What we do for redemption

As the shot rang out

"You know John, I ever tell you how much I hate you?" I say glaring at him

"Awww Mike you really feel that way? You know I heard they have a priest who could help us say our vows." John laughed at me

"No thanks man I got my eyes set on Jess." I say with a smirk

"Watch it." John grunts turning around quickly putting a finger in my face

"Ooooh so spooky John. Can we just walk please? Damn you're acting like one of the rat tails." I chuckle walking past him

I force a smile as I walk up to the beaten concrete steps leading up to Jake's house. His house was the best of the worst fitting for the man he is. The dark olive green house even still had one of the outside shutters intact on the big window. All the others however sit on the ground crumpled like twigs, I think some were even used for firewood. The windows even still sparkled; he made sure his house was taken care of. Not like he has much better to do with his time anymore.

"You gonna go in or you gonna just gander at his house?" John mumbles from behind me

"You can never just be quiet can you?" I sneer

"You're one to talk, Mike. You forget what happened last time you opened your mouth? Remember what happened?" John barks

"We don't talk about that.." I whisper, my heart dropping

I lower my head and slowly walk up the stairs to Jake's house, the stairs gasping for air under the pressure. The porch creaks loudly as I step onto it screeching like a rooster. The burgundy door seemed almost inviting compared to the screeching of the porch, and the death stairs. I don't even bother to knock. I've been here so many times it's normal for me to just walk in. The big room engulfs me and the cherry red wall almost looks delicious. I see the big staircase leading to a dark hall upstairs. That was where Jake's room used to be before he moved downstairs. I can almost remember the exhaustion I felt carrying his bed after a long day of working.

The dark brown oak floor boards squeak as I walk across them like they're brand new. I hear talking a few rooms down, I don't recognize any of the voices.The hallway seems to wind on forever towards Jake's new room. I pass by an old photo of Jake and his family that he has sitting on an oak desk. His wife and his three daughters. He never told anyone what happened to them so we all just assume they were some of the unlucky ones.

"Do you really think you should be looking at a picture of his wife and kids?" John asks from behind me

"Oh I'm so sorry I didn't know you felt the need to hold my hand all this way. Care to hold my purse too?" I grunt giving him the middle finger

I can hear the voices more clearly now as I approach the door to Jake's room. One of them is Jake himself. The other one is Thomas; he's the man who keeps track of who has what patrol when. They all seem to be talking about something serious, I can hear the tone in Jake's voice. He's not happy with whatever they're talking about.

"You've seen what happened either you do something about it or we make it happen again." A man growls I hear him slam his fist into something

For whatever reason something inside me thought this would be a good time to enter. Without knocking I take hold of the brass door handle and slowly slide the door open with a creak. Jake and Thomas's eyes widen as they see my walk in. Jake looks the same as normal, his dirty blonde hair slicked back. The scar beneath his cheek he's had since I knew him was bright red, which only happens when he's upset. Thomas had his brown hair up in a Mohawk like always. Wearing that black jacket with a skull on the back and jeans he had ripped on purpose.

Jake looked at me from behind his desk, his big black chair almost going over his head. He shakes his head then waves for me to come all the way in. I slowly step all the way into his office and close the door behind my back. I smile hoping I slammed it right in John's face. As I start to walk towards the desk I hear breathing behind me. I quickly turned around to see who was there. I quickly back pedal and fall flat on my back with a thud.

As the birds scatter all around me I lower the scope and slowly let my breath out feeling the cold earth supporting me. I saw his body drop and hit the floor like a sack of potatoes. I had hit him right in the back, I could see the blood ring starting to pool through his brown jacket. With an almost sigh of relief I stood up disturbing the earth beneath me. With one motion I slung the rifle strap over my shoulder.

I began to trudge down the little hill I had myself perched on pushing between and over fallen trees. The dying grass crunching beneath my feet as I approached the man on the ground. I hope he's still alive. I want to watch this. I hear the man groaning as I get closer trying to slide himself towards a broken down car. The gravel crunches beneath my feet as I pick up my pace running across the road to get to him, to finish what I started.

As I get close enough and enough momentum I raise my leg and kick the man in the back where the blood was pooling out. I could hear him scream in agony.

"What did I do to you? He pleads

"You don't remember? TURN AROUND AND THEN TELL ME." I yell at him

As the man turns over I open my eyes wide and drop to my knees all the color leaving my body. It wasn't him. It wasn't him. It wasn't him. I repeat it over and over again in my mind this man was not the man I was looking for. I feel a tear start to roll from my eye clouding my vision of the man. I can almost feel my heart drop into my toes as I hear him gasping for what'll probably be some of his last breaths. I pound my fist into the ground again and again, I don't stop until I feel them start to bleed.

I try to compose myself and stand up to walk away as I hear someone coming out of the woods behind me. I look at him through my blurry sight, his light brown skin is only visible on his face. He wears a bright red hoodie with a pair of dark brown pants, and black sneakers. He even appears to be wearing some kind of gloves. I see a tattoo on his arm as he's running I can't entirely make it out but it appears to be some sort of black snake. I see his face briefly. He has dark black hair with blue eyes, and a weird stubble of facial hair.

I see him dive on the ground next to the man as I slowly walk away trying to keep my composure.

"You're going to wish you never did this!" I hear him scream his voice breaking

"I already do." I whisper lowering my head

I walked all the way back to camp that day not saying a word anyone. I wouldn't even stop to say hi to uncle Johnny. The shot rang out over and over again in my mind the whole scenario replaying. As if were on loop as soon as I thought the memory was over it would start again torturing me. Making me relive it over and over again like a bad play you're forced to watch. What if someone found out? No they couldn't. They can't know. Nobody can ever find out. I tell myself scribbling my name off of the patrol sheet.

"Nobody." I whisper to myself