Missing in Action

Chapter Twenty Seven

Missing in Action

Chapter Twenty Seven

James' P.O.V

I looked into the mirror. The person looking back was not me. I did not have purple circles under my eyes, I did not have a pale face and I was not that thin, but he moved when I moved.

I sighed and straightened my freshly pressed uniform. The metal of my medals clanked as I moved. The material didn't feel right.

Nothing felt real to me at the moment. I just felt like this was all some twisted dream. I had to wake up in the morning and remind myself that Henry was dead and Cassidy was missing.

"Maybe today will make it all feel real," I told my reflection.

A soft knock sounded through the room.

"It's open!" I called.

Suddenly, I was back on the ship sitting in my room. I was expecting to hear the squeak of metal as the iron door swung open for Cassidy.

I was disappointed when I slipped back into reality.

Ben's head popped around the door. His hair was a mess, and the dark circles under his eyes suggested that he hadn't been sleeping either.

"You ready?" he asked.

I glanced in the mirror again before sighing.

"Yes, no, maybe- I don't know," I groaned.

"We have to go anyway," Ben stated.

I sighed again.

"I know, but it doesn't feel right," I said.

"I know, we shouldn't be saying good-bye to Henry without Cassidy," Ben replied.

"We shouldn't be saying good-bye to Henry at all," I told him.

I looked at him for a moment. Cassidy would have wanted to say good-bye to Henry.

"What do you think she would have said?" I asked.

Ben shook his head and smiled slightly.

"Something crazy," he replied. Then he turned and left the room.

I looked in the mirror again. If Cassidy had been here, she would have tried to cover the dark circles with something. But they wouldn't be any dark circles under my eyes if Cassidy was here.

I followed Ben out and closed the door behind me again. He was leaning against the wall looking at his watch. Peter was pacing the corridor beside him.

"Ready?" I asked.

I didn't wait for them to reply, I just carried on walking.

I eventually heard their footsteps following me. The corridors were empty and we only saw the odd officer on our way out.

It all still didn't feel real. I kept thinking that I was going to wake up back on the ship and go to breakfast where Henry would be joking and Cassidy would be laughing with him. Even when Cassidy got back, nothing would be the same again.

I walked outside and the heat hit me. It was really warm today, but it was also cloudy.

We walked to the entrance to the base. Just outside the gates sat two black cars. One had a pine coffin with white lilies on top of it in the back of the car.

I sniffed. A symbol of peace did not belong in a soldiers funeral, but I said nothing about them.

We got into the first car because we would be carrying the coffin. It began to move away slowly as soon as we got in.