Following Orders

Rushing through the darkness, a path led Jacob to a small village.

Blinking, his heart stopped. 

In front of him was something that he did not sign up for.

Chaos was unfolding.

People were screaming and running in fear.

Wailing and sobbing women scurried around their homes holding babies.

Large men with helmets and swords seemed to be swarming around.

They were pounding on doors and barking out orders.

Backing into a corner of an inn, Jacob felt sick.

Covering his eyes, he couldn't watch.

With one slash of their sharp and long swords, the men began to kill the infants of the village.

Blood spattered the walls, and the moaning of the village Jacob had heard from above magnified into one loud buzz of agony.

Creeping from the shadows, he took a step out. He didn't want to be here, he had to get out - but how?

Before he could catch his breath, someone knocked him down violently from behind.

On his hands and knees, Jacob looked up into the eyes of a boy his own age. 

He had black hair. His face was dirty, his knees in blood.

Clutching his tunic, the boy froze staring into Jacobs eyes.

Underneath, Jacob could see something squirming.

Before he knew it, the boy grabbed Jacob's hand and the two darted out of the back of the village into the depth of desert.

 

Author's Note

Reviews

[D Connolly]

This is very good. I could envision it all. One suggestion; you've used both sight and hearing very well here. If you added the smell of the blood, the feeling of blood or sweat (touch) and the taste of bile, it would bring all 5 senses into the story. Good job!

[Tony Jordan]

And still the innocents are being slaughtered two thousand years later.
The progression of man is but a myth. Men only learn how to kill more efficiently.

This is gripping stuff Kathryn Smith. Well done.