Urban Combat

I dive forward as the bullets fly over head. I'm able to get behind a small retaining wall blocking me from direct fire. Grit bites into my hands. Chunks of cement explode around me. I hear shouting; my sergeant is telling us to keep down. I shift my eyes to look at my sniper partner. Understanding sergeants head nod; we slowly make our way down the wall away from the fire in a snipers high crawl. We weren't supposed to run into resistance today. Ahead of us sits a small alley and at the other end sits a water tower. Thankfully the alley is on the backside of the majority of the buildings. I check every alcove or doorway for any rebels. Seeing that everything was all clear I call my partner forward. He is struggling ever so slightly under the weight of the Barrett M107 50 caliber sniper rifle. After taking position at the top of the tower we used the smaller sniper rifle I carried to protect our teams forward movement. As they got farther and farther from our position we switched over to the .50 cal. After ripping through roughly ten rebels from a great distance our team radioed us that the town was secured. We packed up the .50 and started out descent to the alley. Barely touching the ground we took small arms fire from a tiny shack to my left. I was hit in the shoulder before getting out of the way. Our radio was hit in the first barrage. Retreating to cover we used our M16's to return fire. My partner took two in the chest and as I tried to apply field dressing a shadow covered me from behind. As I turned to shoot a gunshot rung out. The sound of a body hitting the arid dusty ground broke me from my fear. My partner's hand dropped from the weight of the gun. I woke up before anything more happened.

Feeling within

I walk into the shabby little house that sits at the end of the street. Gray shingles hang like crooked teeth. I pass by when I head off for the day; eyes always shying away. Sitting as an empty shell - cold to the world around it. I walk farther in, chills running through my veins. Desolate and alone this house is. Built in earlier days when a house was an extension of a person. When the creator had a vision for the simple elements. Hate courses through the architecture where love once flowed. Water stains drip down as tears. You've seen angry houses, mad houses, and houses shimmering with happiness but this house is broken and lonely. He wishes to be torn down, all the while hoping against all else that he can provide comfort once again. Old and tired. Creaky steps, sagging arches. Existing but not living.

The Director, Hunter, and Matron

1. Made from cement and iron here sits a large menacing prison. There is a bay inlet coming into the middle of the prison. On either side are rows of cells with windows barely able to fit a hand through. It has been here for ages. I stand upon the roof looking down at the only cell currently occupied. He is in there; the most clever and ingenious criminal alive. We were allowed to catch him so that he could test himself against our best defenses. Director has been talking with him every night, and I fear he has agreed to help this monster. Tonight is the night I know he will try to make his escape. A fire has started in the cell below and to the left of him at the outermost edge of the building. Director and I rush to make sure he is still alive and to move him before the first spreads. We run through the hall passing luggage containers covered in blankets. When we get there the door is wide open. In the corner sits an extremely large vacuum with a puffed out bag. Director runs to the vacuum, where we both think he is hiding but it is nothing but dust. Next we hear screams from the floor; there in the middle of the second room is a hole into the floor below. Looking down we see another guard holding a small glowing ball. He stares at it like he has seen heaven. We call to him but he gives no response until the fire gets closer. At this point it strikes me that I know where the criminal is-in the luggage! I spin around and rush to the luggage, opening it to find the criminal contorted inside. "I would have escaped if that ignorant guard watched what he was doing and rolled me out of here!" I handcuff him, and drag him to the holes edge intending to keep him in my sight. By now the man on the floor below is trying to reach up to us but he cannot grab us while holding the orb. Before we can help him the first engulfs him completely; and so we sprint for our safety.

2. It begins with five of us standing before a large man with a enormous gun that shoots nerf-darts -- they knock you unconscious if you get hit. Before us is a carpeted room filled with aisles and cases filled with books. Tables are spotted here and there. It is similar to a library but gives me the feeling on a military training course. He tells us to run and so we do. He takes out one kid from the start, but misses me as I round a corner. He is stalking me as though I am the wildest animal. I dodge under tables, roll around corners, and push over small racks to get away. He hits a kid an inch to my left who drops instantly. Three of us left! I round the corner and come face to face with him, everything seems to go quiet, he smiles widely. He shoots but I am tenths of a second quicker as I vault myself over a large stack of books. Another kid falls ahead of me as the darts whiz by. Two of us it will be over soon. I can hear him following me at a full run and so I begin to run like a gorilla. Using my knuckles as propulsion I get farther and farther away, I look back to see him six tables away. I cut left behind a bookcase, running parallel to the Hunter. Soon this way will open up to empty floor and he will have the best shot at me. I spy ahead of me a small table and farther on are more tables arranged like an amphitheater. I sprint forward, darts miss me, and I place my foot on the table just right and launch myself through the air, I land and roll. I end up right next to the other runner. We exchange nods, cementing our plan to survive. Standing up he heads right as I head left. The Hunter takes aim at Runner, but before he can find his mark I have picked up a dart from the floor. I climb the nearest shelf and leap from the top at the Hunter, striking him in the back with the nerf-dart. A klaxon sounds, we have won.

3. I am looking through the glass window on the exit door facing the girls dormitory. Five minutes till I leave to sneak into their building. This is the only time the alarm is down because the Matron leaves for a cigarette break. There is still snow on the ground, it twinkles in the bright lights. We abscond out the door crunching our way through the snow. Getting inside was the easiest; We've been doing this for a long time now. Here we share a nod and split up, his girls room is this floor. My girls room is a floor above and at the end of the hall. She is expecting me. I step lightly on each rise hoping not to hit the creak alerting everyone to my presence. "Hello, June, are you in there?" I whisper softly. Opening the door I am blown away by her beautiful Green Eyes. She waves me in, swirling her perfume into my face. Its lovely; a mix of coconut and lilac. I remove my cold jacket so that I can hang it on the bed post; shoes are next. Slipping under the warm covers I wrap my arms around her. A kiss is shared. I sigh contentedly. The coldness that was enveloping my heart is now melted away just by the touch of her fingers against my face. She snuggles closer, I rest my cheek on her head. "Sweet dreams June" I hum. "Goodnight love" is her sleepy response.
Sunlight cascades across my face waking me from my peaceful slumber. Too early already for me to leave her warm bed but I must. I can see she feels the same dissatisfaction with my having to steal away. Kissing her passionately, I stick on my boots and jump into my jacket. Now comes the tricky part-the escape! Peeking my head out the door I am relieved to find that no girls are in the hallway. I make my way to the stairs but halfway down I hear someone ascending. Ducking into a small alcove I squeeze myself behind a statue of Mary. Matron passes by pausing near me; as if she senses my presence. She passes upwards, beginning to call out to the girls to wake them. I slide out of my hiding spot and down the stairs. I get halfway across the snowy field before I am spotted by someone. "Stop!" a deep voice thunders Damn, I think to myself, I will not tell her name and only get myself in trouble. I turn expecting to the the Patron but instead find my friend Johnny. Laughing we rush back to our rooms to change in time for morning meal.

I am walking alone towards the cafeteria. Along the way I see a girl being bullied by a couple of guys and so I stop to help. They back down instantly once they realize who I am. She is new here, and doesn't know anyone. I invite her to lunch with my crew. She is extremely thankful and beaming as we make our way to my table. I introduce her to everyone here, and I sit on the very end. To my right is a stage where they put on productions during lunch so that we may benefit from their artistic meanings. The girl I helped moves closer to me, she leans in and whispers to me "Do you have a steady girl?" to which I reply "Yes I do, June" her excitement falls but I tell her that my best friend is looking for a sweet girl. Right then June sits in her seat next to me, she flashes me those Green Eyes and her brilliant smile. The lights dim, I hold her hand, and the play begins!

Drowning

Sinking in; Freaking out,
Gray light filters down.

Stretched apart; Squeezed together,
Covetous hands ascend.

Pulled backward; Shoved forward,
Descending deeper

Frozen within; Burning without,
Drowning


**Inspired by a dream I cannot explain

Composting Criminals

I walk through the front door of the diner. Inside is dimly lit, there is crimson carpeting with blue diamonds. Ahead of me is the Matradee who is a red hair woman in a black uniform. This place is a mix between fancy and country diner. I say hello because I work here and then I head for the kitchen. Before I can reach the kitchen I run into Her, the same Green Eyed girl from an earlier dream. She is a waitress here. She smiles that brilliant smile I love. We have been flirting for weeks now and I keep giving her small presents. She is a girl of simple tastes preferring jeans and a sweater than fancy clothing. I begin my day with cooking but soon I have to empty the trash. I grab the bucket and bring it out to the trash shed which is a small outhouse looking shed with a hole in the ground where we compost our trash. There are two feet of ground within the shed so that you don't fall into the hole. Standing there I notice a small four inch piece of re-bar sitting on the edge, I pick it up intending to throw it in when all of a sudden I hear screaming and glass breaking. Rushing back to the diner I bust in through the back door. There is a single man standing on a table holding an AK47 threatening all the patrons. He is demanding to know who is in charge, I calmly walk forward. "I am but do not shoot. I can get you whatever it is that you need" He jumps down and rushes over to me, "I threw something very valuable in the trash earlier this morning but now there is no trash in the bucket. Where did it go!?" In response "I brought it to the compost hole...I can show you where it is" "Bring me to it! And do not call the police or I will kill this man!" So i walk ahead of him, I can tell he is keeping the gun between us. As we reach the shed, I open the door which brings me shoulder to shoulder with the gunman. He shifts his attention away from me to the hole, and so I pull the four inch re-bar from my pocket and slam it into his wrist causing him to drop the gun. I then ram it into the side of his head dropping him into a heap on the ground. He is moaning and groaning. I toss the gun ten feet away, and roll him into the compost hole. It is forty feet deep, and only three-fourths full. He lands on the stinking pile but cannot reach the edge of the hole. I walk back to the diner and phone the police, everyone thanks me and business goes on as usual. Green Eyes walks over to me and holds my hand while we wait for the police to show.

Natural Justice Tweaked

It begins with me in New Hampshire driving with my partner, and a new rookie, to a house where we got a tip about a serial killer. We drive along a dirt road towards the house, and once we get close we can see that there is also an outhouse not far from the main building. It is a rustic looking white house with a screen door. For some strange reason I get a foreboding feeling. We walk to the door and knock expecting someone to answer. Instead the door swings open; I draw my weapon and enter the house to find a trail of blood leading to a back room. I pass through a living room; two lamps, a forest motif couch and matching chair facing an old TV with bunny ears. The kitchen is simple; a single stove next to a sink. A small square table sits in the center with two half-eaten cereal bowls on it. I hurry into the sleeping area, where I stop instantly, from wall to wall is gore. He chopped the family to pieces. Holding back my vomit, I retreat to where my partner is waiting with the rookie.
Bullets zing by us from the direction of the road; dodging towards the car I can make out the shape of a 5'6 white male, bald head, pale skin (for anyone who knows he looks like Mark Theriault. We fire back towards him but the distance is too great for my SIG. He tosses the gun away because all his bullets are spent, and runs down the road towards town. My partner races after him on foot; so I grab the rookie, a beautiful brunette girl, and toss her into the drivers seat. I jump into the passenger seat. We begin our chase; at the end of the dirt road it becomes hard top that leads into a rotary. On our right are houses lined down a highway, and people are walking both directions on the sidewalk and the grassy stretches between the back of peoples houses and the highway. Seeing my partner rushing down this direction I tell the rookie to go farther down the road and that I would get out and stalk backwards sandwiching the criminal between my partner and I. As we pass by my partner I see from the corner of my eye that he falls to the ground next to a grouping of people. I yell and the rookie stops. I dodge out of the car rolling into the grassy hillside next to the road, standing up I hold my empty gun by my side. I scan the group ahead of me for the face I saw on the dirt road only minutes before. There he is standing on the outer edge of the group near the road slowly inching his way toward me but looking backwards as if we were following him on foot as well. He holds my partners gun in his right hand, so I walk quickly up behind him and hold my gun to his back. "Drop the gun, it is over" I say, but I am enraged and upset for my partner, I am thinking to myself Kill him; take your partners gun and shoot him through the head, avenge your partner! but I just can't, it wouldn't be right. Even though he is the lowest category of life there is he still deserves his rights to a fair trial. He tosses my partners gun away, and I lead him back to the car. I tie his hands with rope because we misplaced our handcuffs. I sent the rookie back to the body to make sure everyone stays the proper distance away, before she leaves she calls in back up. A police officer from the town we are in shows up, acting cocky because he is first on the scene to help capture the infamous serial killer. The rookie returns because the local police have set up the crime tape. She asks me if I am OK but I just nod. I am still struggling with why I didn't kill the bastard when I had the chance. Finally the FBI truck pulls up to take away the killer. I load him into the back of it, which is a wide space with benches on the sides. You take the chains attached to the seat and handcuff the perpetrator's wrists and ankles. All along he is grinning as though being caught was the least of his worries. As my rookie locked his legs into place he turns and faces me and whispers to me "I'm crazy Special Agent, I'll end up in a hospital!" I know he is right, the justice system is flawed horribly. The worst end up going free while those who can be saved are thrown into jail. The rookie hugs me when no one else is looking, and looks into my eyes communicating that she is here for me. The city cops are chatting saying "Yeah, they'll prob just send him to some mental hospital and he will get out in a couple of years"
It then cuts to a couple of years later. I am sitting with the rookie, my father, and Mikey. Mikey and my dad are playing chess while the rookie is on the phone with someone from the Agency. There is a TV hanging from the corner of the ceiling, and on it is the Killer, who just completed his "treatment" at St. Elizabeth's, being set free. My dad turns to me and says "You should have killed him" and I reply "It would not have been right, plus they would have had witnesses to me using my partners gun - But now he is free game" The rookie, who is now my partner, nods her head in agreement. I wake up

Tolkein Inspired Heroics

*All names have been changed to avoid awkwardness :)

I open my eyes to see the inside of military airplane hold. I am lying between Azira and Susan. My arm is around Azira stroking her hair trying to comfort her, while Susan holds my other hand. The soldier in front of me speaks but I cannot hear his words due to the airplane's engines. The soldier then strikes me with the butt of the gun knocking me unconscious. I awake next with Susan leaning over me worry painted across her face. Once she realizes I am coming around she leans down and kisses me passionately.
As the kiss ends the dream then cuts to the airplane landed in a desert like town. As the plane takes off; I turn around facing down a road dirt that stretches into the distance. Two silver SUVs are parked along the dirt road with two men sitting in each one. Four men stand on the road near the farthest car. To my left are two brick buildings, and between them midway down is a fence with an opening. The lead soldier grabs the girls arms and drags them toward the fence and through its opening disappearing around the corner. Another soldier walks up to me with his weapon in hand, a small 9MM. He looks away for a second allowing me the time to grab the gun from him and shoot the four men standing in the road, and then him. (This next part happens in slow motion)Taking his weapon I shoot the driver through the head causing the glass to shatter, and then I shoot the soldier sitting next to him. The other two in the car ahead of me grab machine guns from their back seat. From this distance I take aim and shoot the passenger side soldier wounding him in the shoulder. I then run up to the driver and elbow him in the face as he climbed out of the car, once he is on the ground I shoot him in the head.
Taking the machine gun I run towards where the girls were taken. Before I can make it a host of Orcs come rushing through brandishing their swords. I empty the entire clip killing all the Orcs. Rushing forward I recover one of their swords and head through the gate, (for some reason)I scream "What no Uruak-Hai?" which then twenty come rushing towards me. They stand taller than me shining in their jet black armor. I dodge the first three, coming face to face with their leader. He swings at me and I jump to his left making it past him, but then I spin around and hack at his calves, once he is kneeling on the ground I decapitate him. At this point the rest of them dissipate, so I run for the girls...before the dream can go on any longer I am woken up by my phone.

Wicked Cute; in honor of Cindy

I kept getting notifications from Cindy's photography site, and every time I checked it out they were about this amazing concert she was at and her camera somehow got these awesome pictures from ridiculous angles. Also the pictures then would turn into short little videos as if I was there. There was also a European newspaper that said Cindy had won awards for her photography.So once I found out she had won the awards I called up to congratulate her and she invited me to the award ceremony. It was in a giant museum of photography with some of the most famous pictures around. (can't tell you specifics but they just had that feeling of being the best)Hundreds of people were dressed up holding champagne waiting for her to reveal her newest set of photos. Cindy comes in a beautiful dress looking abashed. There is an obvious air of excitement that is almost electrifying. I wave to her, and she waves back. She walks up to the podium and begins telling how she started her photography hobby (probably not the real reason since I don't know her real reason lol) Everyone is greatly interested, I make my way closer to the stage so I can hear her clearer and be closer to congratulate her once again. Then she reveals a giant photo. It is her logo of CAD3 , but shot from an aerial view made up of people dressed in different fancy clothes sitting on a hill. (It was beautiful in my head) Everyone cheers, and begins drinking their drinks. Then i woke up.