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Pricey Diary:
I awoke.
All the pieces appeared to harm. I slowly opened my eyes to a transparent blue sky above me. The lighting was totally different. I spotted it was not early night. The solar was in a completely totally different place. It will need to have been morning.
I appeared over to see Mother was holding my hand. She was sitting subsequent to me, crossed legged on a blanket, eyes closed. Her face was soiled. Her lengthy, darkish hair pulled again right into a ponytail. Her rifle was leaning up in opposition to her leg. I then observed she had a bandage wrapped round her left higher arm. Regardless of the dust and the bandage, along with her eyes closed, she appeared nearly angel-like.
“Mother,” was all I might croak out, my mouth cotton dry.
Her eyes snapped open. She gazed down at me with concern and requested me how I felt.
“Water.”
She reached over for a water bottle and helped me sit as much as take a number of sips. My head swam. I nodded and laid again down on a sleeping bag.
I informed her I harm throughout.
Mother requested about my head. It harm, however not any greater than the whole lot else.
Mother then known as out for ‘Daniel,’ a reputation I didn’t acknowledge. A middle-aged man came visiting and requested how I used to be feeling. He took my pulse after which my blood strain utilizing a guide cuff and a stethoscope. He requested if I felt nicely sufficient to sit down up. I responded I didn’t know until I attempted. They gently sat me up. He shined a penlight into my eyes. Then, he requested me to comply with his finger as he moved it from one facet to the opposite, then up and down. He stated he didn’t assume I had a concussion however to look at for habits adjustments, lack of stability, shedding monitor of time, or adjustments in imaginative and prescient. Mother nodded. Daniel informed me I’d be high quality however to inform Mother if something appeared off. He then went off to see to others.
I requested her about her arm. A bullet graze. She stated it harm however was only a flesh wound. She reassured me she could be high quality. Simply then, Dad rushed up. He had a bandage round his head. On the look I gave him, Dad held up his hand and stated he was high quality. He truly banged his head getting out of one of many defensive position autos and lower himself. I couldn’t assist however chuckle and instantly regretted it. A wave of weariness swept over me. I requested if it could be okay if I took a nap. Dad stated,
“In fact.”
I smiled and closed my eyes, Mother and Dad wanting over me.
Pricey Diary:
I awoke once more.
I slowly opened my eyes to a transparent blue sky above me. The lighting was the identical, and the solar was in the identical place. Had I taken a brief nap?
I felt higher, however I used to be nonetheless not one hundred pc. Gingerly, I sat up on the sleeping bag and appeared round. I might see Sean’s log in its 4 corners. Throughout me have been others who had been wounded. Some had easy bandages, others had splints on their arms or legs, and some have been lacking an arm or leg.
I stood up slowly. At first, I used to be slightly off stability, however my stability returned after a number of seconds, and I felt even higher.
Mother and Dad then rushed as much as me, insisting I ought to lay again down. I informed them I used to be feeling a lot better. Dad commented that I ought to, after sleeping for almost twenty-four hours since yesterday, once I requested to take a ‘nap.’ I replied, “Oh . . . I’m famished. However first, I’ve acquired to pee.”
After I got here out of the outhouse, Mother had a bowl of meals for me. I sat down on Sean’s log and couldn’t assist myself however almost inhaled the entire bowl of meals. Very unattractive. I requested if I might have one other. Dad smiled, took my bowl and walked off for the chow line. I appeared round on the wounded after which appeared instantly at Mother and requested what occurred.
Mother appeared down on the floor and sighed. After a second, she appeared up at me and informed me what occurred.
The assault Jack, Carlos, Anna, and I did was profitable. It tipped the stability of the battle. We took out two extra grenadiers and two extra machine gunners. The remainder of the gang retreated utilizing overlaying fireplace from the remaining machine gunners and the grenadiers.
Carlos and Anna died within the grenade explosion.
Jack was in the identical situation as I used to be. Daniel stated we’d be okay after a number of days of relaxation. He was a paramedic earlier than the facility went out. Now, he was the closest factor we needed to a health care provider.
What remained of the gang retreated northward towards their base.
What remained of the market fighters and our militia determined to carry the place and never pursue the gang again to their base, lest our forces ‘rush’ right into a counterattack. We have been in no situation for extra combating in any case. We wanted to regroup, rearm, and have a tendency to our wounded and our lifeless.
With Jack down, Sean took over, targeted on repairing and manning the defensive position.
Jack and Rae then walked as much as us. Like me, Jack was transferring slower than regular.
“So the hero of The Battle of 4 Corners lives,” Jack stated and gave me a smile.
“I don’t find out about a hero. Positive don’t really feel like one,” I grinned again.
“Oh, honey, everyone seems to be a hero,” and Rae gave me a delicate hug. I appeared her over for indicators of a wound. She reassured me she was high quality. After Jack despatched her to move the phrase, she was on her manner again when two militia fighters took fireplace. She helped carry them to security and to be handled.
“Honey, the great Lord above will need to have been searching for me. Not even a minute later, a grenade blew up the precise spot I used to be simply in.”
I couldn’t assist however smile at listening to Rae’s wealthy voice, calling me honey along with her deep Southern accent.
I turned to Jack and requested how he survived the grenade explosion that despatched the mini-van flying. He known as it ‘dumb’ blind luck. With Rae and I gone to move the phrase, Jack left the mini-van to get Carlos and Anna for the flanking assault we did. He was in a car two away from the place I stood up and took out two gang members.
“Watching that little stunt, I questioned for those who have been very silly or very courageous, however I’ve met your mother and father and know you aren’t silly.”
“Thanks,” I replied dryly.
Jack then gave me a one-armed, brotherly hug.
Jack, Rae, and I sat again on Sean’s log once I requested him in regards to the gang. He appeared northward for a second, his eyes considerate. He then stated he missed a key half. The gang had been doing reconnaissance out there, asking odd questions. A few of these questions have been in regards to the sheriff, his deputies, Sean and his group who ran the market, and others with management or army expertise, particularly Jack.
Jack then stated, “Their chief is both loopy silly or loopy good. I believe the latter. He figured I’d anticipate they’d assault the following day within the morning, and I’d set an ambush for them. So he despatched his gang, figuring we’d be not solely shocked however they might march proper in with little resistance. What he didn’t determine was for us to arrange a defensive position as we did, clearing the realm and the ditch. What he didn’t determine was our militia. Lots of ‘figuring’ happening there. We had superior numbers, however the machine weapons, the grenade launchers, and their walkies-talkie communications negated our benefit.”
Jack sighed, wanting down on the dust for a second. He appeared once more to the north,
“I believe no less than one, probably a number of, had army coaching. The grenadiers and the machine gunners, almost definitely. In our flanking assault, one of many grenadiers or the machine gunners was the general tactical chief with essentially the most expertise, giving instructions and orders. As soon as he was killed, the remainder of the gang lacked management and route, and so they panicked and retreated. And now we have not seen them since. I’d say I’d not anticipate to see them once more, however I used to be unsuitable beforehand,” he stated solemnly, wanting once more on the dust earlier than him.
Rae took his one hand. “Jack, don’t ‘what if’ your self loopy.”
Sean then walked up, his face grim. He nodded to me and reported to Jack.
A few third of the market denizens had been killed or wounded. Of the militia, a couple of quarter have been killed or wounded. The sheriff misplaced an eye fixed. Each deputies have been killed. Repairs to the defensive position have been persevering with however at a a lot slower tempo with the discount in manpower. There have been twenty 4 lifeless gang members, the photographs to the pinnacle, face, uncovered arms, legs or groin left no wounded as they both died on the spot or bled out in a couple of minutes. Plenty of the market defenders have been utilizing premium-grade searching ammunition with explosive results. They recovered 4 machine weapons and a few ammunition for them, but it surely appeared like they have been operating low. Jack stated that may very well be excellent news. The surviving machine gunners additionally is perhaps low on ammunition. Sean additionally stated they recovered seventeen assault rifles plus three assault rifles with grenade launchers and some grenades. There was the physique armor, the helmets, and a number of the communications gear had survived, however many of the market or militia weren’t so certain they wished to put on them.
Jack checked out me and commented that the gang’s lifeless have been about half of what we noticed after we carried out reconnaissance of their base. I assumed on it for a second and stated, “There nonetheless is their chief, the fats man with the tattoo on half of his face.”
He nodded.
Jack requested Sean to search out two precision shooters and arrange an statement and listening put up a half mile up the highway to warn if the gang got here again. Sean nodded and walked off.
With a full stomach and a few water, feeling higher, I provided to face watch on the defensive position.
I sat with my again in opposition to a tree on the North facet of the ditch dealing with the highway, rifle throughout my lap, excited about the whole lot that had occurred.
Diary, all of it appeared so surreal. From delivering the butt stroke to the boy to passing the phrase in the midst of a firefight, to standing as much as take out two of the gang, and at last, the flanking assault that Jack, Carlos, Anna, and I did.
Simply over a yr in the past, I used to be a highschool scholar in a uniform. My largest worries have been Savannah and her bully buddies, if the lovable boy in third-period English preferred me, and if Mother and Dad would purchase me a cool automotive to drive as soon as I had my driver’s license.
Trying again at myself, I used to be so naive.
And but, so harmless.
Now, I carry a rifle with me all over the place I’m going and really feel bare with out it. The man I consider as the large brother I by no means had taught me the way to use that rifle. I’ve shot and killed no less than 4 people who I do know of. The girl I consider as the large sister I by no means had put a level of metal in my again that I didn’t know I had earlier than.
On one hand, I really feel like I’ve misplaced one thing.
However, I’ve grown up.
I needed to.
Diary, I’m not certain how I really feel about that.
Entry Two
A storm entrance rolled within the afternoon with intermittent mild showers to heavy rain. Jack and a small crew of militia went to examine on the gang’s base. We sat in one of many bigger shacks on the South facet of 4 corners round a small fireplace, listening to the rain after they returned simply as evening set in.
The gang was gone.
Utilizing the thunderstorm to cowl their method, they watched the houses from the hilltop Jack and I had used to recon their base. Jack checked out me and stated the large plush chair I noticed the chief sitting in was nonetheless within the driveway. After an hour had handed, seeing no motion or indicators of life, they moved in.
The houses have been trashed and ransacked for something of worth. They didn’t even trouble to deliver water in to flush the bogs. Jack thought it was a sign the gang supposed to ‘take’ the marketplace for theirs. In the home, the large plush chair sat within the driveway, the crew discovered a message written throughout the entrance of a stainless-steel fridge in black everlasting marker in neat penmanship,
“Jack,
See you once more quickly . . .”
About 1stMarineJarHead
1stMarineJarHead will not be solely a former Marine, but additionally a former EMT-B, Wilderness EMT (courtesy of NOLS), and volunteer firefighter.
He presently resides within the nice white (i.e. snowy) Northeast together with his spouse and canine. He raises chickens, rabbits, goats, sometimes hogs, cows and generally geese. He grows varied veggies and has a bizarre fondness for rutabagas. He enjoys studying, writing, cooking from scratch, making charcuterie, goal taking pictures, and is presently increasing his woodworking expertise.
