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A Prisoner of War
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A Prisoner of War |
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Dawn Eclipse Senior Member
since 2000-01-31
Posts 637The Horsehead Nebula |
His heart raced with the speed of a bullet. There he was, surrounded by enemies, in a foreign country. He knew no one around him, and felt no friendliness towards him. He was their enemy, and they had ways of dealing with their enemies. After suffering through the initial moments of being captured, and of being shot down, his nerves were dead. Fear had consumed his mind, fear of the unknown. He had seen many things in life, but none more gruesome than that of a war. It was only a few days ago, but it seemed like years ago that he was engaged in battle. As a soldier, he was trained for combat, trained to expect anything and to survive through anything. Nothing though, had prepared him for the harsh reality that he had seen. He had seen death all around him. Death of friends and death of enemies. He listened at night to the horrified screams of those wounded in battle. Wounded, and for what cause? The belief of human conquest. They fought for no noble reasons. Now, in these conditions, his life was changed forever. He would never be the same. Captured by his enemies, he was being taken to a prison camp. Death suited him more, though. The day was cloudy and the skies hinted a promise of rain. The surrounding area was enough to make his heart sink. To one side stood the remains of a forest, now cut away. To the other side stood a murky swamp. Mist rose from its surface, warning anyone who tried to escape. The complex stood out in the open, high above everything else. The outer walls were made of metal, with barbed wire curling around the top. Guards stood by the entrance, scowling at the new arrival. Their hearts had long ago been consumed by hatred. The buildings for the prisoners were old and rotting, while those for the officers and guards were well kept and neat. The soldier was taken to a large building in the center of the camp. They entered the building, and he was quickly escorted to a jail cell. There, he waited. he waited for what seemed hours, but was only minutes. Just as his nerves were beginning to recover, a guard came to get him. Opening the cell door, he was screamed at in a foreign language. When he did not respond to this, the guard entered the cell, locking it. He stood quickly then, backing up to the wall. There was no where for him to run to, no where to hide, and no way of defending himself. The guard was at least 4 inches taller than him, and weighed at least 50 pounds more. He watched in horror as the guard brought his fist back and began to beat him. Taking one punch after another, he stood there. He suddenly began to get dizzy and fell. Grabbing his stomach, he rolled to one side and vomited. The guard simply laughed at him. Picking him up by the shoulder, he was drug from the cell and into an office. In there, three men were waiting for him. The guard was dismissed and he was seated across from the men. They questioned him thoroughly. What was his name? Where was he from? Was he alone when he was shot down? Was he married? Did he have kids? The probed on for hours, looking for his weaknesses. After sunset, they stopped, and the guard was called back in. The man gave him an evil look, and pulled him to his feet. Before he left, they warned him about the consequences of trying to escape. He was not led back to the cell that he had been in earlier, but to one of the barraks that he had seen on his way in. He entered the building, and saw all the faces snap to attention. He was given a bed and a blanket. His eyes adjusted quickly to the dim lights and he saw a room as worn down on the inside as it had looked from the outside. The guard left and the prisoners went back to their business. Standing there, he felt even more alone. They did not even acknowledge his presence. They were all on the same side, but he felt as if they were his enemies. Taking one look at his bunk, he could only think of sleep. He lay there for hours, just staring at the bunk above him. He thought of his home, his wife, and his children. He could see the look on their faces as they were informed that he had been shot down and captured. A single tear slipped down his cheek. This was only the first day this foreign place. It was the first day of a nightmare only beginning, with no end in sight. He was now a prisoner of war. "The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper." Eden Phillpotts *Cassandra Roseen* |
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| © Copyright 2000 Cassandra Roseen - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Christopher
Moderator
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-08-02
Posts 8296Purgatorial Incarceration |
What a sad and tragic tale. I abhor the thought of what some of th epeople who became prisoners had to go through. Sometimes I feel that the ones who survived weren't the lucky ones.  Thank you for this, but I must say it sounds more like a beginning rather than a whole...  Christopher Now with the wisdom of years I try to reason things out And the only people I fear Are those who never have doubt. -Billy Joel |
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Dusk Treader
Moderator
Senior Member
since 1999-06-18
Posts 1187St. Paul, MN |
Great story, Cassie! Those soldiers did indeed suffer through many hardships, survival wasn't always the most pleasant route... Wonderful, but sad tale. Abrahm Simons "Keep on dreamin' boy 'cause when you stop dreaming it's time to die" - Blind Melon |
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Jeffrey Carter
since 2000-04-08
Posts 2367State of constant confusion! |
WOW! Now this was a great, very well written story |
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Erin Member Elite
since 2000-06-15
Posts 2527~Chicago~ |
wow!!! what can i say...this is very good, but just like Christopher said it sounds more just like the first part.. ~IF YOU WANT SOMETHING VERY BADLY~SET IT FREE~IF IT COMES BACK TO YOU~ITS YOURS FOREVER~IF IT DOESNT IT WAS NEVER YOURS TO BEGIN WITH~ |
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EWDrake Member
since 2000-07-30
Posts 183NC, USA |
You have here a deep look into a history many prefer to forget. Excellent job at leading gently through the shadows caught in a POW's mind. Thank you, Evan Drake |
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Sudhir Iyer Member Ascendant
since 2000-04-26
Posts 6943Mumbai, India : now in Belgium |
Excellent work, Dawn Eclipse... regards, sudhir |
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