C247: Back To Sand

Chapter 247: Back To Sand

John Rigen's perspective

Washington DC - United States of America

August 28th, 2060 - 1:22 AM

Hours after the previous incident had passed. Seems like I am too lucky... or not. However, at least my wife hasn't gotten caught the scene I cheating on her yet.

I kept my distance from Reimi right after that. Right now, both of us - the married couple, are in the bed together. Shera is quite exhausted, she's sleeping deeply. About me... still starved for sex a bit.

Maybe I should get in the toilet to relieve myself for safety, I think. But I don't want it at all, especially when I have to be away from bed.

I will try my best to stay in bed to sleep peacefully with my wife. I must wait till she serves my needs tomorrow.

In the morning, we'll follow Cawess to the Third World War memorial. It's located in the White House's yard, Ellipse part or something. Before getting there, we may buy some offerings to tribute to the fallen soldiers.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!". - All of sudden, loud sounds like thunderstorms shredded my ears

"Rig, get outta there!!!!". - A big yell pointed at me

"Huh?!". - I opened my eyes, sensing something odd

I see myself sitting on the floor of a hut or something like that. I look at the floor, spotting a soldier whose combat uniform is the sand feature... he is a US soldier.

The man's body has already cowered back. It looks lifeless, dead... some blood holes like bullet wounds are seen in his wounded chest.

"Gunshots! Gunshots! Gunshots! Gunshots!". - Around me, sounds like gunshots kept sounding

"Slaps!". - Someone slapped hard on my cheek.  "On your feet, Rig! Pick up a rifle!!!!!". - The man later got away, staying behind the wall by the front door

Somehow this scene reminds me of something. But I don't remember well, but I am very well used to it, I feel that. Strangely, I feel scared and a bit excited. I pick up an M16A4 on the floor, then get up to stay cover.

"This village has fucking fucked with us, Sir!". - A US yelled at the man who slapped me earlier

"Civilians may be among those men, shoot those who fight back!". - The man later glanced at me.  "You okay...?".

"Nod... nod...".

"Good!". - Then he looked around, as if to point his attention to the soldiers in the room.  "Squad, we'll find our way out o-".

"Gunshots! Gunshots! Gunshots! Gunshots!". - All of sudden, a dense line of gunshots sprayed out from the front door's entrance

"Holy shit!". - He stayed away from the door, so did other soldiers and I.  "Rig, suppressing fire! C'mon!".

"Why me?!".  "Shit!". - I pointed my rifle at the door

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!". - I shot blindly, because I couldn't see the enemies

"We can't fight back all of 'em, men". - That man informed others.  "We need to have backup, we need to get out of this vi-".

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!". - When the man was talking, I shot outside once again

"The radio is broken, Sir!". - One US soldier said while I was shooting

I ignore their talkings, only focusing on the enemy's movement. I hear the footsteps, a crazy is charging at the house, I assume that.

"Yarrrrghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!". - All of sudden, a masked man with a red cloth charged inside from the front door

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!". - As he came, my M16A4 shot him constantly

"Urrrghhh!!!". - The man turned on me as he was dying, he tried to attack me but failed

"Shit!". - Unfortunately, the man's body crushed me

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"Rig, get outta there!!!!". - Again, that same quote?!

I immediately look around to figure out what the hell is happening to me. Somehow this one looks like a loop. Scenes like previous scenes, are now happening exactly like the same. What the hell?!

"Gunshots! Gunshots! Gunshots! Gunshots!". - The next scenario... would be...

I sense the man's movement after me, I dodge his slap before he can truly hurt me. Away from his slap, I pick up the M16A1. Now I must go.

"You should've moved faster!". - He scolded me, but later returned to fight

"We must find a way out!". - I yelled.  "Away from the front door, everyone!". - I stepped to the front door

I shut the door, not letting it open freely. I also run to the dead US soldier, pulling him to the door. I want to use him as an obstacle in making the door heavier for the people who attempt to breach in.

"What the fuck are you doing, kid?! That's my man!". - One US soldier in the squad scolded me

"He's dead!". - I realized that my muscles were getting fatigued.  "C'mon! Help me move him to the door, now!". - I called out for help while dragging the dead soldier to the front door

"Listen to him, Pvt. Turren". - The man who tried to hit me earlier talked to those men.  "We can retrieve his body later, now only we on our own". - He stayed cover behind a wall, one that had a window from above

"Gunshots! Gunshots!". - He tilted his rifle to the window, shooting blindly

"Gunshots! Gunshots!".

"Away from the front door!". - He asked me to stay away

I leave the body and sneak behind a corner. The dense line of bullets is still being fired from the outside of the front door to us. It's deadly.

However. Thanks to the door being shut, the line of bullets is not straight because of hitting the wood surface of the door. However, bullets can still hit the ones who stand near the front door. As long as the surface is soft enough, bullets can still go through and hit.

"Turren, drag the body!". - As the gunshots ended, the man ordered Pvt. Turren to drag the body on behalf of me.  "Rig, you find another way out which hasn't got surrounded by these Arabs yet, c'mon!".

"Yes, Sir!". - Before leaving that US soldier, I glanced at his nameplate

It said "Greg".

Greg, huh? That name is very familiar to me. Somehow I get distracted by thinking about that name, I start having some kind of recollection.

"Arrrrrggghhhhhhhhh!!!!". - All of sudden, I was startled when I heard a roar from someone

I point my rifle in the direction in which the loud voice came out. Before my eyes, now has a masked man with a red cloth. He holds an AK 47 or some sort like that one.

"Arrrrrggghhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!". - He slammed the rifle butt to Turren.  "Urrrghhh! Urrrghhh! Urrrghhh!". - He moaned tiredly, the US soldier was now grabbing his gun

"Shoot him!". - Greg yelled out, asking for help

"Help me!". - Turren kept struggling to not point the barrel at his body.  "Please! Please! Please!".  "Urrrghhh!". - That young man was struggling to fight

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!". - I accidentally pulled the trigger, four bullets straightly shot at him

"Urrrrrgggghh!". - He fell, while the masked man was pointing his AK at me

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!".

"Arrrrrggghhhhhhhhh!". - He moaned while falling on the full of dusty floor.  "Gunshots! Gunshots! Gunshots!". - He pulled his trigger in the last moments, bullets kept spraying around

I lie down to not get hit by stray bullets. All of sudden, the firefight scene becomes silent, I hear nothing more.

I look around, later I realize that around me is just a blank of black. It is an endless blank in the area I am standing in.

"Rig, get outta there!!!!". - All of sudden, that quote once again

I look around once again and realize I am sitting on that old hut again. I accidentally glance down at the floor, witnessing the corpse of the poor young US soldier. Somehow... I realize that I used to come here.

His face... looks familiar.

"Jimmy?". - That word showed up in my head

"Slaps!". - Shit, that hard slap

"I know, Sir!!!!!". - I yelled at Greg's face powerfully

"Suppressing fire at the door, kid! We are on our own!".

I get up without picking up the rifle. I already have one attached to my equipment. Naturally, I sneak behind a wall and take out my strapped M16A1 rifle. Now I must fight.

I've realized this situation, everything. This must be a looping dream, how strange it is.

The man who scolded me from this time to another one, is Greg - my Platoon leader.

The soldier who died on the floor, was Jimmy.

This village... was the location of my second battle in the Afghanistan war. This place was said to be a "safe zone". We founded a squad to patrol around the area, and ended up here for a short break.

That's how we got attacked by these Arabs. The Taliban fighters... under the forms of villagers of the poor village.

"Gunshots! Gunshots! Gunshots! Gunshots!". - Those gunshots were coming

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!". - Some US soldiers fired at the front door

"Shut it! Shut it!". - I asked them to shut the door

But no one makes that scenario happen. I rush to the door and kick it, making the door shut, now we're safe. Hmmm... not yet. One crazy will charge inside here in the next moment. I must not let anyone in my squad die.

"Turren, guard the door!".

I run to the backside of the house to find an alternate way out for my teammates.

From what I remember, Lieutenant Kaori would make an airstrike in this village at any moment. All of us would safely get out of here and watch the bombing scene.

While finding the way out, my mind starts showing recollections - even the bad and the good. It is about my previous world, the world I was born and grew up in.

I am John Rigen, came from an adoptive family of two military US officers. I'm an orphan, they brought me home from an orphanage or something... when I wasn't even enough one year old.

Or I was brought there when I was younger.

In that family, I have two old mothers - the 2nd is Colonel Amanda Rigen, while the 1st is Lieutenant Kaori Rigen. Both of them are lesbian or something, they married and adopted me. I would like to say I prefer loving my 2nd mom than the first one.

Lieutenant Kaori raised me by using force. She locked me in a no-man island, training me in the US Army's basic training when I newly reached 16. After the training, my chest had a rip line made by that devil mother. Somehow I woke up in Afghanistan, Kabul in the morning.

As I remember well, I stayed in this sand land for three months till the US military withdrew all of their troops. Within three months, I managed to survive. Although I faced three battles on my go, but all survived the three.

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"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!". - All of sudden, gunshots stunned me.  "That's a kill!". - The soldier who seemed to have made those shots, yelled

"Hurry up, Rig!".

"Yes, Sir!". - I immediately returned to work

I look around the room, trying to find the way out by using my old memory. After a short time looking around, I finally found a small hole to get out.

"This way, Sir!". - I yelled, calling everyone to come

That small hole is located on the backside of the old house. It is a tunnel line that leads outside of the place, like rat tunnels of the Vietnam war. Then I pull out my M9 Beretta pistol from my holster to check for the enemies.

"We have to move there?!". - One soldier surprised

"Yes!". - I later pulled off my backpack

"Leave it here?!".

"We can't go in there if we bring it!".

"It may be a trap of the enemy, kid!".

"Tell one or two to stay here to be decoys". - Commander Greg ordered the others.  "Well... Rig and Turren... you two clear the way out".

"Yes, Sir".

"Everyone, on me". - I pointed the pistol at the tunnel

I also turn on a military flashlight which is attached to my uniform. The white light shows me the way to go. Moving inside, the cramped space of the tunnel is now swallowing my body, because I am quite big.

It must be very rough for the other men to come out by using the tunnel. Because I am the smallest one on the team, but am still struggling to move in this shitty hole.

I move, trying to get out of the cramped space. Every time I move, my body collides with the cramped space, leaving in my clothes the sand and dust. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel literally, or that's what I thought. Not good.

"Cough! Cough! Cough!". - The soldier behind me started coughing

"Silent... silent...". - I must make sure we are fine

I can see the way out of the tunnel in this corner, but must be careful. Because one enemy is sitting there, watching us from the start. That one will never let us get out of here alive.

"C'mon, what the hell are you doin' ?". - He urged me.  "Move up, kid... I'm very out of breath... this shit hole".

"Calm down...". - I forgot how I got out by using this tunnel

I turn off the flashlight, and move forward. I look through the pistol's iron sight carefully, making sure that I would pop the enemies with the most accurate shots. Hmmmm... I can see a foot of someone. But I must see half of one's chest to shoot accurately, for the least.

That foot ahead starts moving or something. I must keep my eyes on it before I g-

"Gunshots! Gunshots! Gunshots! Gunshots!". - All of sudden, a dense line of gunshots came to me

I was startled to hear those mysterious gunshots, luckily that I wasn't wounded at all. Those bullets didn't hit me but the dust space of the cramped old tunnel. I was lucky.

"Holy shit!". - Can you shut up, Turren?!

I raise my pistol, intending to shoot some. But I stop it at the last moment... holy shit. Hmmmm... I must make sure the shots I make are accurate ones. I focus on the iron sight, hoping the enemy will get in its range.

Not so long later, I see someone crouching. That person is moving toward us. However, he doesn't seem to have spotted our existence in the tunnel yet. When he gets near the tunnel, he hides in the right corner of the wall.

"Hmmm...". - I focused on the iron sight

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!". - The man looked inside, I pointed to his chest and shot uncontrollably

He later lies on the ground with his chest draining out holes of blood. I carefully move out of the old tunnel.

When I reach the entrance of the tunnel, I peek out to make sure there is no enemy around us. I see no one else. Hmmmm... it's good for us.

"No one?". - Turren asked me

"Shakes head... no one else".

"Good, kid". - He tapped on my right shoulder.  "Stay here and guard, I'll be back soon". - He later returned to the tunnel, informing others

I get up and sneak behind a place to guard. The gunshots from the front side of the house are still very loud. Although spotting no enemy on this side, I feel very, strangely unsettled.

I sneak behind the wall, sometimes I peek out to make sure I am safe. It's very strange when there is only one enemy guarding the tunnel, it must be a setup. Hmmmm... I look outside once again, nothing suspicious is spotted yet. But I must be on guard all the time...

I peek out once again, and realize something odd in the next house. I sense someone glancing at us on the roof. Maybe they are civilians, not enemies. The house itself is closed, meaning that civilians are hiding inside to avoid the gunfight.

"C'mon, get out get out!". - Sounds of US soldiers could be heard from the tunnel

I keep my eyes on my buddies, I see them coming out from the tunnel one by one. Hmmmm... I must keep guarding, I think.

"Let's move, people!". - Commander Greg ordered the soldiers to gather

"Rig, you go first". - He pointed at me, asking me to lead the squad.  "Others, follow me". - Then he pointed at Turren.  "You check behind, Tur".

"We managed to contact one unit earlier". - While moving on, he informed us of more intel.  "Airstrike may be coming here at any moment".

I start going first to lead the squad out of the village safely. I look around every time my squad passes a house, to make sure there is no enemy showing up. Somehow the environment looks so peaceful, no gunshots at all.

"Shit...". - The Commander stopped, I also stopped.  "You... all of you hear that?".

I can hear and feel the footsteps of some ones moving, running in a hurry. They're the Taliban fighters, they are on their way searching for us. Not good.

Some soldiers get panicked, some are thinking, trying to find somewhere to hide. Maybe using the civilians' house is a good idea... or not. However, we don't have much choice to choose.

"In there, Sir...?". - I pointed my finger to a peasant's house in front of us

"Are you fucking n-". - One soldier scolded me, but he soon stopped talking.  "Hey... be silent". - He looked around, pointing his rifle in cautious

"Riven 2 - 3, do you copy?". - All of sudden, our radio soldier got a message from the Headquarters' radioman

"This is Riven 2 - 1 to Worstworld, over". - Greg took the radio, he talked to the other side's radioman

"What's your situation, 2 - 1?".

"One's dead, others of the squad are escaping, about to be surrounded". - Informing the radio, he raised his hand to tell us to lower our bodies

We crouch down, using the walls and the belongings like cauldrons, the ground... etc, to cover ourselves. The footsteps are getting closer, but the enemies haven't spotted us. However, we pin ourselves as lowest as possible to not let them see us.

"Stand by for airstrike, over". - As the radioman finished, we heard sounds of incoming planes.  "In one... two...".

"Booooooommmmmmmm!!!". - Many blasts from afar came out, many explosions rang in our ears

"Everyone, get down!!!!". - Greg screamed out, lying on the ground

All of us immediately get down on the ground, feeling the impacts of the bombing. The squad members raise their rifles highly to cover their heads. So do I. Some objects from other houses are falling apart down here.

"Booooooommmmmmmm!!!". - The bombing kept continuing non-stop

We pin ourselves on the ground literally, we can't even see anything when we've pinned our faces down too deep and too hard. A short moment after the bombing, everything looks so silent.

I look up, but have to wipe my full of dust and sand face first to look precisely. My gloves are full of dust, I shake them a few times to fly the things out. Hmmm... I get up carefully, holding my rifle. So silent...

"Clak...". - I cocked my rifle, later I pointed it around

"Worstworld, this is 2 - 1...". - Greg got up, holding the radio in his hand.  "Target hit...".  "But remember to tell us about your arrival next times, we could've died if we were in the range of the bombing".

"Shut the hell up and listen, Riven squad". - The radioman rejected our complaints.  "Some units are on their way, ETA 6 minutes".  "Remember to be cautious with civilians, now they are the same with the enemies".  "Wait for us".

The radio call is later disconnected. Some US soldiers in the squad re-become cautious, they point their rifles around the area to guard. I stand idling. This scenario is in my mind, later we will have to check on the civilians.

The enemies who are alive after the bombing, are now disguising as peasants to fool our eyes. I wonder what would happen to us next.

In this case, it doesn't loop like the previous ones. I wonder... if I was dreaming about going back to this Afghanistan.

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All of sudden, the area around me turns dark and I find myself standing on a blank ground. I look around myself and also see some differences... I don't have weapons, but a green US Marine uniform on my body.

Everything in my view looks so dark. It's all black, endlessly before my eyes. Hmmmm... I've just been teleported from my dream to this place? I must find out.

"Oh, you found me...". - I turned around, and immediately spotted a blonde woman sitting on a white chair

She is Goddess Katia. She still dresses up in her light green dress as usual. She sits on a white chair, a white table can also be seen beside her.

Her right hand is holding a small white cup. She puts it on the table after drinking it.

"How was your dream...?". - She asked me casually, staring at me with her closed eyes

"You did it?".

"I wanted to see how would you react to that memory...". - She grabbed the cup, speaking while about to drink.  "What a terrible man, you forgot your brothers of war, your war, your hard times... sigh...".

"Drinks... drinks... drinks...". - She drank the cup, glancing at me a bit.  "Why don't you take a seat...? Wouldn't you want to meet me to ask me, hmmm?".

I don't speak anything, I just approach her. Another white chair later shows up from nowhere, right where I am standing - the white table. Slowly, I sit down and ease, looking at her. Katia doesn't care to look at me, she keeps drinking the cup.

"What is your purpose for our sudden arrival?".

"Well...". - She kept drinking.  "It's very boring to see how would you react in the current time...". - She got her mouth away from the cup

"Points... points...". - I pointed to my head a few times

I'm listening, tell me more.

"Before the next three years in Euro Grant, everything would be very peaceful...". - She slowly pointed to me, gazing with her challenging and mocking eyes.  "It's very boring if I keep seeing you living in that village, having kids with Princess and working through days to take care of your family".

"That's why you sent us there...?". - I must calm down, I can't do anything to harm her but she can. She's God

"Not really". - She put the cup to her mouth.  "All of you were supposed to be transported to the next three years in Euro Grant...". - She glanced at me.  "But if I did that, everything would have ended so early...".

"What...?".

"The most difficult line of your life occurs when you're at this age... the next years to come, it's very peaceful". - How could you predict it?

"I am God... seeing the future and the past is just like eating a cake". - She put the cup on the table.  "Like I said to you in the previous time... the world you're now staying in is not in my possession". - She looked away.  "Another God owns it... I want to see how all of you would travel there".

"That's all?". - How could she consider us like a game for her to play and dump whenever she likes?

"Yeah...".

I stay mute, I am thinking about how to get her mouth open naturally. I know I cannot do anything to harm her, now all I need is information on this journey. Katia looks afar, thinking about something. She picks up the cup to drink once again.

However, the cup itself is empty from the beginning.

"Just ask me anything you want, I can read you even when you're silent". - She said while drinking.  "Aha, here...". - All of sudden, the cup was filled with coffee.  "Drinks...".

"Hmmm...". - Alright, now I must ask her something else

"When I met my old friend, asking him to let me follow him to Japan...". - I must ask her about the odd name that Cawess mentioned to me

"He said "Welcome to the F.R.O.N.D.E.R", what does it mean for saying that?".

"FRONDER...?". - The Goddess was a bit surprised or something.  "Fronder...?". - She kept drinking the cup

"A military foundation, founded during the world war... that's all I know".

Then its name must be short for something, stands for something. The allied force in that world has the name "F.R.O.N.D.E.R", I wonder what is its full name means. F.R.O.N.D.E.R, huh?

"I don't know its full name, that's not my world so I don't care about it much". - Then I have nothing further to ask Katia about that foundation

"Then... next question".  "What's your purpose for sending us to that world...? Answer me".

"I told you... you forgot it?". - She made a mock voice.  "How... stupid... you are...".  "Drinks... drinks...".  "I feel bored, I don't want to see things end too soon... I sent all of you there to kill the time".

"Why not just me come to also others in my group?".

"You're scared that they would be harmed?".

"Yes!".

"It would be boring if I sent you there alone".  "Good news, your wife would get pregnant with another man when you were on your go".

"Smash!". - I'll fucking kill you, bitch! I will fucking kill you!

I charge at her, aiming at her neck to rip it off to make her bleed to death. But when I am away from her for about 1 inch, my body suddenly froze. Welcoming me, is just her eyes mocking. She raises the cup, draining down hot coffee to my head, pissing me off!

"I hadn't finished yet... don't disrespect me". - As she finished pouring the cup, she put it back on the white table.  "Of course, your wife didn't betray you... she would follow you to the end of your life". - She grabbed my collar, facing me very close

"But that is just her when she is normal... no one knows what would happen if I control her...". - Katia cuddled my face, smiling evilly.  "Hmmm... respect me, and I will do the same".  "Disrespect me again, only I know what would happen to your loved ones... you would suffer...". - Calm down... I must calm down and stay humbled, even when I don't like it!!!

"Hmmm... good, very good". - She praised me as she saw my expression change. I was trying to make myself calm

"You can go now... return to your dream... finish it...". - As her words ended, my mind felt so hazy

My consciousness gets faded a little bit. My vision gets blurred, Katia's appearance gets blurred and far away.

"We will meet up in the future... very soon...". - Her last voice pinned in my mind, I felt so sleepy

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"Stay focus!!!". - All of sudden, a thunderstorm yell sounded beside my ears

I get stunned by hearing the voice, it is so familiar to me. Both scary and familiar, sounds like from someone I am close to. That's when my eyes opened once again.

The scenery before me is very strange, odd. I see myself standing among dozens of US soldiers, armed to the teeth. My nose senses something, like the smoke. I glance, spotting some guys smoking, some staring at something ahead.

I follow a man's glance, and see people wear like peasants in the backside of the room. They stand to the wall, some are speaking in Afghan, some kneel, their faces are showing their fear. These peasants also look familiar too... wait a bit!

"Do you listen to me, Pvt. Rigen?!!!!!". - That hard yell, blasted my ears.  "Slaps!!!!". - Before I could react, a hard blow hit my right cheek and I lost my balance

I fall to the floor, but manage to hold by using my hands. When I have the momentum to get up, I lift myself up as carefully as possible. I look up, to see the one who slapped me earlier... I knew it!

"Urrrghhh!!!". - I tried to dodge, but her kick hit my cheek and made me fall, rolling to a corner

The one who is torturing me is Lieutenant Kaori - my 1st mom, the one I hate the most. She wipes her jungle boot that kicked me by rubbing it on her pants trousers. She glares at me with her dark eyes, warning me if I don't get up.

I stand up, keep eye contact with the old woman's glare. My clothes are now full of dust but I don't wipe it off, she'll surely beat me if I dare to do that. Somehow... I'm still very afraid of my mother.

Lt. Kaori later doesn't care to look at me. She points her look at the scared peasants who seem to be forced to stand near the house's wall. Looking closely for a while, I realize that my squad leader is beside her.

I've realized something now. Yeah, I got it. The US soldiers who are in this room, come from units being sent here to raid the hostile village.

This moment, from what I remember, happened an hour after the village bombing. The Lieutenant led the troops directly, to check on the villagers, finding the disguising Taliban fighters.

I don't want to mention how would these peasants be ended up... it's terrible to tell. This scene... is happening in front of me once again. A war crime... that I committed.

"Sir, done checking". - Some US soldiers who were examining the peasants previously, now returned to inform the Lieutenant.  "Nothing suspicious... but we're not sure if they're still remaining".

"I heard that... you guys spotted them hiding among these men?". - Lt. Kaori glanced silently at Greg.  "Wrong intel...?".

"No, Sir".  "We did spot them hiding among the villagers". - Greg replied to her.  "What are we gonna do...?".

"The villagers are begging us to stop disturbing 'em, Sir". - One soldier reported to her

"This village has signs of enemies, they feed the enemies... we did nothing wrong". - Lt. Kaori stepped forward.  "They are also the enemies... but they are unarmed...". - She pushed that soldier away, glancing at every peasant

"But even if they did contact with the enemies...". - That man kept asking her to listen to him.  "We need to arrest 'em in peace, innocents may be among th-". - He stopped as he spotted the woman's glare

"They might've escaped from the village, these villagers are just staying here as decoys". - This moment, I spoke up before her.  ".............". - Staying muted, I approached my first mom

Kaori slowly glares at every US soldier in the room, including me. Her face expresses to be a bit of disappointment, and a little bit frustrated, from her eyes.

She stops at me, looking at me as normally as possible.

"Slaps!". - Another hard slap on my cheek, my face was burning than ever

"All of you are retarded!!!!!". - She roared, glaring at every soldier, scolding us roughly

"All of you came from the same bootcamp! The same training! The same trainer! That's how y'all pay for me after everything I taught you, huh?!!!!". - She pulled out her pistol, putting it to her right side head, heading it onward

"My eyes can see who is enemy... I trained all of you that same ability... but no one? No one can show it...?". - She lowered the pistol

"Then tell me who is the enemy!". - I scolded her, making my voice loud

"Smash!!!".  "Urrrrrgggghh!". - She slammed the pistol's handle to my belly, that blow made me fall back to the wall

"Villagers and enemies are the same...". - Done beating me, she glared at the US soldiers in the room

Some men are hesitated, but some are aiming at the peasants with their rifles, showing no hesitation. My squad members seemed to be hesitated at first, but they've now joined other units.

My mother later lifts me up, roughly holds me from behind to not let me escape. In my unclear view, I can see the fear of villagers, they're about to die. Rifles are aiming at them, death is the only way for all to escape, literally.

"Show me you're a real man". - She gave me her loaded pistol, then forced my right hand to point it forward

"Get ready!". - She yelled

"Keep your emotions away, become a killing machine...". - She squeezed my hand tighter, forcing it to point the pistol at an old man

"Fire!".

"Gunshots! Gunshots! Gunshots! Gunshots! Gunshots! Gunshots!". - Blasts of rain bullets started flying through the peasants, I closed my eyes to not see the scene

"Why don't you shoot?!!!!". - Despite having gunshots, her voice was louder than anything combined.  "Pull the trigger! Why don't shoot them?!!! Shoot them!!!!".

"Urrrrrgggghhhh!!!!". - I tried to resist, but it was more painful every time I did it

"C'mon, shoot 'em!". - She controlled my pistol, aiming it at the villagers.  "Now!!!!!". - My right hand was completely broken, I felt that its bones were breaking apart

"Shoot 'em all!!! Kill 'em all!!!".  "Kill all! Kill them all!!!!!!!".

"Bang!".

...

...

...

...

...

...

All of sudden, that gunshot woke my eyes up. I get up in a panic, my mind gets nervous while I look around to check on the location I am now in.

From what I see, this is the hotel room I am staying with my wife and Reimi. Somehow I feel so relieved when I've got myself out of that nightmare.

I think about stepping down from the bed. But when I move, my right hand is held back by sleeping Shera - who is now breathing heavily. Maybe traveling by car was too much terrible for my wife and Reimi. She is now sleeping tiredly and deeply, recovering from her exhaustion.

I honestly don't want to lose my wife... I did many bad things to her, I cheated on her many times. Now I am scared that I would be cheated on by the one I love, I don't want it.

Katia's words may be just to threaten me, I am not sure if she was telling the truth. However, I should be careful, as far as possible. I must keep my eyes on my wife, all the time... I don't want to lose her.

I take a breath to calm down my nervousness. Then I lie down, beside my dear wife. My hands gently and slowly hug her body, I slowly tighten the tightness. I press my face to her breasts, my wife is mine... she is forever mine.

"Don't leave me, Shera...". - After whispering to her, I closed my eyes

I hope nothing bad will happen... I never want it.