Jennifer's Friend – April 2, 5:48 p.m.
As the sun set between the two peaks on the scenic north Georgia horizon, Jennifer picked up her phone – seemingly unimpressed. I felt my hands brush past the blades of grass beside me, and my head fell backwards onto the smooth ground of Ocee Park that became my lulling pillow for the cinematic sky above us where stars began to appear, one after the other.
This world is perfect, I thought to myself, closing my eyes to appreciate the scent of the looming spring. The bliss of being free to explore and be in wonder of the environment made me happy to have been born at this time in human history. There were no problems to invade my space, no unnecessary worries and a bright future ahead. Boy, it’s great to be alive!
Jennifer's Brother – April 2, 5:49 p.m.
“On the ground!”
The cry of our commander ushered in the series of steps etched into my brain after months of training:
1. Jump to the ground.
2. Have your weapon ready.
3. Brace yourself for the incoming explosion.
My body did as it was told and leaped sideways. Two jets passed overhead amid the deafening blast of the grenade.
Looking up, I recognized the precarious situation I was in. The visible sky was guarded by plumes of smoke and ash, and my hand covered in deep red but wait a minute – “That’s not my blood!” I screeched. The unit had to continue, but the shock took over and my body stopped following my orders. “Move, damn it!” Johnny repeated, his face slowly coming into view.
All I could think about was my sister Jennifer waiting back home for me.
"I have to do this for her and everyone else. I must get up and protect my country. I have to get up... I must.”
Jennifer's Friend – April 2, 5:50 p.m.
I turned my head to face Jennifer and smiled. She seemed somewhat distracted, but it didn’t matter that much to me. In a moment like this, she must just be in awe of the view, like me. The sunset finally showed off its magnificence, millions of years in the making. The last glimmer of the red-orange sun descended behind the mountain, and the warm spring wind of the night grazed our faces. Jennifer clasped her hands over her face and fell silent. Suddenly, she let out a soft cry.
Taken aback I immediately pressured her to tell me what was wrong.
“You wouldn’t understand,” she repeated twice.
I could see a single tear falling down her cheek. Without asking another question, I embraced her in a hug. With her head resting on my shoulder she said, “My brother left to fight in the war a couple weeks ago and I’m scared.”
I gave a sigh of relief. It was nothing serious.
“You’re delusional if you think anything bad is going to happen to him," I said. "Your brother is just doing a service to his country. These wars are all just media hype and I doubt any serious fighting is really going on.”
She released me and took a step back. I looked at her eyes and saw her glare – a glare so intense, so powerful that I felt my body pumping adrenaline into my veins and my bones began to shake.
“No, you’re delusional," she said.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
