The Survivor of the 27

Chapter Ten

  Gael and I sit in the field just looking up at the stars.

  "Hey Mace?" Gael asks, breaking the silence.

  "Hmm?"

  "Are you going back?" He asks. I take a deep breath and sigh.

  "I don't know if I can. I'm not eligible anymore. But I don't fit in here. I'm not the same person I was before I left," I tell him.

  "How so?" He asks.

  "I'm not sure. Everyone says I've changed and that I'm not the same person I was before I left to serve my country," I explain.

  "Why do you care about what they say about you? You never did. You never let anyone tell you who you are or what to do. You were always so independent and stubborn that no one even bothered to argue with you," says Gael.

  I smile at him and face him. Our eyes end up locking and we just gaze into each other's eyes. He starts to move closer, in for a kiss. But I pull away and look at my watch.

  "I should be going home. It's getting late," I tell him. The last time someone kissed me it didn't go too well.

  "Oh yeah sure thing," he says awkwardly, clearing his throat and sitting up.

  I felt bad, but I couldn't let him get hurt by me. So I had to push him away.  We get back into the jeep and he drives me home. The ride is awkward and silent. As we pull into the driveway there are still cars everywhere.

  "Umm here you go. Look I'm sorry I didn't mean to," Gael says.

  "No, I'm sorry it was me. I'm just not ready. I'll see you around," I tell him, then leave and head inside. There are drunk people on the couch and well, everywhere. I make my way upstairs and go into my room. As I open the door though, there are people making out on my bed. I close my eyes and quickly close the door.

  "Oh nope!" I say shutting the door.

  I just stand there completely red.

  "Eeewwwww!" I say practically shaking. "That's never going to leave my head. And I'm never sleeping on that bed again."
  I go into Tom's room and go out the window and make my way to the roof. I look at my watch and it's 00:37. Great. I end up laying there for a while until I'm overcome by sleep.

  All I see is darkness. My ears are ringing and my head is pounding. I hear gunshots but they sound distant and muffled. Then I hear a bomb go off. I stumble to my feet, grab my gun, and start running.

  "FALL IN! FALL IN!" I scream at the top of my lungs.

  As I'm running I see the tree line and make my way there. I feel a stinging pain in my abdomen and then again in my right shoulder. I fall to the ground but quickly get back up on my feet. I let out a grunt but I force myself to keep going.

  There are gunshots being fired all around me. As I'm darting through the trees, the bullets hit the trees, sending tree bark particles flying. As I'm running, I go to turn the corner but am met by general Hassan standing right in front of me. I holt to a stop and end up falling on my butt. I look up and Hassan has a gun pointed directly at my head. And on his face he wears that same smile.

  I sit up with a jolt. My breath starts to become broken up. I grab onto my shoulder feeling a piercing pain and I start to put pressure on it. It feels like I've just been shot. Then with the other I wrap it around my waist. I keep seeing flashes. There's blood all around me and dead bodies everywhere.

  "It's not real, it's not real." I tell myself over and over again. I can hear his voice over and over again.

  "I will watch you fall," he provokes. "I will break you. I will kill everyone you love." Over and over again I hear him in my head.

  At this point I don't know where I am and I can't tell whether the voices are real or not. And the pain, the racing heart, the ragged breathing, just makes it worse. There's no one. No one to help me. I'm all alone, just like before.

  "Mace? Mace, calm down." I hear a voice, but just like before it sounds far and muffled.

  "Mace," I hear it say again.

  "I will kill everyone you love. I will make you bleed," Hassan says with anger and aggression.

  "It's your fault! It's your fault she's dead!" My father yells. I open my eyes and see Tom.

  "Mace what's going on?" Tom asks with a worried expression.

  "I'm-I'm fi-fine," I say broken up.

  "Come on, let's go inside," Tom insists and grabs my hand. I pull away and shake my head. He'll kill him. He'll kill him too. Just like the rest.

  "It's ok Mace. I'm gonna help you inside. Ok?"

  I nod my head and he helps me into his room and sits me on the bed. I try to slow my breathing down but I'm failing. The pain in my shoulder and abdomen is starting to go away.

  "Hey Mace try and breath. In." And Tom breaths in through his nose. "And out," he says exhaling thru the mouth. For a while, I follow his breathing pattern and try to match his.

  Once I'm finally calmed down Tom asks, "What happened? Did something set you off?"

  "Just a dream," I say, still a little shaken.

  Tom moves to the bed with me and asks, "What happened when you were overseas?" I stay silent, not wanting to deal with the pain. But he deserves to know.

  "My team and I," I take a breath. "We, we failed. We got captured. All twenty seven of us. Everyone died, because of me. I'm the last of my team. When I escaped I had to leave their bodies, and I couldn't help them. Nor bring their family closer," I tell him with a single tear rolling down my cheek.

  "How long where you held captive?" Tom asks.

  "Ten months, three weeks, two days, and nineteen hours."

  Tom gasps and places his hand over his heart. "Why didn't you tell us?'' Exclaimes Tom.

  "I didn't want you guys to know," I stated.

  "Why? We're your family," said Tom in a melancholy voice.

  "Your the only one that cares," I respond. It was true and he knew it.

  We both just sit there in silence. Then there's a knock on the door. And Sharen pops in.

  "Come down stairs. We're going to announce the wedding date!" We both shake our heads and get up.

  I turn to Tom and make him promise, "You can't tell anyone. Not now." Tom nods his head and I can tell that he disapproves but will oblige.