Kari's Drabbles

Steady Beat

  Listen to the drums. Though you hate the sound, they lull you to sleep. As you lay on the ground, ashes mixed with snow fall on your face. The dull grey color mixes with the color of the snow. It is warm and cold at the same time as it hits your face. Though the world is burning, all is calm now.

The world is sleeping, while the snow falls, and the war goes on. There's the rhythm of the marching drums again. Though they play proudly, they've no idea how this is all going to end. You think of how pretty the world was before this terrible disaster.

The next town burns in front of you. The flames dance with the houses while its heat warms your freezing body. You stand there as your comrades whoop and holler in the joy of the destruction. When did they turn into animals? They give you a torch.

"Burn it to the ground!" they yell.

No. You can't do it. You hand the torch back. You walk through the tiny town. There is much screaming. The people scatter as you walk by. What did they do to deserve this kind of treatment? They're not the ones you're fighting. You're fighting the enemy's army. Which consists of these people's husbands, fathers, brothers....their own kin.

As you walk in more, you hear more of the war drums. The things are annoying you so much, you want to rip them from the player's grip and smash them. Especially when they play of victory, when all your comrades did, was torture a tiny town.

You're disgusted with what your army has done. This is not acceptable. Neither is even fighting this war. No one asked for this. So why are innocent people dying for no reason!?

When the townspeople see you, they cower in fear. You know it's because of the uniform you're wearing. They are afraid of what you will do to them. But you didn't do this. The promise of war, blood and gold did this. People lay dead, dying and wounded.

A little girl weeps over the corpse of a dead woman. Probably her mother. You go over to her slowly. She looks at you, her blue eyes wide. You put your finger to your lips, to signal silence. If your comrades found you with the "enemy" not only would this innocent child die, but so would you, for your "betrayal". She is still scared. You tell her you do not mean her any harm.

You take her in your arms as she weeps. You try to soothe her, as your own tears sting your eyes, and slide down your face, turning to icicles in the winter wind.

Even is no one else in the town is alive, the least you can do is save one innocent life. Her father probably already died fighting, and her mother was killed right in front of her.You swear to teach her. Teach her about all that wars bring. To be wary of what the future brings. Warn her. You will warn her of the day the world was taken over by ashes and war drums.