Survival

One after the other..one after the other..one after the other..

Looking down at the undergrowth with searching eyes, I trudged on with extreme caution. My M16 assault rifle slung over my back, waiting lustily for some bloody action. Bruises and burns decorated my well travelled body. Deep scars told the tale of hard times, fresh wounds of recent battles. My face, numb from endless gore that befell my dark and weary eyes. With every step, my breathing got harder..heavier..deeper…more intense. It has been just five hours bit it seemed like five days since I last slept. The last dose of painkillers was wearing off. My shirt was filled with blood of people forgotten. Shabby pants only just hung around my receding waist, covering the seven inch gash that ran along my inner left thigh right up to my groin. With soggy socks desperately clung on to my blistering feet, I marched on.

My eyes scanned the surrounding terrain like a hawk, scrutinizing every single detail. We were walking on a red clay road with two abreast, side by side. On my left was a deep valley with a raging river unleashing its wrath on jagged rocks. A lapse in concentration will result in an untimely demise. Maybe not untimely but certainly unforeseen. Massive five storey high trees grew imposingly on my right, stamping their mark in between the thick undergrowth of thorny bushes and poisonous shrubs. The white mountains lay north-east of my current position. The range of mountains where even the fiercest of men fear to trudge. The air grew thick, signaling the impending tropical storm. Winds swept the menacingly dark clouds over us, preventing sunlight to hit the damp earth. Somehow, a certain unexplainable uneasiness weighed heavily in my heart. With every increasing step, my sense of trepidation and anxiety intensified.

With the roar of a thunder, distant cries pierced the air. Gunshots rained down incessantly from all imaginable angles. We, the Marine Corp. who pride ourselves in our ability to outwit the enemy were now being ambushed by the lawless guerrilla. I stood still looking at the frenzy the surprise attack made. As a bullet whizzed past my ear, I snapped back to reality and assumed a tactical defensive position. Unlocking the safety, I shot several bursts of ammunition at the charging enemy. My partner instantly changed into a retreat stance with his back against a tree.

The strike on us was precise and well planned. It was aimed at dispersing us and conquering us in pockets. They cut off our communication with our brothers in arms by attacking in three weak spots where our defense was the weakest. By doing so, they manage to pin us to the ledge of the ravine. It was a tactical disaster on our part. With no possible means of calling for help and with our safety in mind, my partner and I retreated to a strategic spot, high yet secure. From there, we slowly started to clear a path for our brothers. The surge of enemies continued coming. Soon, our brothers’ cries were drowned in the swarm of insurgents. We were shell-shocked. Fear was all too apparent in their eyes…..

Walking on the leafy path which leads to the mountains, with drooping eyes and slumped shoulders, we dragged our legs forward, heading to the place fabled to break even the toughest of gods. A demon which lives in those lands, merciless and ruthless. With the pursuing guerrilla hunting for remnants of soldiers on our backs, we had no option but to face it. Doubts of surviving this ordeal invaded my clouded mind. Like the cogs of a clock, steps of survival were in motion…

One after the other..one after the other..one after the other..