Writing Prompt: Soldier

With the coming of the new year, I will be trying to spend more of my time writing.  Even if the results aren't posted here or published in a new book.  Like a runner training for a marathon or a wood carver whittling to hone their craft, I will dedicate a portion of each day to increasing my creative talent.  There are so many more stories to be told.

After the drain of the holiday season, my creative juices are running a little dry.  For today's blog post, I decided to reach out to another source for story ideas.  Reddit has an expansive number of writing prompts in various subreddits.  One such prompt is simply titled "Get Up Soldier, You're Not Dead Yet..."

Around me I can only sense complete darkness.  Along with the lack of any light there was only total silence.  I couldn't sense anyone else in the emptiness.  As near as I can tell, I'm the only one here.  There are no sounds of anyone breathing.  No whispers of others moving in their bunks.  I am utterly alone in the resounding silence of the dark depths.

It is only after I become aware of how alone I am do I notice that I'm not in pain.  The last thing I remember, I had just finished a long hike with a heavy pack.  My entire body ached.  My stomach was grumbling loudly for some nourishment.  I dropped my pack by my bunk and headed to get something to eat.  Then only darkness.

Could I be dead?  Could this be what death feels like?  Did I die of starvation before getting food?  Did I get a meal but there was something wrong with it?  Is this Heaven or Hell?  Where am I?  Where is everybody and everything else?

As I start to truly ponder my situation, a new sound reaches me.  It is the distinctive noises of a door opening.  A dim light shines through the opening.  My eyes try to adjust to the new illumination while I try to figure out where I am.  Then the figure speaks in an authoritative tone.

"Get up soldier.  You're not dead yet.  Although you did give it a good effort.  Now, get your ass back to training.  They need these infirmary beds for real fighters that are really injured.  Not some fool that lets his insulin get out of whack on a simple hike."

I will definitely be exploring reddit more for writing prompts.  Have you any other ideas for short story starters?  Is there a story idea you'd like me to write?

Combat

We have spent weeks in the trenches.  So much longer than headquarters told us we would be here.  The people we are fighting were supposed to be pushovers.  The plan was to march into town and set ourselves up in the middle of town.  There our captain had a prepared speech he would give.  His words would inform everyone in the small town that they were now under our jurisdiction and control.  Even though they would be subject to our laws and regulations, we would be leaving their current leaders in place.  That's how things were supposed to happen anyway.

We came under fire as we crested the hill outside the town.  It was precise fire from the trees lining the road.  There was incoming from so many different directions, we didn't have any time to locate any of the shooters.  A handful of the newer recruits fired randomly into the trees.  The order to retreat was given and everyone fell back in a disciplined group. We cleared the trees and the attack stopped.  Five bodies lay on the ground.  The soldiers that had fired at the town citizens were all dead.  Their remains would be left there until our mission was completed.  At that time, we all thought it would only be a few hours longer than originally planned.

We could only assume those dead soldiers were still laying out in the open where they had fallen.  It had been impossible for us to get that close to the town again.  During the weeks since we had lost more friends and fellow soldiers.  We never saw the residents themselves.  Just heard shots ring out as soldiers tried to maneuver out of our covered positions.  More often than not, the soldiers that had become uncovered would then fall.  The morale of the entire squad was lower than ever.  Even our rations were running frighteningly low, despite the decrease in hungry stomachs that needed filling.

The captain had tried to communicate with headquarters.  They kept repeating that we had to be mistaken.  Their reports said the residents of the town were all unarmed.  According to the people safe and sound behind their office doors, this mission was a cake walk.  No reinforcements were coming and  we would be extracted once it was confirmed the town was under our control.  At this point it seemed like we would be fighting here to our last man.  An end that was getting closer faster than anyone expected it ever would.

With so few of us left, I now find myself the second in command.  Only the captain himself outranks me.  Should he fall, I have sworn to myself to ignore headquarters.  When the decision is mine, we will surrender and let the residents take us all prisoner.  There's nothing they could do to us that would be worse than sitting here waiting to die.  Is there?