Red Dawn

Here I stand...Alone I sit and cup the crystal water in my palms. Stare into me, chants the water. I am alone...Stare into my reflection for it is all that I have....I stare. Instead of my reflection, I see people from lands and villages far away...But there is something wrong...These people that I see are dead. This pointless war had taken their lives away from the land of the living. How was this so?

The water doesn't respond. The silence suffocates me but I ignore it. The feeling of drowning is numb to me now. War has a way of changing people. New enemies...New allies...but that is in the past. Just like the people in my hand. I slowly spread my fingers apart and the water weeps through until nothing is left.

Warm sun rays of the early dawn break through the cracked and scarred clouds. I close my eyes and savor the moment. A breeze plays with my raven locks that are now to the middle of my back. My lips curl into a small smile before opening my eyes to the awakening world.

But my smile is conquered by a frown. Crimson blood soaked skies bleed across the horizon and the clouds darken with depression. The small red bridge that I find myself at is still over the crystal blue water-it remains untouched...

I take a deep breath and lift my amber eyes to my reflection. What I see there staring back at me is a man just beyond my own figure. The many people have now moved on with the current and leave me alone. Onyx hair hanging messily over his forehead and cerulean eyes stare at the mirror image of us. Nothing is said yet everything spoken. Un-worded yet soft and gentle bliss under the red dawn...

It's ironic really...The red dawn. A sign of war and tragedy. Our enemies painted this sky. Red...with blinded ambition to bring down our Nation...

Only to be disappointed. We stand together...Our allies, our friends, our families. United we stand, and divided you fall.

Even as I mull over my thoughts, his reflection is still behind me. His handsome features illuminated by the dim red sun. I look to my rifle that lays next to me then back to the river's surface. I can see the frustration and lack of sleep on my features and the intensity in his. I know what he wants and I stand to my feet in agonizing slowness.

Our trust has grown but our faiths shaken. Souls still strong, but not without scars...A suicidal tear trails down my cheek before diving into the river below. A ripple endlessly stretches to the surrounding banks before it stills. Gentle hand on my shoulder, keep me near. One last glance at our image, before we go...

One last glance into scarlet reflections...