CHAPTER 8
When I woke up, I was being carried by someone. Explosions still rocked the ground beneath me but something else was much more disturbing. The screams of agony was in the air, sending shivers down my spine. My vision cleared up and I assessed my surroundings. Around me were white tents, with an assortment of medical substances. Beside every tent, there were bodies covered with white sheets. I looked up and saw that the old man was carrying me. He looked down, with his hazel brown eyes at me. “Sleep now, young one. You’ve done well” he said as he closed my eyes.
I slept like a rock for the next few days, but when I woke up, I felt unusually refreshed. I was lying on a mattress in a white tent. My lips were dry and my throat was parched so I decided to stand up to find something to drink. A sudden realisation popped into my head. I cant feel my left arm. I turned my head to look at it and what I found almost gave me a heart attack. It was mechanical. Hydraulic pistons and metal gears whirred inside. I still had my full range of movement, which is surprising, and I still had full control of it as if it was my real arm. I tested it by moving it a few times and it felt strangely natural. I looked in the mirror that was in the tent and found that half my face had been burnt. Badly. I ran outside and found that the battle was over. I didn't know whether we won or lost but a small period of peace is always welcome. The sun was setting slowly in the horizon, casting an eerie orange light across the encampment. People were sitting around a campfire, eating their rations, while trying to keep their sanity. I heard someone approaching me and I turned around. It was the old man. His face fatigued by the day’s events and his hands coated with blood that was evidently not his. He smiled at me and said “Sometimes I doubt whether this war is worth the effort”
“They’re demoralised and fatigued. If another attack occurs, we’d be wiped out” I replied
“Which is why we’re retreating. We’ll set out at first light, head towards territory that we control”
“Have you told them yet?”
“Let them eat first. After dinner, I will tell them. You should join them as well” he said as he walked away.
I approached the campfire and grabbed a bowl. I walked over to the pot that was over the fire and helped myself to some stew. It was bland, but it was nice to have liquid flowing down my throat and something to fill me stomach. Before I knew it, my bowl was empty and I was content. Ashley approached me and sat next to me. “I heard what happened. A grenade, huh? Nasty stuff. But hey, at least you’re in one piece, right?”
I snorted and said “Speak for yourself”
I pulled up my sleeve to reveal the mechanical arm that was now a part of me. Her eyes widened as she reached out to touch it. “Holy crap. I’m so sorry”
“It’s fine, honestly” I replied
The old man approached the campfire and delivered the grim news. He was met with many protests but eventually everyone accepted it and moved on. Slowly, people trickled away to their sleeping quarters.
