The Battle

A Story by Tyler Cox

He bolts away from the explosion. A grenade maybe? No, the explosion was much too loud and big. Then a mortar. In this chaos he can't think; can't hear anything but his heartbeat and gunfire. His voice was lost long ago. Speaking of time, how long has it been since he's seen his wife and son? A bullet just whizzed passed his head. He needs to stay focused! His arsenal consists of an AK-47, an M9, and 3 remaining frags. He quickly picks off the person that almost took his life. Right between the eyes. At the beginning he was with a squad, but since then they have been separated. On a hunch he quickly turns around. A Tango knocks him to the ground then jumps on top of him. The adversary is now trying to subdue him. This Tango is yelling, but it is incoherent to him. He spits in his opponent's face. The yelling man pulls out a knife. It is a menacing piece of steel. Tango thrusts the knife down towards his throat. He moves his head, but the blade still manages to slice part of his throat. With the adrenaline though, it feels as harmless as a bee sting. The cut is not fatal. He is stronger than his enemy and his enemy knows it. That's why Tango surprised him. He grabs the hilt of the knife, turning it on his attacker. His adversary struggles to turn the knife around, to finish the job, but can't. He has Tango now. With blood lust in his eyes and a deranged yell he thrusts the knife home; Tango's left eye. He wakes as the lifeless body of his teenage son slumps off to one side. He looks at the wreckage in his living room: shattered plates and cups and forks, knives, and spoons lay on the floor. Knowing all too late that he has had another episode, he vows that he will not have anymore. This has gone too far. He simply calls 9-1-1 and sits on the couch watching the Big Bang Theory. Waiting. Years later he will have another episode, killing everyone at the psychiatric ward. Everyone in Haddenfield will come to fear the name Michael Meyers.