Chaos

I ran until I couldn't run anymore. I couldn't believe what I'd done. I'd killed a fellow American soldier; might as well have been murder instead of self defense. I looked down at my hands which were stained with Private Josh Hoandson's blood. He probably had a family waiting for him to come home; parents, maybe a wife or girlfriend, kids. Just like Todd.

I vigorously rubbed my hands on my soaked, mud covered pants. Why do I feel so guilty? Such an awful feeling.

Had anyone else from my platoon survived? I couldn't hear anything except the rain that continued to fall. Why wasn't I infected by the gas? I couldn't be immune, could I? If Chaos has no effect on me, then maybe there are others, too.

Chaos. Something had gone horribly wrong. Besides the death of Lieutenant Lane. We retreated quickly after he was shot, so why had the gas been near us? According to plan we should've been safe and the gas was only supposed to contaminate the air for two minutes. It had been much longer and I could still smell it, hundreds of yards away from where the fighting took place.

I continued walking, alternating into jogging. I couldn't stay here. It was too dangerous and I have to report about Operation Chaos, since none my officials are alive. Maybe the scientists will know what to do. They must, being the ones to create it. But I have to hurry. Chaos cannot be used again. Who knows how long it'll stay in the air. For now, the time is indefinite, but I know it spreads fast and far; I smell it; sickening, acrid. If we aren't careful, innocent people could become infected, if they haven't already.

Knowing this, I pressed on, encouraging my worn body into a run.

It wasn't even half-an-hour later when I collapsed. I was not yet out of the forest and dawn was just beginning to reach out into the sky.

Exhausted and completely drained of strength, I lay on the muddy ground. Soon after I lost consciousness.