Untitled.

By: Darc

It started out innocent enough, well as innocent as this could ever be. Pretty orderly too, there were even spectators on the sides of the battlefield, cheering on one side or the other.

But soon the injuries began, and as people either dragged themselves off or were carried away, spectators were dragged in, and forced to fight for whichever side took them.

Slowly all hell broke loose, you did whatever you had to win and only the vaguest rules of war were followed. Only the most sadistic would enjoy themselves. I loved every minute of it.

A lot of good men went down after that point, some came back up, and some didn’t. I myself took a grazing hit, for a few seconds I just laid there staring at the grass. A few drops of blood fell from my forehead, landing on a blade of grass. I realized there must be a lot of places like this on the field today, and what would it do to the grass, as a single drop of water from the sky landed on the grass, washing my blood away. A little rain never hurt anybody I thought as I got back up and rejoined the chaos.

Then it really started to rain, not that wussy stuff you go out and sing and dance in. This was real rain, the heavens opened up and let out all they had to give at once. Everybody was instantly soaked to the bone, except for the few really pathetic spectators who brought umbrellas. Soon the field wasn’t as much a field of grass, but a wasteland of mud, getting on everything and everybody. Clinging to uniforms, making it almost impossible to tell who was on what side, a few guys even hit their own before we were used to it.

This rain was always coming, soaking you to the bone, pounding onto your shoulders, pushing you down, and always running into your eyes. Blocking your view from the almost solid sheet of water in front of you. Any sane people would have stopped what they were doing on a normal basis. But we weren’t sane and this wasn’t normal.

Every time we’d make a move, and guys around us were hit, didn’t matter which side. You could barely even see it, unless it was right next to you.

As I used hand signals to give orders to my men, my mind flashed back to a few hours before, when in preparation for the most important battle of the year, me and my men had a massive feast, and watched research footage of past events of the same type. This was like a lot of Christmases in war I'd heard about; even if it was during a campaign, during Christmas Eve if the sides weren't fighting. One side would start a Christmas carol; soon it would spread to all sides. Using that one moment of consensus to let what little humanity they had shine through. The comparison between then and now, was at that meal, even members of the opposite side had dined with us. Enjoying this one moment of peace before the chaos that would ensue.

Still the battle continued, as the sky got dark from the storm and the approaching night, as the rain and the fear and the pain wore us down, one by one. I continued to lead the men as best I could, giving them direction when required, options when useful. Fortunately luck turned our way after a while, or more accurately, the wind turned the other way. Blowing down the field, as opposed to at us, and in our eyes. For the first time in a while I got an idea of how close we were to driving them to the end, and to victory. I’d have brought my men closer to communicate with them but that had been impossible in this freezing wind and cold biting rain. Instead I used a series of hand signals designed for this kind of occasion to tell them of my plan, to fake them out then hit them from a distance when they were going for what they thought was the target.

As my men snuck, walked proudly to, or dragged themselves to their positions, all sound seemed to die in my ears, the wind faded to nothing and everything slowed down to a crawl, leaving just my own heart, beating in my ears, throbbing in anticipation, fear, and excitement. I knew the enemy would also have a plan, and that this was the end. It all came down to this--and me.

I prepared to make my shot, the one that would give us the opening we needed to bust their ranks and take them all out at once. Even though the storm was still raging around me, what was left of the crowd still cheering, and the wind still howling in my ears--I knew this because I could feel them there--they weren't important, because I couldn't hear them. It was all about my target and me. When the time was right I yelled out the signal for us to begin at once, the sound cutting through all others to reach everybody it seemed to bring back all sound, and everything returned to normal speed with a sudden snap, the enemy ran forward yelling a challenge that I could actually hear, only to be met by my own men. Rushing forward screaming themselves. In the center they met, with loud crashes and sickening thuds, as bodies hit the ground everywhere. So much mud was kicked up that it was impossible to tell who had fallen where, everybody was the same on the ground.

I was too preoccupied to dwell much on who was where, some of the enemy had broken through and were headed straight for me. Charging down the field, ready to take me out up close. Their feet kicking up clumps of dirt and mud, the rain splashing against them hard. I could see every detail of them as I myself aimed my weapon for the target, the bravest one of my men who had submitted himself for being the bait, leading them together and away so I could wipe them all out. But even though I wasn't supposed to be concentrating on them I was, and I could make out every detail--but its only natural to see everything about your coming destruction when you know its approaching.

I raised my arm and readied my weapon; the rain fell into my eyes as I peered across the destroyed field, the arena, and the battlefield. The men ran away from me, they ran to me, they just ran. And as I got my aim right only one thought could go through my mind, no matter how much it didn’t need to be said or thought, or how much this wasn't the right time. I raised my arm.

That one thought passed through my head.

"I love football."

I fired the ball and waited to see how fate would take it from here.