Still
by Beau Cameron
His heartbeat echoed in his ears.
Ba-Dump. Ba-Dump. Ba-Dump.
The air was thick with smoke and dirt and the electric remnants of gunshots. The scent of blood stabbed at his nose, coated his tongue, covered his eyes. His vision was red.
War isn’t a pretty thing. It chews you up, spits you out, and then stomps on your carcass for good measure. It claws out your eyes, rips open your chest, slashes your throat, and tears out your heart. Sometimes in a very literal sense.
He stared down at her: sickly gray skin, bulging white eyes, curled and knotted hair. Crimson stained the front of her jacket, pooling around her head, her legs, her corpse. Her insides, revealed to the world by the hole in her chest.
In his hands, he held her heart.
Ugly, aching sobs sprang from his throat as he retched. The blood soaked through his gloves, sticking to his fingers and pooling in his palms. His cheeks turned damp as snot dripped from his nose and tears leaked from his eyes. His sobs turned to screams, and he shrieked and yelled until his throat was raw.
In his hands, her heart was still.
Ba-Dump. Ba-Dump. Ba-Dump.
The air was thick with smoke and dirt and the electric remnants of gunshots. The scent of blood stabbed at his nose, coated his tongue, covered his eyes. His vision was red.
War isn’t a pretty thing. It chews you up, spits you out, and then stomps on your carcass for good measure. It claws out your eyes, rips open your chest, slashes your throat, and tears out your heart. Sometimes in a very literal sense.
He stared down at her: sickly gray skin, bulging white eyes, curled and knotted hair. Crimson stained the front of her jacket, pooling around her head, her legs, her corpse. Her insides, revealed to the world by the hole in her chest.
In his hands, he held her heart.
Ugly, aching sobs sprang from his throat as he retched. The blood soaked through his gloves, sticking to his fingers and pooling in his palms. His cheeks turned damp as snot dripped from his nose and tears leaked from his eyes. His sobs turned to screams, and he shrieked and yelled until his throat was raw.
In his hands, her heart was still.