One shot short stories

The Soldier

I’m stuck in this infernal warzone they call The Coast. I hear shots being fired from the guns around me as well as my own. I’m in some kind of haze. Running through the sand yelling to my soldiers as a grenade falls in front of them. “RUN YOU ASSHOLES! RUN!” I screamed as it went off. Their bodies weren’t even recognizable anymore. I dropped to my knees, sobbing into the wind. I didn’t know what to do, I just knew it needed to stop. Grave after grave after grave. I’m tired of burying my friends. 

Suddenly I’m up off my knees. “This is for my soldiers.” I whisper to myself as I start running. I sprint up the enemy lines. Everywhere I go bodies of my enemies drop. I will avenge my friends. My family. And I’ll do it soldier by soldier if I have to. Hours blur by as if they were minutes. When I’m aware of myself again, I’m panting, hard. My hands are shaking and I’m exhausted. I fall to my knees in the now bloody sand. The soldiers around me all stare in awe and bewilderment. One of them hesitantly approaches me. 

“Sir? Are you okay?” he asked me in a low voice trying not to startle me.

 “At ease, soldier. I’m alright. What happened? I don’t remember any of it.” I exhale into my words. They stare at me shocked and speechless.

“You don’t remember? Sir, you took down the entire enemy line. You were a monster out there. This blood in the sand was all spilled by you. You saved us all. Their numbers were overwhelming.” One soldier squeaks as I point to him. I just sit there. I’m tired and my consciousness is wavering. 

I look at the man next to me and sway a little as I say, “State your name soldier.”

He snaps to attention and barks, “Private First Class Aaron Cayler, sir!”

“Well Aaron, if you wouldn’t mind, I’m not going to be conscious for much longer. Would you call back to base and let them know what’s happened here?” I almost whispered back to him.

“Sir yes sir!” He yelled in reply with a salute. That was the last thing I saw as I slipped into the dark recesses of my mind.

Hi!! That was 384 words!! Let me know what you think!!