almost unfazed by whatever could be waiting ahead of them. Ann simply nodded cracking a small smile to the male as if to assure him that she believed the same. Knowing that she had him with her, she couldn't help but feel a bit braver and more confident about whatever she would be thrown into as soon as the first gunshot of the day sounded.
Pure silence, and uneasy silence filled the men waiting before they heard the soft uneasy sigh of the officer turned his horse calling to the men and ran off. Here they go. The men ran forward, hands holding onto their weapons nervously watching the hill with eager eyes as they watched as the union scouts noticed the Confederates arriving and ran off to warn the other men. Of course, like the days before gun shots greeted the day just like how the sky turned a blood red as the sun rose, blood of the wounded falling onto the grass soaking it with instead of the normal soothing dew. Smoke is all that filled the air as the gunpowder found the way out of the barrel of the guns, and the air was filled with distressed cries and the bangs of the rifles as they were shot off either hitting or completely missing their targets. Through the smoke and sound, blood and screams Ann lost her normally cheerful companion among the noise and sounds. She paused her reloading of the gun, looking around frantically before freezing.
Over about 15 feet away was the struggling form of Joseph, holding himself up by the butt of his rifle shaking weakly his left hand on his waist tears in the corner of his eye as he moved his hand to stand up straight, just to make himself fall to the ground as a second shot from higher up the hill made contact to his abdomen. Ann's heart dropped as she ran over to his body as it laid on the ground, arms attempting to lift himself up again unaware of Ann running over until she grabbed his shoulder lifting him up draping his arm over her shoulder tossing her rifle to the ground as she helped the brunette to one of the many soldiers who were sent out to find the bodies of the wounded, face showing no emotion as she walked not wanting to find herself bursting into tears as the man took Joseph to get checked. Hopelessly left, the blonde watched as Joseph struggled to get back on the field saying clearly, "No! I am here to fight until I die, I can't go!" Shaking herself now, Ann turned grabbing one of the discarded rifles running back off into the fray tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
