Prank calls

Prologue

¨Hurry over here, I hear something¨, Called out my comrade Sargeant Bailey. We crept through the woods along the banks of El Rio Grande. Watching to see if anyone was around, soon after I spotted the distant shadow of something moving in the close vicinity. I Whispered to Sarge ¨Look over there¨ tipping my head in the direction that I had seen the shadow of someone or something. Sergeant Bailey crept forward, stopping in front of the location, he took a deep breath and announced with caution ¨Come out with your hand in the air¨.

For a moment nothing happened and a sudden wave of stupidity washed over me. But as quickly as it came it left, when the brush swerved and out of the wood into the clearing came out a young child. The kid must have been no older than 12, his close were tattered, and mud streaked his face. I looked over at Sargeant bailey for orders and was surprised to see his gun lifted, ¨put the gun down its just a kid¨ I whispered, just loud enough for him to hear. But he wasn't listening to me, he was staring at the kid, I followed his gaze and noticed that the kid had his hand behind his back.

I stood there in shock why hadn't I noticed this before? Calm down get yourself together, it's just a kid. So I started to walk through the brush, then stopped halfway , and said ¨Hey, it's okay just slowly put your hands above your head¨. The kid stopped breathing for a few seconds as if contemplating between two thoughts, then he quickly lifted his hand above his head. I was about to sigh with relief, but that's when I noticed the gun.

My heart seemed to skip a beat, my breathing quickened and everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Sargeant bailey fired his gun at the kid, but the kid ducked as if they were a couple of chaps playing Nerf in the ally way. But the moments quicked up again, and I could verily hear Sargeant Bailey yell to retreat. But I returned from my thoughts just as one of my fellow soldiers let out a deathly cry and fell to the ground with a thump. All of a sudden my feet were lifted slightly into the air, and Sargeant Bailey was dragging me backward into the woods. I registered what was happening just in time and tore away from his grip, so we could both gain speed as we ran through the woods.

When we neared one of the bridges that went across the river, I dove behind a tree. Then right behind me Sargeant was about to dive behind one of the trees about three feet out from my position. That's when he fell. He did not even stumble he just fell flat on to the ground, his face just a foot away from where my leg was laying on the wet surface of the muddy woodland. I desperately searched for any sight of life in his eyes. But in devastation, all I found was emptiness. The same emptiness that was present when my wife died, four years ago.

Something started to puzzle me, how was he dead if I never heard a gunshot? Then I remembered that right before we ran into the wood, that soldier fell and there was never a gun shot. When I looked away from Sargeant's deep blue eyes, I looked up into the darkness and was surprised to find another. I quickly searched for my gun, and when I found it and I raised the Barrell. I tried my best to aim, but after a few seconds, I stopped. looking in the small exhilarated eyes of the kid, that once like all others were probably filled with laughter and joy. What was I thinking, I couldn't take this child's life, so lowering the barrel, I dropped the gun and diverted my eyes elsewhere. I slouched against the tree with the memories of my son and my daughter close to my heart, and closed my eyes, only to be engulfed into never-ending darkness.