Weekend Write-In Book 3

Caught in the Middle

                A large explosion rocked the apartment building as windows shattered inwards covering everything with shards of glass. Car alarms outside our building, along with many others nearby, filled the air with sirens. It didn't help to drown out the sound of smaller explosions of mortars further away, they just enhanced it.

I wanted to leave as soon as I heard the fighting erupt but there were too many people in the street waiving guns and accusing their neighbors of being spies or rebels. Innocent men and women were being beaten and possibly killed just from walking outside. It was chaos.

Gunfire had been going on all night from all different directions. I kept a close eye on the rebels as they ran from building to building, losing ground to the army. The actual front line was still a few blocks away to the south based on the heaviest gunfire.

Through the breaks in the houses and trees, I caught a glimpse of vehicle lights and the rapid succession of fire from weapons being discharged. The army was closing in. It was now or never.

I threw my pack on, slung my bow over my head and shoulder, then made sure the safety was off on my pistol as I put it back in its holster. Crouching by my sliding back door, which had little glass now, I looked out into the thin stretch of trees that grew alongside a creek. Just beyond the creek was a large empty field that was part of the city park.

Nothing stirred, which I found odd with all the rebels heading through there just moments ago. Hoping the rebels wouldn't mistake me for an enemy I jogged through the grassy area behind the complex and into the darkness of the trees.

A moment later the road east of the apartment complex exploded bathing everything in orange light. I turned to see a cloud of fire and dust rise in the air accompanied by a Humvee. "The rebels set off that charge," I thought, before debris began raining down.

Fear motivated me to keep moving. I crouched slightly and walked briskly in the creek heading west, away from the battle. Thirty yards down the creek a sound much like a cannon going off stopped me in my tracks.

My apartment building had been shot by a tank. There was a noticeable hole gaping through the middle, bricks were scattered everywhere while more broke off from the building and smashed to the ground. "Whatever engineer had designed the place wasn't expecting a tank to shoot it," I thought as I watched the building collapse.

As it was collapsing, the next building was fired upon. On the empty field I saw shapes moving in the direction of the collapsed building. The rebels were on their way to meet the army head on.

I ran.

The two armies were moving in to face each other head on and I was caught in the middle.