Author: Tick
Title: Jungle
Type of Work: short story
Source: CMv1 #12

© Copyright 2002 Richard Duncan

Surrounded by greens and browns, trees, plants and colors, that is all I see. God must have been in his prime when he did this place. But that was then, and now this is a godless land of war, blood and death. 12 of us now march slowly, ever alert thur this valley of beauty and possible sudden death. Has it really been one week since last we saw the others? Was this a dream? or had that last joint from what was last week, still be kicking in? Slowly we walk, looking at the beauty but really seeing nothing. Only knowing that, maybe, this would be that day. I let myself, take in the beauty for just a second, just a very small second, amazed that such a place could hold some many captive. Boys away from home, trapped here in a dream world of death and blood. When once, we were innocent and young, now we lived each second as our last. Then a flash, a pop, the world grew so surreal as the plants ripped apart and the air filled with the sounds of death and torment. What was once a bud, was reduced to a bloody mass of flesh, a cry then silence as another went down. We fell to our knees, but not to pray, but to fire back at an unknown enemy. The trees were pulled from the ground as motar rounds hit close by. Another scream, another bud shot down before he ever had a chance to live. Then a zap, a ping, I think i have been hit, but I felt nothing. I reacted only, feeling a blanket fall over me...I fired away til I was looking up. The sky, was so beautiful, a weird red tint to it, but god. this place was so beautiful. The sounds of screams and the firefight went on. I tried to reach up, I tried hard, but nothing worked. I felt myself shout, but nothing came from my mouth. Then suddenly i knew. i had been shot. damn!! My mom is going to be pissed. a funny thought when you think you are going to die. Hell, I am going to die. damn! That sucks. Then suddenly an explosion, I feel bits of wood and other stuff shot around my body. damn!!!! Finally it went quiet, not really but now just screams of pain and shouting for help. Looking up, i saw visions of my buds, those that made it this time. They cried, they tried to get me up. I saw the huey fly in, felt them pick me up, told me to hold on, load my other buds on board with me. Our blood washed thur the bird, the dead and dieing were silent, the rest of us were shot bad. In my haze I heard moans and soft crying, yet all i could see was the beauty of that god damned fucking jungle. sheesh, Then all went black...........