by: Nathan V

I stand here alone, guarding my post, looking around i see buildings obliterated by who knows what, to my right there is a old living complex, to my left, nothing but a mind field of dead soldiers. I, me, i was the only one left. Behind me there are a few children playing soccer, there was no soccer field, yet the children managed to play. They seemed to be unaware of the battle field that lay around them.

I watched them play there game for a bit they seemed quite into the game. In fact, the one child, the one with short brown hair had kicked the ball to the extent that his shoe flew off! It landed about five or so feet from me. I watched him intensely as he ran to go get his shoe and their ball. He was not concerned by my look as my eyes were concealed behind the sunglasses I had been wearing. I watched them for a while. They seemed to always be cheering and always happy. I thought to myself that they must not know what is about to happen, for some time I thought about telling them but decided against it.

Two hours went by, I waited and waited, the kids went on with their game while I stood alone at my post gripping my weapon for what was about to come. Suddenly, a rumble came from the streets ahead the children now seemed to notice what might come of their lives. They shot me a look of concern as I raised my gun, they quickly grabbed their ball and cowered in a near building behind me. I was scared to; I wanted to run; I wanted to live. I thought about what I would have to do as soon as I saw the men wearing the blue uniforms. Before I had time to finish my thought there they were rushing down the streets there must have been fifty men. It was like a wall of death wherever they walked, people died. I was ready and aiming, I only had a few more seconds to wait before they were in range. I was unnoticed and very scared. The men came closer and closer I then cocked my gun. Only having one clip I knew that with excellent accuracy I could only kill about thirty men, I then knew I was going to die.

I emptied my gun into the enemy lines killing thirty five men, I looked back and saw the children. They gave me a look of hope, a hope that they might all survive. I then cowered behind a concrete barricade I was very close to the children now. The one boy then spoke “are we going to see our family again,” this nearly brought me to tears. I told them, “I didn’t  know”. Saying such ended my hidden emotions as tears dripped down my face. Well, we embraced in a hug; I felt something in the boy’s pocket, I thought to myself, no, it can’t be. I then asked him what he had in his pocket. He said that he had found it and took it from his father as he pulled it out. It was a grenade! In all my luck how could it be! A grenade! He now stood a chance against the fifteen men I rushed the boys into a building and rushed them up a set of stairs the men now saw their location and chased after them in hot pursuit, the kids hide under a bed as instructed not knowing what was about to happen. I pulled the pin on the grenade without having time to wish the children goodbye. I jumped down the stairs into the group of blue uniformed soldiers, killing them all along with myself for the life of the children.

The children that I had not known. My  legacy lives on in the village of Cue-raw. The two children that I saved  now protect the village watching over the kids in the nearby soccer court, as life goes on.