WARNING: This story features a scene which is 100% factual and is more than a little gruesome! It will probably fit in well with a "Horror" type of genre and it may be unsettling for those with weaker stomachs! I hate writing this but it must be put down as it is a true event and definitely pertains to this specific series!
Now that I have this little disclaimer out of the way I would like to elaborate a little about it. What you are about to read is something that happened to me and thank God (by whatever name you choose to call the deity you may or may not worship) that I am still alive to tell the tale! This is a TRUE EVENT! I will not stress that enough and I do not tell it for pity/sympathy but so that others can know the truth of this story. Enjoy this little bit of the tale!
Chapter 3: A tragic ending or a new beginning?
I've had quite the rough week by some people's standards. This would easily measure up with one of the most psychotic weeks of my life. Not even the Crucible week of Bootcamp could compare. I have found out that I am in love with my sister, received a blow job from her, performed various sexual acts with her and am now getting ready to leave her behind as I rejoin my fellow Marines at SOI!
God what a life! I am able to figure out anything and everything there is to know about fighting and shooting weapons and stuff of that nature. I can finesse a finicky fish into biting a bait when they aren't hungry. I can even sing quite well when I feel the music. Unfortunately I cannot figure out feelings whatsoever. I have always been horrible at wordplay and never have been accused of sharing my emotions vocally, very well that is!
I am quite capable of wearing my emotions on my back and letting my feelings get the best of me when I am in a heated situation but I never was good at figuring them out. I finally learned a little bit about them when I had to leave my sister as my ride showed up to take me to the airport. Me and a few friends had decided to just take a taxi to the airport together.
After a very saddening farewell to my new lover we all made our way to the airport in relative silence. No small talk, no questions as to what we are facing, no one trying to outwit or outdo the other with wild stories. No we were all quite apprehensive about what we were going to go through. The taxi van driver probably thought we were getting ready to be deployed because she told us no charge, mind you this was for a 45 minute ride to a very busy airport. She was either exceptionally patriotic or sympathetic, either way we were grateful and when the others had gotten their stuff and started off to the airport I left a generous tip for her kindness.
She smiled and accepted it and left rather hastily. When we all found our gate and sat down I took a moment to think about all the things that had happened the past week and what would my next few months with limited contact with my sister truly entail. We were talking by this point and the usual banal conversation left me quite bored. I wandered our little area of the airport for a bit looking at pictures of the local pro-football team and some of the other random posters that were around.
I wondered what it must be like to be famous and rich. I know it must be better than what my family and I suffered growing up. Not knowing whether or not we would have electricity because we couldn't pay the bill every month. This is not to say that we were unhappy. Quite the contrary. I was rather happy with most things of my life. I had a few books I would read when bored and all the fishing equipment a guy could ask for. I know my mom only got me these things when she really had a penny or two she could spare and a lot of it I bought myself with money saved from lawn care during the summers.
I lived well enough all things considered.
I was brought back to life when I heard the airport intercom calling out and then realized it was time for me to board. I grabbed my bags and headed to join the rest of my friends at the front of the line. We had dropped a few extra bucks to fly first class to base.
It was nice for once. Having people actually asking how we were and making small talk with us like we weren't less than they were. I enjoyed the conversation quite a good bit. It made me smile. I think other than talking with my sister this was the first time I had smiled the entire trip as one of the guys said, "See Mike's not dead, he isn't a complete hardass either!"
We all had a laugh then went back to our conversation. A few minutes into the flight and I was asleep and dreaming of the day I would get back home.
When I jerked awake to the sound of wheels screeching on the runway I knew it was time for me to stop dreaming and to get back to reality. I gathered my belongings and got me and the boys a taxi to base. It took us maybe five minutes to get there. When we were all at the admin office they told us we would need to book a room for the night so we did and split the total cost amongst us. It was about 15 bucks for the group.
That night sleep did not come easily, I spoke to my lover and when she was tearfully hanging up the phone I realized just how hard this was going to be.
When I woke the next morning to get my things and head into the admin office I felt like my life had ended. The world around me was dropping like a ton of bricks. I couldn't find my paperwork at first then I couldn't find my cigs. Life was not looking good.
I hate when I misplace things and this is probably due to me not having a clue 90% of the time. I finally got everything together and headed down stairs to meet up with the rest of the guys and to hand in my key and put my stuff in the taxi cab. I decided not to wait on the guys and head off for my first time alone to the base. I got there and got myself checked in. Did all of the pre-screening paperwork and sat and waited my turn for my piss test.
After finally successfully urinating in the cup (I have serious bladder shyness) and turning everything in that needed to be turned in I went to a small hanger like room with the rest of the guys from my unit and got changed into my camo uniform. We had to wear our service uniforms until that point and it was nice to be out of those itchy things. We were issued our linens and such for the squad bay we would be staying in until the completion of School of Infantry.
I was happy that this time we didn't get the old nasty itchy blanket and instead got a rather comfortable blanket for whilst we were in barracks. I knew that this little creature comfort would go a long way in keeping me sane over the next few months. I finished up with some of the stuff we had to do and got my bed made up, my locker organized and some of my personal belongings put up. I also managed to sneak a smoke break in the middle of all the madness. It was nice being able to just tell someone I was heading out for a smoke before the shit hit the proverbial fan.
The next day we went out, got our vaccines, our rifles, NVG's and some other odds and ends. I was issued a M249 SAW and loved it. I was a coveted individual amongst my group. The only downfall was having to share my weapon with my "A-Gunner." We had to swap weapons during certain events so he would know how to use it. I understood the need for this and it didn't bug me too horribly.
We went through a few physical fitness tests, basic marksmanship drills, fire and movement drills and other little events before starting the one event that was on all our minds.
Close Quarters Combat or CQB!
We went out to the MOUT town and got ready for the first day of Military Operations on Urban Terrain training. We went through the basics of door to door. Stair clearing, room clearing and stuff like that. It was pretty much the same straight forward and common sense approach, do it loud and vicious. We did very well at that.
The first week we did it with blanks and no rounds whatsoever. The second week was what we looked forward to. A full on CQB simulation. We were going to experience an ambush from a building and we were going to have to take it. We made it through the first week without incident and started our second week.
We obviously couldn't use live rounds on one another so we used Simunition which is a form of chalk round. We all called them "Satan's Blueberries" because of the blue chalk they fired. It looked like a hellatious blue berry. I found out first hand how bad they were.
I was on my way up the stairs when I heard a crack and felt something warm run down my cheek and into my mouth. I heard the sound of plastic shattering and felt my left side of my face rip open. I could feel the blood from above my eye trickling to my lips. I could taste the iron, smell the mud on the floor as I landed face down staring at my buddy's boots. I could hear people yelling incoherently and then it was nothing.
I awoke to blackness. Sheer utter blackness. Like all the lights had been cut off in the universe. I knew it was light outside because I could hear birds. I could hear people moving around me even though I didn't recognize any voices. I called out and heard the last thing I had ever expected.
