A Love Like War

ONE MONTH, SEVENTEEN DAYS LATER
“Down, men, down!” Screamed General Quinn, the veins of his neck exploding as his face reddened and spit fell off of his lips, anger fuelled when his planned hiding position became uncovered to enemy lines, leaving the entire squad exposed to gunfire and catastrophic echoes of grenades.
Vic felt panicked inside, unfamiliar with this level of encounter with an enemy in all his years of war. He had never been on the losing team, it wasn’t how he fought.
Beside him, an enemy too close to him was suddenly splattering blood on Vic’s cheek, his body lying face down in the mud. Vic looked up to see Jaime standing above him, smirking, before dropping and rolling beside him as a gunshot whizzed by his lower half.
“Get your mind outta the gutter, Fuentes. This is war, here! Not Casablanca!” Jaime said, still a smile on his lips.
“Thank you.” Vic managed to whisper, a moment of fear subsided in his gut. He smeared the spattered blood across his forehead unknowingly, gagging as the scent of copper reached his nose and sent shivers down his spine.
“Men, in 5, you run.” General Quinn said to them before running up and across the field. Before his words sunk in, Jaime grabbed Vic as they ran behind his shield. The two men barely made it across before gunfire streaked across from hidden angles, ridding General Quinn’s body with bullets, as his aged face dropped and he fell silently to the ground.
Vic had no time to stop, he only ran behind Jaime. They ran and ran for however long, Vic’s lungs burning as he collapsed down at the sight of water in front of him.
“A pond, oh Lord, a pond!” Jaime grinned, looking up to the sky before heading forward. Vic noticed the figure in front of Jaime first, and grabbed his friend’s shoulders to pull him back.
“Got your back, Preciado.” Vic hissed, pointing out the figure.
Jaime held his breath, his mind reeling from the fact he almost just ran face first to his death.
“You know it, man.” He whispered, kissing Vic’s cheek out of joy. Vic clutched Jaime’s arm, forgetting for a moment he wasn’t with Kellin. He continued to hold on, releasing his grip slightly, before the pair began to move forward.
By now it had almost hit nightfall, the two finding a fairly comfortable spot in the trees a distance from the pond, sharing a dinner pack Jaime had kept for emergency.
Under the two, Vic pointed out someone move slowly around, someone in their uniform. He looked around, his face familiar, as Jaime smiled.
“I’m going to go get him, you watch out.” He said, slowly climbing back down the tree before holding onto the man’s uniform, as he turned with a terrified face but then one with recognition. It wasn’t until Vic noticed someone else only yards away and frantically climbed down the tree, grabbing Jaime.
“Someone’s coming.”
Jaime’s eyes widened in panic. “Well, we got to get back to running. You better be up for it, John.” He added in a chuckle as he looked around.
“We’re too obvious in a large pack.” Vic whispered, adrenaline pumping as he stared into the distance. He refused to make eye contact with either of the men before kissed Jaime’s forehead as if he was a child, and pat the unknown man on the shoulder.
“Vic, no!” Jaime whisper-shouted. But it was much too late, Vic already took off running like a bat out of hell in the opposite direction. He heard footfall follow but pushed forward, escaping his follower as he continued on through the thick groove in darkness. In panic he suddenly felt his leg give out as it locked onto debris and his body tumbled forward, his head hitting the crowd in a deafening thud.
“No.” Vic whispered, but he could no longer hear his own voice. His head had been bounced off something hard and had temporarily lost his hearing, making him feel entirely powerless. Shoulders wracked in sob, Vic crawled down on hands and knees until he felt a large tree, hugging the circumference before deciding it would be large enough to hide behind. Vic slumped, his eyes willing to close, but being deaf and blind would not help him right now.
Instead he did is best to keep a watchful eye but his vision began to fail, until he saw movement. Terrified, he pushed his legs back until his back was straight against the tree, his knees hugged to his chest. Body quivering, he stayed silent.
That was, until the sudden deafening noise of a bullet had resuscitated his hearing. Before Vic knew it, an unbelievable pain shot through his body, sending his weight slumping over to the side and shock running through his mind.
I’m so sorry, Kellin. Vic thought, as his eyes finally closed.
**
Vic,
I have been thinking of you every hour, every minute. I cannot fear for my own safety, but only recall the feeling of your arms wrapped around mine the last time I saw you. I can’t forget you, no matter how hard I try to focus. It’s unreal that I still live, with my mind clouded in love like this.
You have taken me over, Vic, and I don’t regret it one bit.
The only thing I would want for you, if I were to die here, were to lay a flower on my tomb. Do not cry, do not utter a prayer for me. But lay down a single flower and send the air a kiss, then stand up and never look back. If I were to die, the only thing I ask for is your happiness. To find a nice gal, marry her, and give her all the children she wants. Only you are capable of loving someone more strongly than any barrel of a gun.
Right now it’s late night, a month and seventeen days since I kissed your lips and felt your warm skin. There’s nothing warm for me anymore.
I don’t think you’d ever get this letter, hidden in the depth of my pillow, if I do die. God knows I don’t want to, but if I must, these words will be the last of me for you.
I want you here. Heaven’s in your arms.
I remember it well, baby.
All my love and strength,
Kellin
Kellin shuttered as he read over his morbid words of death, but gave it not a thought more as he tucked the letter into its four corners and slipped it into his pillowcase, letting his words spill out to paper finally realised the devil inside that had blocked the thought of sleep from his memory.
For a moment, Kellin allowed himself to forget where he was and relax.
I’m so sorry, Vic. Kellin thought, as his eyes finally closed.
**
The sun hadn’t made an appearance yet, being it so early in the morning, when Kellin was shaken awake.
“Time to relocate, sleepyhead.” Dawson smirked, rolling Kellin’s body until he was face down on the dirt. Kellin, in a zombie like manner, stretched out his spine as he stood and followed Rian and the crowd ahead. They walked for miles, until the sun shone down on their hair in rays of beatings to their skin, when Kellin heard a familiar voice cry out.
“Oh my god, oh my god.”
The figure ran forward, throwing arms around Kellin’s waist. Kellin looked up to see a boy he recognized from the training ground, the curly mess of hair under his chin recognized as Jaime’s.
Where’s Vic? Where’s Vic?” His mind began to panic, his body rigid. Jaime noticed and stood up, eyes red and red rimmed, clear tear tracks from the dirt on his face.
No, no. It can’t be happening. No. Kellin instantly began shaking his head, stepping away from Kellin. The world in his peripheral began to blur, faces melting until they were no longer there.
“Your f-father is.. G-General Quinn, he’s dead. And V-Vic, oh god…”
Kellin’s body wouldn’t allow him to hear a word more, as everything became darkness.