Animosity

Chapter 28 - The Sound of Death

        Photo: Two Viet Cong child soldiers share a cigarette.

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        Shivering, I pulled the covers around me, trying desperately to screw my eyes shut and get even another ounce of sleep. I was drenched in a cold sweat, collar soaked and chilled from the cool air encroaching it's fingers into the makeshift tent, the clothes hung up on a nearby line swaying gently in the breeze. Raising my head just slightly, I could see the forest beyond through a slit in the wall of my tiny shelter, clear as the sun rose in the distance. My legs were tucked up into my chest, curled underneath me, and I let out a shaky breath of air before running a hand over my face.

        Outside, I could hear faint speaking, two or more people arguing back and forth, and I groaned quietly under my breath. I was so done, so tired of all the hate and anger that had been clouding the group, and hearing the spiteful words hurled back and forth made me nauseous. It hurt me to my core, and I didn't have anyone to turn to.

        I had dreamed about Hank. It was years in the future, back in America, and we had moved in together, joyously spending the first few nights in our new house decorating and dusting off every stray corner. The rooms were sprawling, huge and ornate and beautiful as they were laced through with a homely warmth, slowly getting more and more familiar the longer we stayed. Finally, at the end of every day, we'd lay down together and I'd sink into his arms, comforted and loved as he whispered sweet words into my ear.

        I woke up clutching at the air, coldness surrounding me like a blanket, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. Struggling to fight back an impending wave of emotion, I realized just how much I missed him, how much I hated being away from his warm touch and the distance that had grown between us like a dark, gnarly weed. Hank was just a few tents over from me, sleeping fondly, snoring gently under his breath in the way that I used to tease him so happily about before, but it felt like he was drifting off across the world.

        Sighing, I propped my elbows up underneath me, easing into a sitting position. Humming under my breath helped to drown out the loud argument ringing through the clearing outside, and I defiantly let the sound of my voice triumph over the angry insistence. The song that instantly came to mind was the one that Hank played for me on the radio, the tune happy and sweet as the singer belted out line after line in the same velvety Broadway style. Smile alight on my face, my hands flew around the interior of the tent, gathering my belongings as I scooped them into my pack.

        Pushing the cloth flaps of the tent aside, I let out a deep yawn, slinging the bag over my shoulder and wincing as the sound of Devy and Hank's voices got louder. Bright sunlight was awash over the clearing, spilling out in the spaces between trees, hitting my pale skin and warming it with serene rays. The sky was a deep blue, clouds dotting it, and the forest shifted peacefully in its wake. In every other aspect, a perfect day, but my attention was ripped from the beautiful scenery as another loud shout reached my ears.

        "Yeah, it is hard, and now we're bringin' a fuckin' captive with us?!"

Fingers curling around the straps of my bag, I let out a tense breath of air before turning my glassy stare towards the direction of the argument. Devy was standing directly in front of Hank, arms extended frustratedly at his side, fury blazing in his dark, angry eyes. The brunette, who had his chin raised defiantly, combated the other man's stare with an equally cool one, ice dripping from his every movement. Leaves fell around them like rain, and just as I worked up the nerve to take a step forward, Devy beat me to it, jabbing a finger into the taller man's chest.

"Do you know how hard it's gonna be to make sure he stays with us and doesn't fuckin' slit our throats when we aren't looking?!" He paused, lowering his voice as he gestured with increasing rage towards the tent, its gently fluttering walls housing a sleeping Lat. "You know I don't trust those people. They've been trying to put a goddamn bullet in our backs since we've been in this shithole country! I say we leave him out here, it's not like he's ever gonna do us any good."