Two Hearts, One Leg

Chapter 3 | Dream

Zach's past:

"Come on Shadow we have to go." I told my 2 year old German Shepherd. She barked loudly as to argue with my statement. "Don't be a sass." I told her. She strutted over to me as if playing a game, and I laughed.

"Zach stop playing around, we have to patrol the area." The Sargent said calmly but had a angry look in his eye.

"Yes Sir." I strongly replied. It was our turn to walk around the perimeter of the  camp site. Making sure there were no bombs or explosives planted during the night, after the last patrols when to bed.

I grabbed Shadows collar from a rod that had been attached to a wood post, before it was shot down. When I turned to put her collar on, I couldn't believe what I saw, she had dug a hole, and is now holding a small bomb in her mouth. I snatched it away from her and yelled "bombs away" everyone scattered from the area and took cover. Then I threw the small bomb to my left away from the camp site, held Shadow close, and ducked and coved. I heard the bomb explode and I could feel the heat, and smell the smoke, off it from the explosion. Shadow cautiously gets out from underneath my arm and looks at me. I see she is waiting for me to get up as well so I get up from my spot and pet her on her head. "Good girl" I tell her "Good girl."

As everyone slowly and cautiously stands up, Shadow and I are already on the move looking for more bombs. I unclip Shadows leash from her collar, so we can cover more ground. She starts running across the field like she has never felt the softness of grass before.

"Having fun Shadow?" I yell to her. She turns her head to me and barks frantically, I turn my head to look what might be behind me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see and enemy soldier camouflaged behind a tree, throw a bomb at me. I run, no I sprinted out of the way. I hear the bomb beep louder and louder with every second that passes by. I decide to jump and dive to get away from the bomb's explosion.

I turn to Shadow and say "Thank you Shadow! You just saved my life." She barks telling me that it was no big deal. I look in her black hole eyes and repeat what I told her before, "Thank you Shadow! You just saved my life." I hear a thump, thump and I see Shadow understands, that she really saved my life.
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We get back on track and start looking around and smelling for bombs and/or explosives. I spot a small rodent run out from within the thick grass. If I blinked I would have missed it, but my eyes were wide open. I saw it run in slow motion as it ran out of the grass, the solid ground began to rise and I knew what was coming next, even Shadow knew. I held my gaze but Shadow blinked and she missed it, she's lucky. As the ground blew up so did the rodent. My hand was cupped over my mouth. That just goes to show you how dangerous being out here is, and how small things like that, scare you.

Shadow was off running in the other direction again. I was walking through a small patch of grass, when I heard the first sound of gunshot that morning. I quickly realized the sound of the gun was not from our troop. I took a step and froze I felt a sharp stinging in my left leg, I was shot. I fell to the ground, I felt that same ground began to rise. I called for Shadow, but she already had my sleeve in her mouth and was tugging me away from the explosive. I was almost out of the way, then I hear a snap. To add to the problem, there is now a bear trap around my left leg I winced in pain. I quickly put my hands over my head to help with the impact of the explosive, realizing that the explosive had not gone off yet. I cautiously crawled back to the area where the explosive first been set off  then BOOM my mind went black. 

I woke up and rubbed my eyes, my dream had been longer this time, but I felt pain, pain in my leg, and pain for Shadow I hope she recovers soon, I thought.