Luke 10:30
13th August, 2002
Connecticut
10:30 am.
"..Hello?"
"Hello, is this Mrs. Miller?"
"I am Ms Rolfson, I never changed my maiden name, but I am Luke's wife."
"Ms Rolfson, may we speak with Luke?"
"Who is calling?"
"The united states government..." Holly's heart jumped through her chest. Was it because she treated lying to the government like a stupid joke, or was she really worried?
"Honey, the phone..."
"Who is it?"
"The government..."
He picked up the phone hesitantly.
"Hello?"
"Good afternoon, Sergeant Miller. My name is Robert Shepherd, and I am calling on behalf of the United states Government. We have an urgent request to ask of you. Brigade 3 Philadelphia Company has been pinned down in a high risk raid in Afghanistan, and it looks like the brigade has no hope completing their objective. Our request is this- that your company flies into Afghanistan on the 15th, and completes Brigade 3's objective. If you say yes, we will let the rest of your company know. We only need your approval, Sergeant. We know this is a last minute request, but we called you because we know you are a brilliant Captain and lead a highly skilled company. This is high risk- but we have every confidence that you will accept and be successful in the mission."
"Thank you for your compliments, Mr Shepherd, but I just cannot see how we will help Philadelphia company."
"All will be explained in writing upon your acceptance," Gerald did not answer, and left a silence save for a crackling phone. Eventually, Robert broke it with patriotism, "...your country needs you," clearly, though, this did not phase Gerald or Robert- "...your fellow men need you." Gerald was never prepared for such a call, nor such a shock- not even the most experienced soldier trained for this.
"I accept. Please let my men know."
"Thankyou Luke."
"Goodbye."
Holly looked at her husband, inquisitively.
"What did they want, honey?"
"Get the kids. We need to talk."
"...what?"
"Honey, work wants me to fly to Afghanistan in two days."
"Oh my goodness!" She threw herself in Luke's embrace. Lying, he said-
"It's ok."
"How are you going to tell the kids?"
"I don't know..."
Five minutes later, Luke and Holly's two children, Rachel and Will (Rachel five and Will seven) sat on a couch in the lounge room, with the sun creeping in past the curtains.
"Now, children," Gerald hesitantly began, "I just got a phone call from my work telling me I need to leave for a while."
"Where are you going, daddy?" Squeaked Rachel. Luke took a deep breath.
"Do you remember last year when those buildings fell down?"
"In September?" said Will.
"Yes. Now I have to go to those people that did that and stop them doing it again."
There was a silence. Rachel cuddled her teddy.
"Will they hurt you, Daddy?" asked Will, squeaking again.
"Yes, they will try. But I have to stop them hurting you and the rest of us." Holly was still crying. They were not prepared for this. Luke was terrified of what the children's reaction would be- but they only sobbed incessantly and clinged to their father.
The sobbing dimmed- but the family continued to embrace...
15th August 2002
Connecticut barracks
He had said goodbye to his family, and was now sitting in a helicopter. Through his headseat, and over the noise of the choppers, his friend George said-
"Luke, I'm scared..."
"I know, George. So am I. Keep it together." George just looked at Luke.
"...How?"
"I don't know, George."
They took off. Fear lay inside them for the whole trip...
They landed in a steppe of sand and heat. Luke gave the first command.
"All right, let's MOVE OUT!" They ran like robots behind Luke. They spotted a figure in the distance. Another soldier, Darryl, said-
"Unknown at twelve o clock, unknown at twelve o clock."
"Copy that. Halt!" They stopped. Sand blew in Luke's face- he wiped it away. Immediately, George exclaimed-
"We have a Tango, 12 o clock! Repeat, Tango 12 o clock! Take cover!" Luke's instinct always served him well in training. He followed it, and ran to a group of broken walls for cover; but as he looked around, the rest of his company had not followed him.
"Company, report!" No answer.
"Repeat, COMPANY REPORT!" a mortar exploded in front of him, and he recoiled.
"Where the fuck are they?" He advanced, hoping to find them amid the dust and sand of this barren earth. He spotted the enemy and took him out immediately, blankly, and with no emotion...
But his company had disappeared.
Advancing was hopeless, but his only choice. He found a road after lots of walking, and continued down it, risking his life with every step.
He stopped, looked around, and began to walk again, but was stopped by a roadside bomb...
It exploded, made his ears ring and he fell over, slowly blacking out...He thought he saw a leg in front of him... is that mine? he thought.
He woke up lying down in the same position he fell unconscious in. He screamed for help... but only the mountains mimicked him. A helicopter flew above him, bearing his country's flag... he screamed again, but it only flew into the distance. He thought he spotted his company, but it was either a mirage or they just didn't respond to his cries for help...
His consciousness drifted. His fear of dying became dimmer, as his ability to think slowly faded. He spotted a figure in the distance, but was unable to vocalize anything. The image was only faint, but he knew that he saw it. The figure bent down to help him...
"Dear man, dear man... let me help you. My names is Barakah..." What? Is he...
Luke finally fell unconcious.
When he woke up, he was in a strange tent. There was a man in the corner with a cloth in his hand, soaking it in a bowl of what looked like water. He looked down his body... his left leg was missing. It was in the corner with the strange man.
"What is your name?" He said. Luke replied with his eyes closed-
"L-L-Luke..."
"I am Barakah." It finally hit him.
"A....are you...."
"Yes." Luke jerked.
"H...how! W......why?" He was suddenly awake "Let me GO!"
"Leave you cannot. You have not a leg. Please, stay here."
"J...just...just why?"
"Ssh, Luke." Perpetually confused, he closed his eyes and rested.
THE END
Connecticut
10:30 am.
"..Hello?"
"Hello, is this Mrs. Miller?"
"I am Ms Rolfson, I never changed my maiden name, but I am Luke's wife."
"Ms Rolfson, may we speak with Luke?"
"Who is calling?"
"The united states government..." Holly's heart jumped through her chest. Was it because she treated lying to the government like a stupid joke, or was she really worried?
"Honey, the phone..."
"Who is it?"
"The government..."
He picked up the phone hesitantly.
"Hello?"
"Good afternoon, Sergeant Miller. My name is Robert Shepherd, and I am calling on behalf of the United states Government. We have an urgent request to ask of you. Brigade 3 Philadelphia Company has been pinned down in a high risk raid in Afghanistan, and it looks like the brigade has no hope completing their objective. Our request is this- that your company flies into Afghanistan on the 15th, and completes Brigade 3's objective. If you say yes, we will let the rest of your company know. We only need your approval, Sergeant. We know this is a last minute request, but we called you because we know you are a brilliant Captain and lead a highly skilled company. This is high risk- but we have every confidence that you will accept and be successful in the mission."
"Thank you for your compliments, Mr Shepherd, but I just cannot see how we will help Philadelphia company."
"All will be explained in writing upon your acceptance," Gerald did not answer, and left a silence save for a crackling phone. Eventually, Robert broke it with patriotism, "...your country needs you," clearly, though, this did not phase Gerald or Robert- "...your fellow men need you." Gerald was never prepared for such a call, nor such a shock- not even the most experienced soldier trained for this.
"I accept. Please let my men know."
"Thankyou Luke."
"Goodbye."
Holly looked at her husband, inquisitively.
"What did they want, honey?"
"Get the kids. We need to talk."
"...what?"
"Honey, work wants me to fly to Afghanistan in two days."
"Oh my goodness!" She threw herself in Luke's embrace. Lying, he said-
"It's ok."
"How are you going to tell the kids?"
"I don't know..."
Five minutes later, Luke and Holly's two children, Rachel and Will (Rachel five and Will seven) sat on a couch in the lounge room, with the sun creeping in past the curtains.
"Now, children," Gerald hesitantly began, "I just got a phone call from my work telling me I need to leave for a while."
"Where are you going, daddy?" Squeaked Rachel. Luke took a deep breath.
"Do you remember last year when those buildings fell down?"
"In September?" said Will.
"Yes. Now I have to go to those people that did that and stop them doing it again."
There was a silence. Rachel cuddled her teddy.
"Will they hurt you, Daddy?" asked Will, squeaking again.
"Yes, they will try. But I have to stop them hurting you and the rest of us." Holly was still crying. They were not prepared for this. Luke was terrified of what the children's reaction would be- but they only sobbed incessantly and clinged to their father.
The sobbing dimmed- but the family continued to embrace...
15th August 2002
Connecticut barracks
He had said goodbye to his family, and was now sitting in a helicopter. Through his headseat, and over the noise of the choppers, his friend George said-
"Luke, I'm scared..."
"I know, George. So am I. Keep it together." George just looked at Luke.
"...How?"
"I don't know, George."
They took off. Fear lay inside them for the whole trip...
They landed in a steppe of sand and heat. Luke gave the first command.
"All right, let's MOVE OUT!" They ran like robots behind Luke. They spotted a figure in the distance. Another soldier, Darryl, said-
"Unknown at twelve o clock, unknown at twelve o clock."
"Copy that. Halt!" They stopped. Sand blew in Luke's face- he wiped it away. Immediately, George exclaimed-
"We have a Tango, 12 o clock! Repeat, Tango 12 o clock! Take cover!" Luke's instinct always served him well in training. He followed it, and ran to a group of broken walls for cover; but as he looked around, the rest of his company had not followed him.
"Company, report!" No answer.
"Repeat, COMPANY REPORT!" a mortar exploded in front of him, and he recoiled.
"Where the fuck are they?" He advanced, hoping to find them amid the dust and sand of this barren earth. He spotted the enemy and took him out immediately, blankly, and with no emotion...
But his company had disappeared.
Advancing was hopeless, but his only choice. He found a road after lots of walking, and continued down it, risking his life with every step.
He stopped, looked around, and began to walk again, but was stopped by a roadside bomb...
It exploded, made his ears ring and he fell over, slowly blacking out...He thought he saw a leg in front of him... is that mine? he thought.
He woke up lying down in the same position he fell unconscious in. He screamed for help... but only the mountains mimicked him. A helicopter flew above him, bearing his country's flag... he screamed again, but it only flew into the distance. He thought he spotted his company, but it was either a mirage or they just didn't respond to his cries for help...
His consciousness drifted. His fear of dying became dimmer, as his ability to think slowly faded. He spotted a figure in the distance, but was unable to vocalize anything. The image was only faint, but he knew that he saw it. The figure bent down to help him...
"Dear man, dear man... let me help you. My names is Barakah..." What? Is he...
Luke finally fell unconcious.
When he woke up, he was in a strange tent. There was a man in the corner with a cloth in his hand, soaking it in a bowl of what looked like water. He looked down his body... his left leg was missing. It was in the corner with the strange man.
"What is your name?" He said. Luke replied with his eyes closed-
"L-L-Luke..."
"I am Barakah." It finally hit him.
"A....are you...."
"Yes." Luke jerked.
"H...how! W......why?" He was suddenly awake "Let me GO!"
"Leave you cannot. You have not a leg. Please, stay here."
"J...just...just why?"
"Ssh, Luke." Perpetually confused, he closed his eyes and rested.
THE END