Five Seconds

Falling Falling. Head over heels. Tumbling. Tumbling. A flash of the tree they used to play in as a kid. Big. Tall. Looming. Falling. Falling.

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Shouts ring out. In the castle smoke fills the air. Gunshots ring clear. Stone foundation crumbling. Red floor. Red walls. Everything’s a blanket of red. The smell of the newly dead rises and rises.

 

Where is the captain? 

 

Out of all the times to go disappearing, there couldn’t be a worse moment than this.

 

More and more faces flash past Nick’s vision, all scarred. All weary. All frightened. None the captain. 

 

He calls out for him amongst the other sounds of battle. Nothing. More men fall around him.

 

If he isn’t dead I’m going to kill him.

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Four Seconds 

Birds fly by. Or is he the bird? Crashing through the trees. Yet suspended in air. Drifting, falling, falling. Voices ringing.

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“Calling for a war over a silly tree is the most stupid thing you ever suggested,” Nick says, looking at Roes from across a table in a dimly lit room. A map spread out before them marked with needle points.

 

“It is not just a tree. That tree was planted by my father and has fed our people for ages. Losing that tree would be losing our people’s food supply,” Roes says, crossing his arms as Nick rolls his eyes at him.

 

“One day, Roes, you will learn that you can’t declare war over every matter that threatens our people. And I fear that one of us will get hurt before you finally realize that,” Nick says before standing up and closing the door behind him, leaving Roes alone.

 

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Three seconds 

Hand clench in hand. Pleas dying. Wind ringing. Tears pouring. Stomach burning. Falling falling. Grass coming.
 

He finds the captain at last, shooting at the enemy from the window on the fourth story. Shouting at them to surrender. Blind to the fact that they are the ones that need to retreat.

 

Time to wake him up.

 

He grips the captain’s shoulders forcing him to face him.

 

“They have overtaken our most skilled troops. The tree is lost. You have to order a retreat before there is nothing left!” Nick says

 

“Th-That’s impossible! We outnumbered them ten to one! Logic would dictate that they would be running for the hills,” Roes says

 

“Most of them died in the fire. I’m sorry, Roes, but it’s over,” Nick says as he steers Roes away from the window.

 

“T-The fire?” Roes says, his heart racing in his chest.

 

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Two Seconds

The ground is cold. A weight is lifted from him. Yet the bones are screaming. The weight is screaming. No more falling falling.

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Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. Pinned against the wall as the enemy barges into the door. Too late for peace talks. Surrender is void. Cries for retreat too little too late.

 

Guns are drawn. Accusations on all sides.

 

They overstepped but we were the ones that made the blow. No one can deny.

 

Only one way to make sure the planet doesn’t burn.

 

If vengeance is what they desire then vengeance is what they’ll get.

 

The captain goes to step forward, but he is first. 

 

A deal is made. He is content. Even as bullets rain. And Roes screams his name.

 

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One Second

Darkness engulfs him. A last breath. The coldness gone. But the cries carry on. Even as all feelings are gone.

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A needle prick. Feeling rushes in. Eyes open. A pleading  face looks upon him.

“Roes?”