Paint Me Saved ✓ Book 1

Epilogue: The end or the beginning

Kunduz Province, Afghanistan

November 2015

I remember it now.

Bright blinding light and heat waves coursed over my skin. It felt like an embrace with the sun. I remembered the sheer force of detonation that tossed me away - a dead leaf in the wind.

Tattooed in my mind was his face. His last sneer.

A persistent humming buzzed in my ears. When I blinked, it faded into darkness only to reemerge as I opened my eyes. It intensified with every passing second. The pain escalated, branching from my tailbone, radiating up my back, thrumming over my chest.

I lay under the gray dust-whirled sky, kissing death. Death tasted acrid, jabbing its tentacular tongue deep into my throat to spin my life out. I resisted its hold, grasping on straws of hope of her- my home.

My eyes flickered. My ears drummed harder. I tried to get up but something burnt my back, reclining me to sleep. I tried to call for help. My dry throat seared pain into my head.

"He's here," someone shouted from afar. "Medic. MEDIC..."

The voice penetrated through the fogged illusion in my mind. I was lulled to sleep with the torment my skull suffered. My lower half remained numb, impervious to the dance of throbbing agony my upper body endured.

"Put him under," a ragged, manly voice instructed. Something cold pricked my chest. Something, like a sharp pinch.

"He's not going under."

"I got this." It wasn't the previous panic-inducing voice. It was soothing, feminine. "Sergeant Brenton, blink twice if you can hear me."

I tried but my eyelids wouldn't shut.

"Help him up." Panicky one instructed. "On my count, one, two, three."

"Move. Move. Move," the manly voice was back.

Chopper blades swirled dust and sand, marrying them in the air.

"Make for the base." Previous voices shouted at each other. "We need him in surgery or we might lose him."

"I need him under first," the female voice countered.

"Then do it in the air. Go now. It's an order."

A dark green roof replaced the ominous brown dust-spewing sky. The belly of the mechanical beast rumbled.

"Sergeant Brenton, I know you can hear me," the woman said. "I know you are in pain but it will all subside."

"Wat... Wate..." I couldn't ask what my body craved.

I felt something cold touch my lips. Ice. I gobbled it like a greedy child.

The chopper rattled in the air, jerking my unsecured body. I wanted to ask about my unit, my boys but all I could do was stare at the melting green roof.

"Yes, this is she. We need it ready in ten minutes. Status: Second-degree burns on the back. The left leg is messed up, I can't assess the damage. Internal bleeding, thoracic vertebra injury. We need more anaesthesia and heavier doses of antibiotics. He's still not going under. I don't think he's going to mak-"

"Ze..." The heaviness of the word lingered over my eyelids, drifting me to sleep. To the blissful, painless reverie. Something caressed my burning face. Something cold. "Mira."

"Almost there, Sergeant, a few more minutes," overpowering the blade slap, she yelled. "It's not Mira, sir. I'm Second Lieutenant, Amara Safi. Mara, for short..."

"He's going under. Hurry up, please."

"Almost there, Sir... almost there..."

~

The end, or is it?

I hope you liked this book, its characters and the way they faced life. Knowing most readers on Wattpad wouldn't prefer reading a heart-wrenching story, I took a leap of faith too.

If you remained with me throughout the sunny and stormy days of Zemira and Leo, then I'm grateful to you and your support.

This book has a lot of dedication, especially to the ones who struggle with mental ailments or abuses of any sort. I know, saying that I understand wouldn't lessen the pain or the burden but I hope you all know, you aren't alone in this journey.

For my loving, kind, and generous readers who comment spammed me or DMed me with their reviews, please note that I'm forever indebted to you. You all saved me at times when I doubted my writing, or when I thought nobody would read this broken, hurting piece of my work.

Every time I see your comment, I ugly cry when you are hurt and rejoice when you laugh at the banters. In a way, I read all my chapters again through you.

A really really loud SHOUTOUT to you <3 <3

Too sappy. Isn't it? *clearing throat and gulping down bitter coffee*

Anyways, on that cotton candy note, let's move on to the next phase.

Zemira and Leonardo have their story continued in Book 2.

Paint Me Claimed

(Now released)

After a failed mission, Leo finds himself in the hospital, battered both in body and self-confidence. Worst, he has lost faith in love too.

Zemira, unknown of Leo's situation, tries to give him space and time only to realize she is losing him. Every attempt to reconcile with him has failed too.

With a broken heart, will Leonardo find his way back to the woman who means the world to him? Or will he let his misunderstandings come in the way of true love?

Part 2 of Redeemed by a Soldier series.