Vanilla Dusk ✓

Dusk Part 7

'Ignore him,' says Shaan. 'We'll be back in no time. Endure a little bit more, okay?'

Elli nods and follows Shaan and the other comrades into the woods. The original path they came from has been blasted during the fight, now blocked by fallen trees and a battered tank. They decide to take the short-cut and walk along a very narrow trail that cuts through the woods, shaded by towering pines, thorny bushes and thick ferns on both sides. The trail leads to a shallow swamp. The water reaches up to their knees and the sticky mud makes walking more strenuous than ever. They stride through the swamp and climb back onto a dry sandy road. That's when Shaan notices something fishy.

'Wait, don't go any further –'

BOOM!

They tumble backwards upon the tremendous impact. Most of them fall on their bottoms, including Shaan and Elli, who are walking in the front. Ren's dismembered torso flashes across them, falling flat a meter away, his detached two legs scattered nearby.

'There're mines!' yells Shaan, startling everyone on the spot. They cease moving and stare at their mutilated comrades who have stepped on the anti-personnel mines and got blown into pieces.

'Oh God,' cries Shaan as he races to Ren, holding his blasted body. 'Elli, how far is it until we're back to the camp?'

Elli doesn't reply. He can't stop shaking as he takes in the sight of Ren's bleeding, almost unrecognisable torso. One of their comrades takes out a GPS and answers for Shaan. They're meters away from the camp and if they cut through the bushes and sedges, they'll still make it.

They take out a mine detector and scan the areas surrounding the trail. After confirming that they're clean, they decide to abandon the trail and walk into the thickets.

'Elli, please, come help me!'

Shaan's hands are soaked with Ren's blood. In his arms, Ren squirms and moans, blood squirting incessantly from his wounds. Elli, tearing up already, kneels down next to Shaan and injects Ren's body with morphine, putting him into a temporary state of unconsciousness. He then takes the rucksacks from Shaan and helps steady Ren's torso on Shaan's back.

'Where's it? Where's it?' asks Elli, desperately scanning the ground for Ren's missing limbs, but their comrades keep hollering for them to leave immediately.

'We have to get back NOW!' urges Shaan. Elli, sobbing, nods and runs after Shaan. Their comrades lead the way into the dense trees and thorny shrubs, the vines lacerating their legs as they force their way through the deepest, unwalkable part of the woods. Blood keeps cascading down Ren's ripped flesh, drenching Shaan's pants and boots. Elli watches from behind in horror, resisting the urge to puke and faint. They manage to break free from the woods and walk for another fifteen minutes before reaching their unit. Shaan races to the medical tent, alongside two other comrades who are carrying their bombed counterparts on their backs.

Ren has regained his consciousness when they lay him on the bed. He keeps turning his head to peek at his missing legs. Shaan forbids him to shift around and forces him to focus on his face, not the pain.

It doesn't help.

The sheets are tainted red, blood overflowing from his open wounds with the bones sticking out, the tendons and nerves a gory visible mess. Shaan holds one of Ren's hand tight but the other boy feels nothing. Elli stands behind Shaan, covering his mouth and weeping.

'It's okay,' reassures Shaan, tightening his grasp. 'You'll live.'

'Doctor!' yells Elli the second time. The tent, as usual, is crowded with the injured and dying comrades. Doctors and nurses are rushing here and there with limited apparatuses and tools. Ren shakes his head slightly with a faint smile. He coughs up some more blood before clenching Shaan's hand. Elli leaves to call for a doctor, but the doctor is treating another comrade with a torn left arm.

'Trust me, it'll be fine.'

'No,' mumbles Ren, his face completely black from the soot. His glimmering eyes remain the only prominent facial feature. The pain is searing, shooting up every single one of his nerves. Even if he lives, he will have to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

'You think...she'll be proud of me?'

'Yes, yes, of course,' says Shaan, nodding repeatedly.

'Good,' murmurs Ren, his smile fading. His lids drop slowly. 'Hey... you've been a very good brother to me. Watch over Elli. He is...still a weakling.'

'Don't close your eyes,' says Shaan, shaking Ren agitatedly. Ren shuts his eyes, the voices getting fainter around him. The pain ebbs away and he sees nothing but her dark brown orbs blinking back at him, a proud smile plastered over her pale, beautiful face.

He has done his part. It's time to go.