Letters from War

Chapter 2: First Letters of Her

Mortars went off in the distance, the sound of shouts could be heard, and the fall of rain was making things hard to see through. No matter how he saw it, he could see death surround him, everywhere. He lost more than three comrades, which made him go wild. The only person to keep him sane was his leading officers, who supported all of the troops and kept them bright. “Remember!” he shouted, his voice which always echoed inside of Louis’ head. “Your loved ones, they’re things we want to return to!”

Louis adjusted his glasses and held onto his M1 Garand tightly in his wet hands. He prayed to whoever powerful entity in the heavens and followed the rest of the men into battle. Rain fell and the shoulders of men moved sluggishly. Louis held his breath as they moved through the mud, littered with the dead bodies.

“Louis, pay attention!” Someone barked at him, who stared at a mutilated body of a small Japanese boy, possibly no older than eighteen. The boy, his face was all bloodied and his one eye swollen. His stomach was blown away, the intestines spread out and the blood, still fresh. Someone grabbed Louis’ shoulder, and moved his head away from the boy’s body.

His dark eyes became vacant and he moved alongside, his mind elsewhere. This war, he didn’t know what to do. How human kind could be bloody thirsty monsters.

“Everyone, stay here!” Louis and Jake, scout ahead and see if there are any Japs around, friendly or not.”

He took in a deep breath and walked with Jake, a strong willed person who only came to this horrendous place to get away from his parents. Louis liked Jake, not in a homosexual way, but, in a way where they could be buddies. The two trudged ahead, their boots caked in more mud, their weapons at the ready.

“Jay-zus!” Jake sighed. “These Japs are killed ‘Em left and right!”

“They have an honour system, and… I, too, would do the same if I was taken prisoner, take my own life, than to be tortured,” Louis said as his eyes darted.

There was a flash, the sound of a mortar, hit in front of Louis. He was in luck to have missed it, since Jake pulled him back. “Hang in there!” Jake’s voice shouted, but, he could barely hear the man. Louis’ vision danced, he was unsure of what happened.

It was not too soon did he awoke, his mouth taste with metallic, blood which he had not tasted in such a long while. Deep breath, he sat up and saw here he was, rain continued to pour and to his right was Jake, and his left arm was scarred with shards.

“You a’right mate?” Jake grinned at Louis, who only stared at him. “It’s a new scare, ain’t it cool?”

Louis looked away and nodded. “Yes, it’s cool…”

They were all on break, Louis took this time to read the letter which Destiny wrote to him. It was sent two weeks ago, with a sigh, he opened it, to read:

“My Love:

I know you’re in much pain, I understand all of your feelings now and I assume, you want to come back. I miss you too… Please come back safe, I have not been wanting us to be separated forever… I love you Louis. Lil Lucy was asking for you and she was wondering when you would return, how come, how come, I couldn’t go where you are right now? War is no place for either of us! I begged you not to go… Yet you did, why? Am I… Am I that horrible of a fiancé?

I’m sorry, I love you, it’s just, I want you back, all I can do now is pray you return back to my arms and I can always hold you close to me. I just wish the bloody war would end. And we, we can keep our deal like we promised those years ago when we were children…

I love you Louis, take the picture… I know you look at it every day.

Destiny.”

Behind the letter, Louis felt another paper, he looked it over to see, to see the picture which he loved to look at every day. The depiction, of two kids, one boy and the other a girl, they slept under a tree, which oversaw a lake. Tears slowly fell down from his eyes, Louis wiped the tears and looked at Jake. “We’re going to survive, and… I am not going to die here, I’m going to return back to my fiancé and marry her…”

Jake grinned widely, which showed his slight yellow teeth. “Great! We can both return to our wives!”