Short Stories

Time's Up

Dark, damp, cold: I waited in silence. The sun peaked over the horizon, through the frosted hills. There's a tree in the distance. Old and alone. It looks as though it's on the verge of eternal rest. The frost of the morning meant that I could see my breath: I was breathing heavier than usual. Looking up from the ice-speckled ground, I could see beams of light began to break through the clouds. The sounds of men talking and soldiers walking pieced my ears.

It was time...

As the man all dressed in khaki led me on, I knew these were my final steps. I took a deep breath in. The cold air sparked in my throat and the nerves took over. I want this to be over. I want to go back. I want to see my family. I stood there; tears pricked at my eyes, and in an instant everything froze.

Time stood still.

The men, standing a few feet away from me, all looked the same: faceless and emotionless. I could feel their eyes jabbing at my heart. Their cold, cold eyes. Not one of them had any sympathy: they were empty inside. The guns weren't empty. One had a bullet ready to punch me. Sounds of metal erupted in the air. The guns, the medals on their chest. It's like they've done this before. The medals. Are they a reward for this violence? I hope not.

Panic enveloped my body. Beads of sweat began to trickle down my face. The shouts from the general became blurred and I felt numb. There's nothing I can do now. I can't save myself. It's my fault I'm here. It's my fault for their deaths. It's all my fault. Tingling, my heart began to beat faster and faster, spreading the fear throughout my body, and in moments the sweat turned icy.

My mind ticked as I tried to think of something to ease this everlasting pain. My family.

Dancing, my wife and my beautiful daughter laughed around in a field of flowers: pink, mauve, violet. Their smiles were brighter than the sun and the laughter never stopped. They had a wonderful picnic- there was more food than I could ever imagine. The two of them sat down on the red and white checked blanket and dug in. They looked so happy. Their eyes full of wonder and love.

The way the wind sweeps my wife's hair out of her face, revealing the freckles that have been perfectly placed across her cheeks and nose. The way her smile can light up a room, and her laugh pleases the ears of all who hear. How her dress sits perfectly around her waist and flares into a beautiful skirt. How the ring on her finger glistens in the sun creating tiny rainbows on the blanket.

My daughter counting those tiny rainbows. Her smile growing wide as she sees more and more of them. She had always loved rainbows. Giggling, she skips around the field collecting the most beautiful flowers. Two Dutch plaits rest on her shoulders and the flowers she'd picked are carefully placed into her hair by my wife.

Humming a tune, my wife places the final flower into my daughter's hair. They both lay down on the blanket and look up into the blue sky. White fluffy clouds are dotted in the sky. They're laughing and talking like there's not a worry in the world.

I just wish they knew what was about to happen to me.

A tear rolled down my cheek at the thought of leaving my family. All I could do now was wait.

A roar from the general was shortly followed by a sharp crack which splintered the air. Now I lay in silence: dark, damp, cold.