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Sometimes living in a vacuum isn't so bad, you hear echoes of conversations that never were, whispers of desire cast and strewn yet not real... "There's no record," they said. As Robert Frost wrote, "Two roads diverged into the yellow wood..." I took the one less travelled by. It was real to me, vivid, alive with scent and trail, but was I there? They say no, but I got the orders, was deployed prepped and stood ready. As an M-60 Gunner, my asbestos gloves kept my seat warm on chilly nights, or did they! Caps primed for claymores stood high among the Det cord, but narry a bridge bestowed. Crumbling buildings and visits on the streets from "they," but we silent observers stayed. It's a quiet life in the dark. "No-one should know you're there," he said, "avoid breathing if you can!" "Am I even here," I often wondered, but yes I was, I had Orders, drew supplies, attended the briefings, but Rank, insignia, and names were all covered with matt green duck tape, "no reflections either!" So I non-existed, stayed the shadow and squinted, hiding even my blue eyes from the dark, and the dark forces seeking destruction. Two full years it went on, with 70 buildings dissipated in caspian dust, and 270 others with windows blown, roofs raised, caves sealed as other parts of the city took the live hits, or seemingly did they? Crumbling dust which never stood and didn't happen. None of it did. All the mystery dissolved in debriefing, which I was told to deny, so I do. A good soldier I played the game, then one day I had a scrape that wouldn't heal. Long line in Vets Heaven saw a human. "Where on earth...?" "In theater," I said. More consternation, then review... Rescheduled. "You're not a Veteran," she said. "What?" "No record exists of active duty!" Calls, complaints, forms copied and filed to avail; "no record!" All I had was the orders, to find the ex trashed them in process for the divorce. No record, you don't exist. "Black Ops didn't happen," he said, "not policy!" "Oh, the Psychiatrist is expecting your visit, something about dilusions..." "But I was there!" Echoes in my mind surpassed evidential reason. Reduced to less than the paper the orders were copied on, I receded into the night. As I approached the trees I could feel the rush of breeze from the meandering stream. The sidewalk led past to the parking lot, but I followed the wisp wind as it willowed into the shade, it was fettered, and slightly bestilled me back into the darkness of my non-existence...
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Grenada? Panama? -
Great stuff. Write the book. I'll pre order a signed copy.Comment
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And there yonder on the other side of the hill, were 2 colored Easter eggs. Both Johnny and Phyllis took them to the great meadow where the Easter bunny took them and turned them into chocolate gold. It was at this point that both fulfilled their destinies of fishing with the old man in the sea for trout.Comment
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This thread reminds me of the time I awoke with that familiar, crusty dried vaginal juice all stuck through my pubes, with no recollection how it got there...Comment
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And the twin midgets at the truck stop had steak n eggs from the "big spender'lComment
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