- 30 Jul 13, 21:55#367703
This is the second entry to our writing competition. I hope you enjoy reading it. You will find it also posted in the competition thread.
ANOTHER DAY IN THE OFFICE
The rest of the squad and I, where doing our usual rounds. We had been in this hell hole for three months, to start off with when we were a little green, every noise, every slight movement, and every distant gunshot made us flinch and hit the ground. Now this hostile world had almost become home, we now knew what is the usual, and what is the unusual. At least we were almost home, well by home I meant a tent in the desert base. We still have a few months left of this tour of duty.
CHUNG-CHUNG-CHUNG… the bark of an AK-47 (the terrorist weapon of chioce) broke my slow and sure gait. “CONTACT” the shout goes up from all around. They say that in the first 5 seconds of a fire fight the most casualties occur. People say things like “Your training will take over” all I can say is that in that moment, you drop to the floor, CHUNG, CHUNG, CHUNG, and if you could you would dig a trench with your nose if you could as it would be pushed as hard to the ground as you can make it. CHUNG-CHUNG-CHUNG. After a quick functional check of my body to make sure no major parts are missing, I turn my head and feel the burning how grit that makes up the landscape of this place on my cheek. CHUNG-CHUNG-CHUNG, I can hear the rest of the squad reporting in, I shout my report. CHUNG-CHUNG-CHUNG, I can see between two mounds of debris to my right the enemy shooter about 100 meters away. He is not firing in our direction, he must be firing on another squad. CRACK, the other squad start to return fire, CRACK, but sound to be pinned down or are not sure where the enemy is as they are firing randomly, CRACK, They are also a squad of allied troops the weapons give it away in an instant. CHUNG-CHUNG-CHUNG.
I monkey crawl into a position where I can see the enemy, CRACK, he is totally oblivious to our squad. CHUNG-CHUNG-CHUNG. I raise my weapon and with the years of training and without thinking release the safety catch. CHUNG-CHUNG-CHUNG, I line the fore sight and rear sight up, I wait for my breathing to be right. CHUNG-CHUNG-CHUNG, CRACK, CRACK, notice when you breath that there is a natural pause after you have fully exhaled, I feel my finger squeeze the trigger slightly. A drop of sweat drips into my eye. DAMN. CRACK, CHUNG-CHUNG-CHUNG. I whip the sweat away, line the sights up, waiting to exhale, Should I fire? can I fire? Remember it is better to be tried by twelve than carried by six! CHUNG-CHUNG…
To be or not to be? that is the question!
ANOTHER DAY IN THE OFFICE
The rest of the squad and I, where doing our usual rounds. We had been in this hell hole for three months, to start off with when we were a little green, every noise, every slight movement, and every distant gunshot made us flinch and hit the ground. Now this hostile world had almost become home, we now knew what is the usual, and what is the unusual. At least we were almost home, well by home I meant a tent in the desert base. We still have a few months left of this tour of duty.
CHUNG-CHUNG-CHUNG… the bark of an AK-47 (the terrorist weapon of chioce) broke my slow and sure gait. “CONTACT” the shout goes up from all around. They say that in the first 5 seconds of a fire fight the most casualties occur. People say things like “Your training will take over” all I can say is that in that moment, you drop to the floor, CHUNG, CHUNG, CHUNG, and if you could you would dig a trench with your nose if you could as it would be pushed as hard to the ground as you can make it. CHUNG-CHUNG-CHUNG. After a quick functional check of my body to make sure no major parts are missing, I turn my head and feel the burning how grit that makes up the landscape of this place on my cheek. CHUNG-CHUNG-CHUNG, I can hear the rest of the squad reporting in, I shout my report. CHUNG-CHUNG-CHUNG, I can see between two mounds of debris to my right the enemy shooter about 100 meters away. He is not firing in our direction, he must be firing on another squad. CRACK, the other squad start to return fire, CRACK, but sound to be pinned down or are not sure where the enemy is as they are firing randomly, CRACK, They are also a squad of allied troops the weapons give it away in an instant. CHUNG-CHUNG-CHUNG.
I monkey crawl into a position where I can see the enemy, CRACK, he is totally oblivious to our squad. CHUNG-CHUNG-CHUNG. I raise my weapon and with the years of training and without thinking release the safety catch. CHUNG-CHUNG-CHUNG, I line the fore sight and rear sight up, I wait for my breathing to be right. CHUNG-CHUNG-CHUNG, CRACK, CRACK, notice when you breath that there is a natural pause after you have fully exhaled, I feel my finger squeeze the trigger slightly. A drop of sweat drips into my eye. DAMN. CRACK, CHUNG-CHUNG-CHUNG. I whip the sweat away, line the sights up, waiting to exhale, Should I fire? can I fire? Remember it is better to be tried by twelve than carried by six! CHUNG-CHUNG…
To be or not to be? that is the question!
You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.
Abe Lincoln
Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. Abe Lincoln
Abe Lincoln
Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. Abe Lincoln
