Short Story: Music of the World

Music of the World

I've forgotten what the music of the world sounds like.

I don't hear the birds singing anymore. I don't hear the wind whistling between the leaves, or the rain pattering on the dirt roads.

Many years ago, the land in which I live in, went to war against our neighboring country. Why? I'm not really sure. But the recruitment ads went out fast.

On the TV.

On billboards.

On the radio.

In the newspaper.

They were everywhere. As a young man, I decided I would do what's right. Fight for my country. I have a family. Can't let anything happen to them. So I enlisted.

Went through a lot of training. Worked day and night. Met a guy named Trevon. Became good friends with him. We found out we'd be serving in the same battalion.

Finally, we got deployed. I thought it'd be a simple mission. Like what they showed on the TV. I was wrong.

A bullet found its way into Trevon's skull within five minutes.

That's when the music stopped. The only sound I hear now is the hellish melody I help create. The sound of bullets whizzing past my ears. The crackling of flames engulfing homes. The pattering of blood on the dirt.

But I force myself to listen to this so my family can live. So they can hear the music. So they can hear whatever it is I used to be able to hear.