The New Beginning: Alex's War

By Daniel Michael

On a year in the near future, at 7:15 p.m. on the 21st of October, the entire American government is wiped out by nuclear warheads. No one was sure who did it. As the first wave of attacks came, surviving Americans soon knew that both the Russians and Chinese,through a systematic infiltration of North America and a complete program of invasion, are the enemies. The survivors have to collect their wits, put up a defense, and harness all sorts of technological and material resources in order for America to survive and continue in The New Beginning, a vision of an America after a successful enemy nuclear attack.

Fully a hundred million Americans did not survive the fi rst wave of attacks. Alexander James, then a civilian, is enlisted into the army. The United States, what is left of it, turns into a highly militarized and technologically conscious political entity to combat the oncoming hordes of Chinese and Russians. Fighting rages across the American continent, and Americans themselves are forced to think up all sorts of guerilla operations to momentarily stop the enemy juggernaut, regroup, and perhaps (in a vain hope)to defeat it. Years of fighting changes the remaining landscape of America. Buildings are built like fortresses, high technology forms a defensive border even over American skies, children study war in kindergarten, and society lives and dies by the strength of its war slogans and the will to take the fight to the enemy. Alexander James is absent from family life for years on end. He makes it to Colonel in the armed forces and is a pivotal personality in a desperate operation to stop the war totally by infi ltrating the Russian high command. He becomes a hero but refuses to be drawn in to the next presidential election, being disillusioned by what American society had become because of the war. This novel is the start of a riveting new saga of a future America fighting for its very survival.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 29, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477109960

Daniel Michael

M. E. D was born in Africa, but he lives in Canada He attained the following academic qualifications: - MEd in Curriculum and Instruction with Specialization in TESL/TEFL, Mount Saint Vincent University, Saint Mary's University, Nova Scotia, Canada September 2015-May 2017 - MA in Translation and Interpreting School of Modern Languages & Culture Durham University-U.K 2013 - BA Honours in Mediterranean Studies Wilfrid Laurier University, City of Waterloo, ON, Canada September 2006-June 2011 -Certified ESL Teacher, Algonquin College Language Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, June 2022. On September 28, 2020, the author published a book entitled: Leave, No Stone Uncovered. It is about a fascinating story about a courageous man with ambition to strive for a better life. This is a second publication about a realistic fiction book entitled: Cry, the Rich Island

Book preview

Copyright © 2012 by Daniel Michael.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2012908652

ISBN:   Hardcover   978-1-4771-0995-3

           Softcover      978-1-4771-0994-6

         Ebook          978-1-4771-0996-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

113956

For Sheila

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 1

It wasn’t always like this. There was a time when being here didn’t consist of this boring consistency. There was a time when choice was not only the right, but it was the responsibility of every person. There was a time when life changed from day to day, even if it was just in the slightest degree. There was a time when you could do what you wanted to and not just what you were told to. But that was before.

I remember the way it used to be. I long for those days of the past. Those days before everything became regulated. Those days before life became so predictable. I longed for those days when I still enjoyed life, those days when I felt free.

The last time I felt that way was in Chicago. My father and I had moved there two years before from Des Moines when my dad got a job during the postwar boom. The boom started when the new president had announced the victory on the war on terrorism. Business started soaring at an unbelievable pace. My dad was offered a job paying him more in a year than he’d made in the last ten before that.

Everyone was under the impression that we could never be attacked again by anyone left on the planet. Everyone was so convinced of America’s superiority over the rest of the world. To tell you the truth, I was convinced myself. I still think we were strong enough to prevail in the end in a different way than we did. I was not impressed with the way things ended up.

Anyway, back to the story. I remember walking through Hillside Park on my way to high school every day. Elementary children were always playing there before school, and I enjoyed the sounds as I passed through. Kids were permitted to play back then. Back when their parents were still in charge of raising them.

After school, I would normally go to my friend Preston’s house; some other times, I’d just go home and watch TV. That’s what I mean about freedom. I could choose to have plans or choose not to do anything at all. I didn’t have a schedule made for me by the corporation as they call it.

I used to love going to watch the Cubs play. There was nothing like sitting in the left field stands with the smell of hot dogs and popcorn in the air, waiting for my chance to snag a foul ball. No matter how many times it didn’t happen, the fact that it could at any time kept me anxious and on the edge of my seat.

It was an exciting life back then. I took it for granted. I had no idea what was coming. If I did, I would have never let any of my time waste. I was so oblivious to the fact that this way of life could be so quickly taken from us. We were all so oblivious. It seemed like in an act of panic, our own people voted for a life of imprisonment. Of course, that’s not the way it was explained, but I saw what was going on. It felt like I was the only one. Every time I tried to warn them, they would all turn on me and call me unpatriotic. Even my parents turned against me.

The date was October 21 at 7:15 a.m. when the first bomb hit. No one saw it coming. In a matter of minutes, panic spread across the nation. I was getting ready to walk to school when the news reported the bombing. There was a hole in the ground where Washington DC was located just minutes before. It was a nuclear bomb, they reported. My dad ran down the stairs. He’d been watching upstairs. Let’s go, he ordered as he headed out to the garage.

Where are we going? I asked, still in shock from the news.

We’re leaving Chicago. No more questions, get in the car.

I had no idea what he was doing or why, but I felt safe with him. He turned on the radio in the car and listened as we headed out of town.

No one knew who bombed us, and I wondered if we’d ever find out. They took out most of the federal government with one shot. The news didn’t know if the president was alive or not. There was no word from any officials in the executive branch. The only governmental officials who were saying anything were local.

What’s going on, Dad? Who did this? I asked with fear in my eyes.

I don’t know. I just don’t want to be in a big city right now, he explained. We’re going to be fine, Alex.

What about Mom? I asked.

Mom stayed in Des Moines when Dad and I moved here. They were fighting a lot, and Mom was a teacher and didn’t want to leave her position. I think it broke her heart when I chose to go with Dad. They wanted time apart, and I didn’t understand. They didn’t want to tell me. I felt it wasn’t fair for her to stay. I thought she was breaking up the family by not quitting her job in Iowa. She could have gotten a job in Chicago. The bomb going off made me forget all about what I felt was her mistake.

She’s meeting us at her parents’ farm.

Grandma and Grandpa had a farm just over the Iowa border. I’d spent a lot of time there in the summertime growing up. I remember how much I enjoyed seeing all the animals there as a kid. As I got older, I became bored out there miles away from the nearest town. I usually ended up spending most of my time fishing in their pond.

We were about ten miles out of Chicago when the news station lost their feed from New York. The local news reporters took over the conversation. Their voices were shaky, and I could tell that it wasn’t just technical difficulties. They hinted toward the fact that New York City may have just been hit but could not confirm this.

I glanced at Dad, and I noticed him shaking a bit. He turned to me and spotted me watching him. He turned back to the road and pressed the accelerator a little harder. I felt the momentum of the vehicle as it pushed me against the back of the seat.

It couldn’t have been more than five minutes later that I saw an almost blinding flash of light in the rearview mirror in the direction of Chicago. There was a loud rumble along with the light. The signal on the radio squealed for a fraction of a second followed by static. Dad pulled to the side of the road and shut off the car. What are you doing, Dad? I exclaimed.

EMP, he explained.

I understood what he was saying from all the movies I had watched. Action movies were my favorite.

A moment later, a huge gust of wind surrounded the car. I watched the wheat in the field next to me as it was forced down. The trees were arched in unison, the tops almost touching the ground. The dust and pebbles from the street were attacking the back window. And just as quickly as it came, it was gone.

Just like that, all the friends I had made since moving to Chicago were gone. I fought back the emotions in my chest. I refused to cry in my dad’s presence. He still saw the uneasiness in my eyes, and he grabbed me by the back of my neck and hugged me. I didn’t want to let go. I felt so safe in his arms.

Dad started the car, and we started back on our way. I searched for signals on the radio, but there was nothing. That was the first time in my entire life that I couldn’t find a single radio station. My dad was quiet. I didn’t blame him. I couldn’t think of anything to talk about. It was going to be a long trip.

We passed cars on the side of the road, whose passengers were staring back toward Chicago, tears running down their faces. There were families hugging next to the street, just happy that they were all still there, I guess. The situation had not yet hit me entirely. I was still in shock.

It was early afternoon when Dad woke me. I must have dozed off. We were at my grandparent’s house. Mom was already there. I got out of the car and hugged her. I could no longer fight the tears. It felt so good to hold her right at that moment. I believed she could make it all better like she had so many times when I had been hurt as a child. I was wrong this time. This was just a temporary fix. Dad waited a minute and then said, Alex can I have a turn?

I stepped back and watched Dad as he told Mom he was so sorry. I felt the smile on my face grow as I saw them kiss and hold each other. I thought to myself, Finally, they’re back together.

When we got into the house, I spotted Grandpa in the dining room listening to a shortwave radio. He’d found a station from Nevada. They were reporting that Washington DC, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, Dallas, and Los Angeles were all hit. Oh my God! I said as I approached Grandpa.

That’s not all. They said a minute ago that England was also hit in London and other big cities. Grandpa explained.

Have we fought back yet? I asked.

They said that there was a meeting in an undisclosed location with some of the top generals and whichever government officials are left this morning. Someone is supposed to speak in the next half hour. They still haven’t said who. The president’s dead, so it won’t be him, Grandpa explained.

Are they sure about that? Dad joined the conversation.

He was in the White House, and it was reported that the bomb hit less than two blocks away from there. They’re pretty sure, Grandpa continued. It was a perfectly planned strike, caught us by surprise. Hitting DC first was brilliant. Cut off our response time.

Grandpa was a colonel in the army when he was younger. He was always analyzing military strategy. I could see the regret in his eyes that he wasn’t part of the military planning going on right then.

A man named General Stanton came on the radio and started to explain what they had believed to be the truth. They said that they believe the attack was from the Middle East and that they had fired a number of nuclear weapons, seventeen to be exact, back to eliminate any remaining terrorists. By the end of the speech, I gathered that the entire Middle East was in flames.

What are they thinking? Grandpa shouted, Terrorists aren’t smart enough to do this. Plus they don’t have the capability to pull off something this big. Who in the hell came up with this information?

Who do you think did this, Dad? my dad asked.

Either the Chinese or the Russians. Although I don’t think Russia could have pulled it off alone.

My head was spinning all of a sudden. I started heading for the chair at the table to my right. The next thing I knew, my mom had my head in her lap on the couch with a damp cloth on my forehead. My dad and my grandparents were standing over me.

You all right, Alex? Grandma asked.

I shook my head yes.

This is a pretty tense situation, isn’t it, buddy? Grandpa explained. No wonder you fainted. Don’t worry. We’re pretty far from anything worth attacking. I think it’s a safe bet to say we’ll be just fine.

Grandma returned to the kitchen where she had started dinner. She had managed to keep her mind off of what was happening by preparing a dinner fit for a king. She had made mashed potatoes and gravy. She was working on thick T-bone steaks from her own farm and would top it off with eggs and salad. The aroma from the kitchen was calming me down.

When we sat down to eat, I noticed that my stomach must have shrunk. I couldn’t seem to eat that much. No one seemed to be eating that much except for Grandpa. He cleaned his plate completely before asking for seconds. By the end of dinner, I managed to eat a couple bites of steak and half of my potatoes. It was a shame that all this food would go to waste. I put my right elbow on the table and rested my head on my fist.

You going to eat that? Grandpa asked, grabbing my plate and starting on it as well.

I stayed in the bedroom my grandparents had set up for me in the basement whenever I visited. It still had wallpaper on the walls with footballs, baseballs, soccer balls, and basket balls on a blue background. They had decorated it when I was about five. I had even grown out of the sailboat bedspread. Still, it felt like home here.

I lost count of the times that I woke up through the night. I found myself experiencing nightmares like I used to after watching horror movies when I was younger. It was the longest night of my life. I guess it should be worth considering I just lived the longest day up to this point.

The sun still wasn’t up when I awoke. It was becoming too much work to try to stay sleeping, so I decided to stop trying. I walked up the stairs into the kitchen feeling my way through into the living and dining rooms. The light from the fish tank was the only light in the room, which was fine with me, because it was enough to see where I was going, and my eyes weren’t ready for anything brighter just yet.

I sat down at the kitchen table and turned on the short wave radio just loud enough for me to hear it. I listened as the reporter updated the situation. They had added five more major cities to the list of bombed cities including San Francisco and Seattle. I had hoped it was all just a dream but now lost all hope in that. I heard the man on the radio announce the projected loss of life to be an excess of one hundred million.

One hundred million? That’s over a quarter of the population in America, I said to myself. I found myself struggling to breathe. The reality I was living was simply too impossible to endure. I decided to go for a walk down the country road to get some fresh air.

The air was chilly, so I put on my grandpa’s hooded sweatshirt that hung next to the front door. The sky was cloudy, and there was a mist in the air. It felt like it could start pouring at any second. The gravel road was wet, and I noticed the dirt from it on the tips of my shoes.

I’d walked this road many times. The neighbor family had a teenage girl about my age. We’d been friends as long as I could remember. It was about a half of a mile from my grandparents. I heard a familiar voice as I began to pass their house.

Alex.

I jumped. When it hit me who it was, I felt my spirit lift inside my chest. Sheila, I’m so glad you’re up, I said.

I couldn’t sleep. Your grandma told me you were here, informed Sheila.

It’s good to see you. I need a friend right now.

I know what you mean, me to.

Sheila was a skinny little girl the last time I was up here. I didn’t even think of her as more than that. But now she was a young lady. She had changed in a way I couldn’t quite explain at the time. I noticed her more all of a sudden. Maybe it was me who had changed, but I haven’t quite figured it out yet. I may never.

She had long thick wavy black hair that reached the middle of her back. She was adopted by the neighbors when she was a baby. This was only recently explained to me when I started noticing the difference between her and her parents. She looked Mexican, and her parents had an Irish ancestry. She had a very pretty dark complexion. Sheila seemed shorter than she was the last time I was here. I’m sure that was me who changed in this situation as well.

I followed Sheila as she led me onto her porch, and we sat on the porch swing. She lived in a two-story white Victorian-style house. The front porch wrapped around the right side of the house to the side door. The roof on top of the porch also served as a balcony. The swing was to the left of the front door and to the right of the side railing. The creaking of the swing was a calming sound as we swayed back and forth. In a matter of minutes after we sat on the porch, it was pouring rain.

What are you going to do? Sheila asked me.

I don’t know. What can anybody do?

You were living in Chicago, weren’t you?

Yes.

I was so scared for you. I thought you were dead, Sheila explained. I was so glad when your grandma came by to let me know you were here. It was like maybe this whole event isn’t as bad as it could have been.

Thanks for worrying. You know I just realized I no longer have a home, I noted.

Well, at least you’re not dead.

That is a good thing isn’t it? I agreed.

I visited with Sheila until after the sun came up and the rain seceded. I felt closer to her than I had ever felt in my entire life up to that point. I hadn’t seen her for more than three years prior to that morning, yet it seemed like we were never apart. Still there was a change in our relationship that I couldn’t quite pinpoint at that time.

Four days after the bombing, my grandpa received a call from the military. I could only hear his side of the conversation, but it seemed as if he was being asked to come out of retirement. He seemed excited, yet he had to clear it with the rest of us first. He took the phone into the guest room my parents were sharing just off of the dining room and shut the door. I knew something was wrong, and whatever it was, it worried Grandpa.

I ran down the stairs to the phone in my bedroom and pushed the mute button on the phone before I lifted it to my ear to listen in.

I know we were wrong now, but it’s too late to do anything about that now. We have to take care of the new situation, I heard the man say to Grandpa.

Well, who is it? Grandpa asked.

Our reconnaissance team spotted over a million Chinese troops over the border in Mexico. It looks like they’ve been there for a while.

How could we not notice a million troops arrive just over the border?

They’ve been flying in on commercial airlines for over ten years in civilian clothes, a few at a time. The Mexican government covered it up, because their economy increased in value exponentially. They also didn’t realize they were military. After the bombing, an official crossed over the border and alerted us. He said that the day of the bombing, over fifty military planes arrived with guns, vehicles, and other supplies. They knew with everything going on here and Washington not there to find them on radar that they would arrive unnoticed, he explained.

Well, if I do return, I want a promotion, Grandpa demanded.

We already planned for you to be general. We’re running a little low on them right now, and with your experience, you are the first person we called.

Do you have anyone watching the Canadian border? Grandpa asked.

We’ve had jets flying over the border all day long. We have noticed some odd happenings there as well.

Oh yea, like what?

A couple of years ago, a number of warehouses were built just over the border of Montana. Trucks have been going in and out of there nonstop. We didn’t think anything about it, because all of the trucks that arrived from there dropped off and picked up all sorts of commodities sold in almost every American and Canadian supermarket.

So what’s the problem? Grandpa interrupted.

About a month ago, most of the trucks stopped. Only a very few arrived, and all of them were unmarked.

Well, that is a problem. Are you thinking Russians?

That is our fear. We found some evidence linking them to this location.

That scenario would make more sense.

They discussed the situation for about five more minutes until General Stanton was called into another meeting. Grandpa hung up.

I hung the phone up and walked up the stairs trying to be inconspicuous. I grabbed a soda out of the fridge after I entered the kitchen from the stairs. As I entered the dining room, Grandpa told me to sit down. I sat at the table next to my mother. My dad was across from me, and Grandma was across from Mom. Grandpa stood over Grandma and explained the situation. He told us that this was top secret right now, but in a matter of hours, the whole country would be alerted. He told us that the military will be asking for volunteers because they’d lost so many soldiers in the bombing and the number estimated to be attacking in a matter of days.

Grandma started sobbing when Grandpa broke the news. I watched as Grandpa knelt next to her and slid his hand in hers. Sweetheart, I love you. I have to do this. It’s my duty, honey, Grandpa explained.

You promised it was over. You promised I wouldn’t have to worry any more about you coming home. Grandma was pleading, knowing she had to let him go.

I must go to protect you and our children, and what about our grandchildren?

Promise me that you’ll come home, promise me!

Grandpa put her head against his shoulder. I promise.

The news of the invasion was spread in a way reminiscent of times long ago and almost forgotten. No interruption on the television, not one announcement on the airwaves. Technology that had been so depended on for our lives to continue had now become a weapon that could end us as a people if used incorrectly. The very powerful tools that had made us the strongest people in the world now are the same tools that could be used to tear us down.

Messengers were sent. Recruiters in military fatigues, thousands of them sent in every direction to update the remaining population and to recruit. It had to be done quickly and was.

The sun reflected off the mirrors above my dresser from the small rectangular window at the top of the basement wall in my bedroom. I pulled the covers over my head to defend myself. Just when I was about to fade back into restful bliss, I heard her knock. I didn’t even have to look. She had awakened me so many times in the past this way. My heart leaped in my chest when I saw her smile in the window. I slipped my jeans on and headed out the back door.

Did you see the flyer? Sheila asked.

What flyer? I scratched my head.

There was a flyer at our door this morning. It said that we are supposed to go into town, to the town hall for a meeting, she began. Every man, woman, and child. Do you have any idea what’s going on?

I turned my eyes from her. I focused on the swing set behind my grandparents’ house, and a feeling of longing for simpler times overcame me.

You do know! You have to tell me. What’s going on, Alex? She was practically begging me to reveal this forbidden information.

You know I’m not supposed to tell anyone.

I’m not just anyone. I’ve been your friend for as long as I can remember. You tell me everything.

She was completely right. There was no possible way for me to keep this from her. You’re going to hear this in a couple of hours anyway. You know how bad times have been recently right? I asked.

I’m not blind. It’s been almost hell.

Well, hell’s not far away. It’s going to get really bad really fast. We are going to be going through some really horrible things starting in the next few weeks, maybe even days.

What’s going to happen, Alex? Just tell me, Sheila commanded.

We are about to be invaded.

By whom?

The Chinese in the south and the Russians in the north.

Are they the ones who bombed us? inquired Sheila.

According to Grandpa, yes, and that meeting today they will be telling us everything and then ask for volunteers.

For what? she said a fraction of a second before she comprehended it.

To fight. I’m volunteering, I announced.

No, you’re not, you’re too young.

I’m ready, they’ll take me, I rebutted.

Alex, you can’t go.

Why can’t I? Do you think I couldn’t do it.

Of course not. I just can’t let you go.

You can’t let me! Why not? I erupted.

Because I don’t want you to, that’s why, she said, fear resonating in her throat.

I have to it’s my duty,

You’re sounding like your grandpa. You don’t have to try to be just like him.

That has nothing to do with it. Give me one good reason not to volunteer.

Because I love you, you idiot, and I don’t want you to die. That’s why.

The words struck like a sword being thrust into my gut. All rational thought was forgotten and control, gone. You… you what?

I love you.

I didn’t know how to react. I was feeling so many emotions at once all my mind could grasp was confusion. Then I felt something slip its way into my chest—fear. And my reaction to it was a mistake. I’m volunteering, and that’s it! You can’t stop me! I shouted.

Sheila burst into tears and ran toward my grandparent’s door. I knew exactly what she was doing. I didn’t care at that particular moment. I was confused. Why did I get so upset? It was the first time anyone had ever said those three words to me, and I couldn’t think of anyone else I’d rather have told me that. I knew I had some feelings for her I hadn’t felt before and had not figured out how to deal with them just yet. The way I did I knew was a mistake.

I slowly followed her into the house. I knew that my parents would not support me in my decision, but I thought, with my grandpa’s military career, he would be on my side. As I approached the door, I saw through the screen that Sheila was still in tears. Mom had her sitting at the dining room table and was comforting her. As soon as I opened the door, Dad started in on me.

You’re not volunteering. You’re too young, Alex.

No, I’m not. I know what I’m doing, Dad.

You have an obligation to this family now. You can’t join without my permission, and I’m not giving it. Dad put his hands on his waist and glared at me.

I looked at Grandpa who’d been listening from the living room couch. You’re on my side, aren’t you, Grandpa?

Grandpa stood up and walked toward me. He stopped less than a foot away and looked directly into my eyes. Not this time, kid. Your parents are right. Not yet, he began. Your place is right here for now. But I’d be happy to give you my blessing when I think you’re ready.

When will that be? I muttered.

You don’t need to encourage him, Dad, my mom said.

I’m not. But when he’s old enough and that’s what he wants to do, we should support him.

I had lost my battle, but I think I had at least a glimmer of hope to win the war. I still felt bad about the way I had treated Sheila, and so I asked her to come outside and talk to me. We decided to go for a walk down the country road.

I didn’t quite know where to begin. Sheila. I paused. I am so sorry for the way I reacted. That’s the first time anyone’s ever said that to me. We’ve been friends so long I just wasn’t expecting that yet.

Does that mean you don’t feel that way about me? Her eyes were still moist, and she wiped them with the palms of her hands.

I’ve noticed that something’s changed about the way I feel about you lately. I couldn’t quite pin it down because I’ve never felt like this before. I thought maybe it was because we hadn’t seen each other in so long maybe I just missed you too much. But when you said you loved me, I felt so many emotions all at once. I didn’t know how to respond yet. I understand now. You are extremely important to me. I don’t know if its love, but I do care about you more than I ever have before. I’m only truly happy when I’m with you, I explained.

Sheila’s face changed during my conversation with her. It’s almost like a light was turned on and shined through her pores. I was admiring her beautiful smile and thinking to myself, I did that. It made my spirit lift knowing that I had that effect on her just by saying how I felt.

She slid her hand in mine as we approached the creek about a half a mile up the road from her house. It was only about nine thirty, so we had a couple of hours before we had to leave for town. We decided to go to our spot.

We had a spot by the creek where we used to spend a lot of our time playing and looking for frogs. It was our favorite place to get away from any adults when we just wanted to be kids.

Our spot hadn’t changed much. You still had to walk our trail through the trees that we had created from walking through it so many times. The trail was a small path with knee-length vegetation about twenty feet long that led to the usually muddy shore of the creek. When you step off the path and on to this open area before you hit the creek, you can see the rope tied to the thick bending branch of the maple tree we used to swing and jump into the swimming hole.

The only difference I could see was our area seemed to have shrunk. The plants that once surrounded our area had grown in a bit from lack of activity in the area. We were the only two people who knew about this place, and with us not down here as much, nature started filling in our space.

It seemed more humid surrounded by all of these trees and mud. I looked in Sheila’s eyes to see her looking right back into mine. It was a magical moment. I still haven’t figured out who started it. We just were overtaken by a kiss, both of us. No decisions were made, it just happened. And it was amazing. Our spot that was once such a familiar place now contained extraordinary energy.

Grandpa had his military uniform on and was carrying a green military canvas bag when we returned from the creek. I approached him as he was putting it in the trunk next to his brown suitcase with a brass handle. I hadn’t seen him packing and was a little surprised he was leaving already.

You’re leaving already, Grandpa? I asked.

After the meeting, I’m leaving with the recruiter to go to the main command center, he explained.

Where’s that at?

Sorry, kid, I can’t let you in on that info.

Top secret huh, Grandpa?

Sure is, kid.

It felt like I had just