Angel Amongst The Smoke

Paint

A bright flash erupts in front of me, leaving my ears ringing and my vision white. I stumble and fall to the ground below me, lying perfectly still. A few agonizing seconds take place as the ringing recedes and my vision clears around me. The magnificent green comes into view while the beautiful rays of sun speckle the Earth, cutting through the lush green overhead. My breath stands still, as a single tear rolls down my face, a simple gift of gratitude to the God that has given me the opportunity to see His creations and to be alive. Taking a deep breath of the cool air, I laugh, as pure joy fills my heart, bringing peace to my soul, making me feel that nothing matters anymore, so long as I have this comfort and warmth remain in my heart.

A heavy thud from something bouncing off my chest brings me back to reality as I look for the source of the now dull pain on my chest. My sight connects with the eyes of my comrade. His body shakes uncontrollably as he lays next to me, the  velvet blood flowing from his body, carving a river into the ground, striking worry and concern to my heart. Tears flow from his face as he mouths the words, "don't let me die." My panic rose, as his words dig deep into my soul. Feeling helpless, and alone, I wrap him in my arms, nestling him like his own mother, as he sobbed into my chest, staining my shirt. Looking into his pale blue eyes once more as the life slowly fades from his face, and his convulsions come to a close, as I witness another one of my brothers get taken into the arms of heaven.

Sorrow burrows into my heart, only releasing its grasp on my soul in the form of half choked sob emitting from my throat. I continue to clutch onto the lifeless body of Corporal Jackson Brown hoping that somehow, I could bring him back again. Tears flow from my face, staining the ground below me, as his bodies grows cold. "Get a hold of yourself!" I yell at myself. "You can cry when you're dead!" My breath steadies as the wind tousles my hair while I gather my thoughts and emotions, when my mind is distracted by a dull thud, hitting the ground next to me. Up until that point, I didn't notice the bright flashes of orange piercing the ground around me, and the heavy shrapnel ripping through the air, as I laid in a crater from an explosion with my once-living companion. Full clarity enters my mind and I recognize that I need to move. I remove my shirt from Corporal Brown's clutched hand and roll him off to the side. Picking up my essentials, I poke my head out and scan the horizon around me. Bullets buzz everywhere, making it feel like a thick blanket from Hell, slowly enveloping me.

Before I exit the foxhole, I kiss Corporal Brown's forehead, hoping that my subtle gesture can be a proper burial in this time of havoc. I turn around and leave him, facing the impending trial before me. I spring out of the hole and start racing over to my allies, as my helmet bobs and backpack jostles, making it difficult to cover ground. I lift up the heavy metal in my arms and begin to spray my own fiery darts back to the enemy to my right, in hopes that I can cease the chaos around me for a moment. Pops and whizzes are heard next to my ears as I continue forward, with the whisper of a prayer on my lips. The screams of the wounded rise through the air on both sides of the field, as I try my best to drown them out with the songs of heaven.

My end destination grows near as I slide into the nearest trench, my seemingly endless sprint, finally over. Above the sounds of fighting I hear a distinct *ping* echoing in my ears, as I watch what looks like a potato masher land next to me, again flashing my vision and dampening my hearing. A sharp pain emerges, as a scream barely audible is emitted from my vocal chords. I dare not open my eyes, but force myself to, in order to resolve the hopefully harmless damage inflicted onto my body. Looking down, I noticed my legs are no longer where they should be, instead, they lie next to me, like broken pieces from an action figure. Terror flows through me as my breath increases and my heart pounds through my chest. Picking up my weapon, I begin to crawl towards my comrades, in hopes that they can take me away from this misery. Scarcely doing so, a hand grabs onto my backpack, flipping me over onto my chest, and begins pulling me away from the fight. I look up, to see who my hero may be, but only see a red cross painted on the side of his helmet, as he rushes me towards safety.

Heavy breaths exit his body, as his pace slows down, and I recognize his goal is almost complete. He drags me next to a medical tent, and props me up next a wooden post and begins to investigate my wounds. My vision fades in and out as he operates on me, the only hope I have between life and death is in the hands of my newly found friend. He brings up his canteen to my lips when I recognize that he is in fact not a he at all. Her piercing blue eyes look into mine as she repeatedly tells me that "I'm going to be ok." Peace fills my heart as I drink of the clear liquid. A smile creeps across her face, satisfied with her work. She stands up and begins to leave, back into the fray, in hopes to find another life to bring back home. Her bright white smile remains in my mind before the darkness begins to take over my sight, and the sound slowly fades away, leaving me with nothing but peace in my heart.