Red moon notice

Ripped from me

"Incoming-!"

Someone screamed but the distinct howl of inbound mortars already had everyone run to find cover wherever they could inside that dry, rocky and barren dessert.

No one dared go for a humvee knowing they would be the first targets but the lack of proper cover in Iraq was always a nuisance.

He found a fair sized rock and slid in behind it, the forty degree Celsius surrounding along with the dust screams and adrenaline made one truly realise that training and the real deal were worlds apart, no amount of cussing and shouting from a drill sergeant readies one for when the first shot fires, and at that moment of heat everything you learn gets blown out the back door, instinct is what saves you.

The shatter of sand and rocks blasting over the area knocks the wind out of you first, then the cloud covers the sun, enters your eyes and along with the whistles in your ears you can't hear yourself cough which causes a sense of claustrophobia to kick in.

Heart pounds your chest along with the many pounds striking mother earth, a humvee gets tossed through the air like its nothing, ending up as nothing but scrap, then in the corner of his eye from out his cover he saw the spray of red, limbs, intestines, and along with a horrid scene, the half blown away man still screamed as he flew like a doll.

"Tyson!" He screamed as the upper half one armed body hit the dirt and got covered by dust, no one dared move awaiting another bombardment, but none came, only the whistles like cicadas in their ears.

"Man down!" He screamed flying out from cover at the same time someone else screamed 'Medic!'

He slid to his knees and drew Tyson to his back, a gut-wrenching feeling came over him when the man tried to speak but words were replaced by blood, every time he coughed to speak more blood gushed out the hole where his hips used to be.

"Hang in there Tyson! We're gonna get you out of here!" Tom screamed trying whatever he felt necessary to stop the bleeding, but his common sense told him it was futile attempts.

"Dad!" He heard Tyson say finally and he looked a way from the trail of intrails and blood to the wide eyes of his destroyed comrade.

"What!?" Tom yelled bewildered.

"Dad!" Tyson said again "Wake up dad!"

-Tom flew up in his bed gasping and sweating bullets, he panted heavily wiping at his forehead then turned to Mia knelt next to his stretcher with a worried stare on her face.

"Oh- Mia" he said and sighed as he fell back on his pillow again.

"Are you okay daddy? Was it the war again?"

"Yes sweetheart, the same old story"

Mia was on her knees in the tent with him, just behind her was Alice, her best friend, this was the first time Alice saw Tom have a nightmare and was rather spooked.

Mia fell on Tom's chest and gave him as tight a hug she could "Don't worry dad, those days are over now"

He smiled an held his ten year old tightly "Thank you for reminding me my little angel, I feel so much better now"

She sat back onto her knees again "And remember daddy, whenever you feel like you need a hug, just tell me okay?"

Tom sat up and smiled at her "You're not going to start charging me for those one day right?"

She gasped "No~! Hugs are for free!"

"Oh, I'm glad then, because if you knew how many hugs I want from you? You could turn it into a business, you'd be rich!"