November 12, 2133
Creole, Lousiania
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJGIYfZtBL
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrYF0XW1bN
Taking Hill B-502 proved to be pointless. The hill provided no tactical advantage for our artillery, since we had already secured more effective, sloped hills.
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdmc1NZNP8w
In the two hours we were on the hill, we lost 133 men. Alpha Killer Division was almost eliminated, while Scroll Division had lost 95% of their forces. We suffered very few losses compared to our sister Divisions. All of our new guys were killed, Timothy and Zach were also killed. I always thought Zach would make it. I was wrong. Hill B-502 was later renamed Burg Hill due to it being a meat grinder.
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jP9XiTx8i
Daniel didn’t recover after Timothy’s death. He blamed himself for a long time. Daniel lost himself and commited suicide one night. I walked in seconds before he fired a shotgun into his lower jaw. With Daniel’s suicide, Command sent us to Cameron for R&R.
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZ9yEZQklL
Alpha Sector was more civilized than our sector. There were towns and small farms that were willing to support the NCC. Cameron quickly rebuilt and the Mayor welcomed any and all NCC troops. A lot of troops went to Cameron for R&R. Troops at Creole built trenches and mortar positions, troops at Cameron built bars and clubs.
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2YebfxhTR
While at Cameron I met someone. She was a bartender. Her and I had a similar vibe. I’ll never forget her.
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyDIbll4wm
I sat down at the bar for a drink. A beautiful woman came to me and asked, “can I get you anything?”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAEEFpABws0
She had long red hair that touched her shoulder blades and glistening blue eyes. She was curved like a back road at home. She held her head up with a smile and shirt in a knot on her side. She wore tight jeans with a brown belt. She was wonderful. I almost forgot about the war for just a second. I relished that second.
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyS1pouUdUb
I told her, “I’d like a lite.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnDzDHAXjLa
She nodded, pouring a lite beer into a glass. She asked, “you from around here?”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffrlll2JkL
I shook my head, “I’m from Georgia.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwBleQwkTL4
“So you’re with the NCC I assume.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGP1ncpXPK
“You assume correct.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLc18yMj6M
“Well, my name’s Katey. Friends call me Kate.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxpGhxc8g00
“I’m Matthew. Friends call me Kid.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFeWGVGSxt
“You don’t look like a Kid. Nor Matthew.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0aetVUiXY
“Well, Mom always had a bad naming scheme.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWOpObMKmI
“Yeah. Moms huh?”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlUlEuw8NT
“They’re the best.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUxS4TAgH7
“Or the worst.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DIOQAGnXq
“Depends on where you sit.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlEHsfwxT7
“I never sat too close to home.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdV8qoVwIN
“I wish I stayed home.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0XXcH0jQZ
“You’re a draftee?”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKkynDqKjh
“Yeah.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuL7wPtmLEh
“I’m sorry you had to get involved.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzVvEhs9PR
“If it led me to you, I’m okay with it.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAGR8Q4vxK
She smiled and brushed her hair back. She said, “I get off in twenty. I can show you around Cameron if you want.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVnlkZQeqG
I chuckled, “are you just trying to get a good tip?”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUQuB4uyDb
“No. I can show you a few tips though. Joana’s bar closes but it re-opens at midnight as a night club. Fun stuff.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnzA39MdOR
We traversed the town all night. She showed me where she had her first kiss, where she went to school, and where her father bought a business. Eventually, she took me to her apartment.
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcd48DxsVSo
We sat on the couch and watched a few movies together. I never had sex with any woman before, so I didn’t know the sudtle hints she started sliding at me. She asked questions, I answered.
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObvi3Tt45u
One question she asked was difficult, “am I just a one night stand to you?”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIW01BlkMm
I didn’t know what I wanted. For my entire life I was told what to do. I was told where to go, when to do it, and how to. Now, I had someone asking me to make my own decision. I didn’t know how to answer.
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRxECsdhe9
She asked, “what do you want?”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8pfORfAN7
All I wanted was her. The first woman I was ever attracted to, and I found her in a goddamned warzone. I looked into her ocean blue eyes and said, “I want you. Just you. Whatever that comes with.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuQpQjNFue
I left her apartment to let her sleep. I snuck into the barracks, trying to not wake Tent. While I was getting into my bunk, a hand laid on my back. Instinctively, I reached for a nearby rifle. The figure grabbed the rifle and tore it from my hands. Tent whispered, “it’s me Rogers!”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahy1dMgggj
I sat down in my bed, “I’m sorry Sergeant. I’m so sorry.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOvIjMGTC2
He sighed, “that was my fault son. I’m sorry. Where have you been? I was about to put in a missing person report.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9nHMzb4tD
“I was hanging out with one of the bartenders. I really like her.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWdCr2AkEp
“Well shit. Why are you here?”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKu1XiWX1Z5
“I didn’t want to get in trouble.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLkIDLzDqU
“What?! Come on. Are you going to see her tomorrow?”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHvRZAQM8y
“Yeah I’m trying to.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XzGnd2mkF
“Okay. I’ll wake you at 0700. Be ready.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtamUih0eoz
He patted my shoulder, “goodnight Rogers.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrktJOId2Bl
I nodded, “goodnight Sergeant.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgsHgOtgwo
In the morning, Tent woke me up and brought me outside. We crossed the town into a lush field full of flowers and cows. Tent picked a few of the flowers and gave them to me. I asked, “what’s this for?”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7CLHMq6wF
“For her. Of course.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPcurjiL4hH
“Oh. Thank you Sergeant.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4NrO5opzh
“I had a wife once, I said the same thing as you when I met her. My Sergeant did the same, so I might as well carry on his legacy.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EpVjaP6aj
“Sergeant?”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOUkdgYbdA
“Yeah?”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWknqXjIhI
“Do you mind me asking what happened? To your men. Daniels told me…”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzwnQCoUBl
“We were ambushed. A few of my men got away but were snatched up by Tigers Breed. I was wounded and my Captain, who was also my Sergeant once, carried me across four miles of mine fields and trenches. He was shot but kept moving until he reached an aid station. He died that night, while I lived. I divorced my wife after I found her in bed with one of my soldiers who was on leave.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnElpb0ztKA
“Sergeant… I’m sorry.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MIimnmS2m
“It’s fine Kid. I figured you deserve to know.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLM2HZkOb7
“Thank you. That means a lot.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylyhgG17Vi
“Rogers, I wanna say you’ve come far. Farther than I would have ever asked you. I’m proud of you. When the opportunity comes, I want you to be Devil Dogs new Staff Sergeant. Once we get reinforced I’ll be moving up to Lieutenant.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDPEtH8JMG
“Of course I will, Sergeant.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99MG2G8EXm
“Good. Well what are you waiting for? Go get that girl.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEG8ru8i6p
I walked to Kate’s apartment and knocked on the door. Nobody came, so I knocked again. Nobody came. I sighed, “what the fuck where you thinking Matt?”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSoAaOrnGAp
I walked back down the stairs, kicking myself for falling so quickly. Why would I have emotions for a girl I just met? She could be screwing everyone on base right now. Fucking stupid.
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnywu6UU2y9
A soft voice alarmed me, “hey Kid.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqk7KYZnUJ2
I looked up from my dragging feet to see Kate. She stood in a pair of leggings and a dark grey hoodie. Sweat drops were rolling down her face and off her fingertips. She asked, “are you stalking me?”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQ9PrbX0M4
I shook my head, panicking, “uh… no! I came by to… to see if you had… any uh…”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFoHIoDJzg
She chuckled, “I’m kidding. I just got back from the gym. Want to catch a movie? Burning River episode two is out.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtY3wP85W15
I smiled, “I’d love that.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLZssyogua
I reached into my pocket and showed her the flowers Tent retrieved. She smiled, and her eyes lit up. She gasped, “are those flowers?”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKO9zBnVTk
I shook my head, “no no. They’re bullets. Found them in the armory.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4dQgklMewq
She grabbed the flowers and smelled them. She sighed, tearing up, “I’m sorry. Geez.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRVlP3GkFQ
She turned away and started fanning her eyes. Concerned, I asked, “I’m sorry. Are you allergic?”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2CQwOw2JU
“No no-” She turned back to me, “I don’t mean to sound like a brat, but no one has ever done this for me. Thank you Matthew.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNSpgIHh6o
I nodded, “yeah! No problem.”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XMZ6zJa5O
We watched movies all day and she made me meals. She made fish tacos at lunch, and a coconut breaded chicken breast for dinner. Coming off baked bean MREs and shitty mess hall food, her cooking gave me a sense of home. Her smile gave me a sense of hope. Her presence gave me life.
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDB8m2P8WAy
That’s when I knew I wanted to make love to her. She made me feel human. For months I had to pretend to be this ruthless killing machine without my own thoughts. She let me be human.
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXEHsWEIho
But, I couldn’t be human for long. In early September, we got orders to head for Lake Charles and secure it.
ns 15.158.61.8da2
