Midnight Splendor

For the group 500 Words. Didn't quite make the limit. 539 words =)

Kevin walked up the narrow street to his small apartment in Minneapolis, Minnesota on a cold night in December of 1928.  When he opened the door he smelled something he wished he would never smell ever again.  Gunpowder.

Immediately his mind took him back to his time spent in the war.  His nickname had been Snake Eyes, because he always got those in dice, and when they were in a tough spot, he was always the one to come up with a quick plan that would “poison” the enemy.

He had made a best friend in the army.  It was Taylor Dunham, commonly called Coyote by the other guys.  Taylor was a guy everyone would love.  He was always smiling no matter what the world threw at him, even when his parents were killed in a car crash while he was with us overseas.

“Hey Snake, you have a girl back home?” he had asked Kevin one day.

Kevin shook his head.  “Naw, not really.”

“Come on.  No one caught your eye yet?” he asked, smiling.  He knew that Kevin was lying.

“Well, there’s one. . . .”

“What’s her name?”

Kevin muttered, “Julie.”

“This Julie sent you any pictures or letters or anything?”

Kevin shook his head.  “We’re not like that yet.”

“Yet?” Taylor laughed.  “I say that as soon as you get home, you should take her out to dinner, someplace nice.  She’d like that.”

“I guess.”

Taylor laughed and stopped bothering Kevin about it.  Kevin was one of the more quiet types, anyway.  He would open up when he wanted to.

It was about a week later that everything changed.

They were sleeping under the tents on a bright, clear night.  There was a noise outside, but the alarms hadn’t been raised, so Kevin didn’t worry too much about it.

That was one of the biggest mistakes of his life.

When the flaps to his tent opened he was greeted by a cruel looking Nazi pointed a gun at him.  Kevin didn’t even try to scream.  That would have gotten him killed faster.

“What’s going on?” Taylor asked groggily.  He was one of the deepest sleepers of the entire American force.

“Sh,” Kevin warned quietly.  Taylor didn’t get the warning, and when he saw the Nazi he screamed and reached for his gun.  As soon as he did so, the German pulled the trigger and Taylor Dunham was no more.

“Taylor,” Kevin whispered quietly.  “Oh God, Taylor. . . .”  He clutched the still-warm hand of his dead buddy and looked out the flap at the disappearing Nazi’s walking away in the calamity, surrounded by the night sky and all of its midnight splendor.

About a month later they were allowed to go home.

Ten years later, Kevin was greeted again by the same smell that had stayed with him for years, reminding him of his friend’s death.  And this time it was in his own home.

Kevin opened the door and saw a woman laying on the ground, a bullet wound in her stomach.  Two more bodies were in the corner, much smaller than the woman.  Kevin walked over to them and said, “Taylor, Amanda.”  Then, choking back tears, he walked over to the woman and stroked her hair.

“Julie.”

Author's Note

Not really what I'm used to writing, but I gave it a try.

Reviews

[JulieNorell]

I know whats bugging me! Ok i have read and commented on many of your stories...I couldn't figure out what was missing... Use more descriptive words...Such as the sharp bitter smell of gunpowder rather than just gunpowder....It allows the reader to imagine the smell of gunpowder...Some people have never smelled gunpowder and the descriptive words help them to feel more connected to the story and the characters....Overall it was a very good story!

[Constance-Outspoken]

This was chillingly sad. I wonder at how this title brought you here, but it's a great write. I would have liked to see it longer,though of course you were trying to stay within bounds.The description is good for such a short write.

[R. L. Aversa]

Well written. But sad.

[Bette]

wow this is so sad. well done.