“Run!” Tommy yelled, still confused I jumped into action. By this time, in this tiny sandy village, in this tiny place, in just one second, my eyes opened to the real world.

This event was nothing new, war is nothing new, people affected and broken by our child,our abomination we gifted the name war, is nothing new, and yet it was new to me. With one shot, a pull of a trigger, Ray’s life ended. He was simply gone leaving an empty body splayed behind me, I thought it was a dream I hoped it was a dream, but reality set in and an abrupt panicky emptiness panged in my stomach. I met Ray in training, we were in the same unit, we were allies, he was someone I could trust, I did trust, I shared my past and he shared his I’d have to say though I never did say this, but he was my best friend someone who was always there to lean on, I had to leave his body behind me. I couldn’t even be with him in his last breath. Was this my job? Was I here to merely bear witness to pain? At this thought a wealth of rage built up, blood dark, simmering rage. My mind had been set I was going to find the man who shot Ray, and God help him when I did.

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Tommy and I were still in the area, but we’d ducked inside a tiny abandoned house.

“ Tommy where’d that shot come from?” I asked

“Right out there” he nudged his head to a building further down across the way.

My eyes set on the empty street, empty even though it was midday. Rushing from the little nook we were in, I left before Tommy could even get the words out that would stop me.