Military Life

     Along the desolate border the military sits.  Keeping the hordes of demon beats and zombies at bay.  Everyday they have fought to preserve what was left of America.  Over the past weeks they have dug into an entrenchment and created a no mans land with the undead hordes.  Countless artillery and machine guns lining the border. At night the light of the constant explosions kept the area lit.  This was war, a war that the army did not know if it could win.

     In the trench there was a group of soldiers talking to one another. A young private named Steve, he had just finished boot camp when the apocalypse happened. Steve never knew that his life would end up this way, he thought of joining the military so that he could pay for his college.  He was a timid boy who was starting to embrace his new destiny. Alongside of him was his Sargent whose name was Frank, but everyone in the unit just called him Sarge. 

    "How ya holdin up Steve?" Asked Frank. "Feeling any better yet?"

    "I'm fine Sarge, I don't think about it much anymore. Only when I sleep or I'm awake." Replied Steve, referring to the apocalypse. Steve had lost his whole family since he was from the east coast.  He was just lucky that his boot camp was outside of the fog zone.

   "Sounds like shit kid." Frank responded. Frank had seen some shit in his day, he had been to war and fought against the terrorists.  He had witnessed his friends die. He had seen all the horrors of war, but this, this was something far worse than war. This was survival.  With his seniority and experience he tried to try up the fresh recruits and motivate them to keep fighting. This in turn kept him motivated as well. "Well private, there's one thing that always cheers me up recently."

   "What's that Sarge?" Asked Steve.

   Frank then hands Steve a pair of binoculars.  "You see that horde of Zeds at two o'clock?"

    "Ya I see um. Massive amount." Steve responded.

    Frank lifts his radio up and spoke into it. "We are a go, I repeat we are a go." Shortly after Frank's radio transmission the zombie horde exploded in spectacular fashion. "Always warms my heart to see those damn walkers blown to bits." Frank said as he smiled.  "Feels good don't it kid?!"

    "Ya Sarge feels good." Steve agreed.

    "I know its hard private, we all lost a lot of family in the fog. Hell we lost most of our country to the damn mess.  Now there's these damn Zeds everywhere you look and don't get me started on these fucking demon beasts." Frank grabs Steve's shoulder as he continues talking.  "But we have a job to do. We are all that stands between the hordes of death and the last of the America. It is our duty, our privilege even, to defend the helpless and protect the weak, as long as we stand no Zed nor demon beast will pass our line! Do you have what it takes to hold the line private?!"

    Steve then snapped to attention and gave a salute. "Yes Sir! Sargent Sir!"

   With that Frank saluted the private back and went back to his post.  These he was greeted by his commanding officer, a General named Douglas. When Frank saw the General he saluted and stood at attention. "At ease." Douglas said. "What's the situation with our troops Sargent?"

    "Sir! Our troops have been repelling the hordes for weeks with no signs of us giving an inch. However moral among the troops is low.  Many troops lost their entire families to the fog, others are having trouble with the thought of killing the Zeds since they were once our own people." Frank responded.

   "Sargent I am afraid I have some disturbing news. Our satellites have picked up an enormous horde, far larger than anything we have ever seen, at least a million strong.  I need you and your troops to hold the line. My forces will reinforce the rear to insure that America does not fall to these beasts." The General's expression changes to a very sad one. "Sargent, I am sorry to ask this of you and your men, but this mission will most likely be your last. If there were another way.." Frank then cuts General Douglas off.

   "WE WILL HOLD THE LINE SIR!" Frank shouted.  "It will take more than a million Zeds to push our line sir, don't worry I will give you our victory report myself."

   General Douglas then gave Frank a salute and retreated with his forces to the rear.  Frank now had the task of preparing the men for this suicide mission. He called his soldiers over the radio so that they would all hear him at once. "Company we have a mission. Our General has just informed me that we are the only hope of America.  There is a horde over a million strong headed this way and we are the only thing between them and civilization. We all lost people, but we will not lose each other. We will hold the line! We may have fears, but we will overcome them. We will hold the line! We may run out of ammunition, but then would just use our arms and knives. We will hold the line. Men I know this is asking everything from you, but I know we will succeed, we will hold the line! Now let's prepare we have mere hours before the horde is upon us."

    At the end of the speech shouts could be heard from the troops. Hours passed as the troops prepared for battle and then the horde arrived.  "We have contact." Came across the radio. "Contact at alpha point." Again the radio went off. "Contact at bravo point." 

    Frank takes his radio up again, he was currently sitting in an observation tower overlooking the battlefield.  The zombie horde arrived just hours before dawn and visibility was extremely poor. With every artillery strike you could see more and more of the horde.  It was endless. "We have this troops." Frank beginning to realize the hopelessness of this situation. "We will hold the line! It'll take more than a million zeds to stop us boys!  Let them hear your determination!"

    Shouting could then be heard amount the gunfire and explosions. Frank knew that there was little hope they would have enough munitions to last the night.  Frank also knew that help was not coming. Frank picked up his side arm and his assault rifle and headed over to where private Steve was. "Hanging in there kid?" Frank shouted as he reached Steve.

     Steve was almost overrun by the horde at the time Frank reached him.  "It's just a couple Zeds Sir. Nothing I can't handle." Steve said as he was using the last of his bullets on the undead hordes.

    "I see. Let me give you some back up anyway." Frank responded.

    Just then the radio went off again, "Point Charlie out of ammo. Bravo is running on events as well." 

     Frank spoke into his radio "Not going to let a little thing like a lack of bullets stop you are you?"

     "No Sir!" Came back over the radio.

     Just then it was like the sun was rising on the horizon, expect it was not time for the sun to come up yet. Frank grabbed his binoculars and looked out on the horizon. He saw a golden carriage being pulled by winged horses. "The fuck is that?!" Frank yelled. 

     "What's going on Sarge?" Steve asked as he is now beating the zombies, having run out of ammunition.

    "It's a glowing carriage?" Frank continued to watch. He then saw the carriage door open and on the biggest men he had even seen get out. Long flowing silver hair and it seemed as if he was glowing as well.  "Now there's some big glowy guy in a tailored suit. The hell is he doing?" Frank continued to watch. He then saw Jim hold out his hand toward the zombie horde, followed by a giant flash of light. "Fuck that was bright, what did he do?"

     As Steve was fighting the zombies, suddenly they started to turn to dust.  The entire horde was wiped out in an instant. All of the zombies were evaporating into nothingness, even the defiled ground under them had been healed.  "Um Sarge did we win?" Steve asked.

    Franks jaw is ajar at this point he is not believing what he is seeing.

    "Sarge?" Steve asked again.

    Frank snaps out of it. "It was the glowy guy, he just reached out his hand and all the zeds just dusted." Frank paused. "I really hope he is friendly."

     Meanwhile at the carriage. Jim, Susan, and Astros are discussing what just occurred.

     "Damn Jim!" Susan exclaimed. "That has to be a record."

     "Jim do you think that was a grand enough display to win the minds of the mortals?" Astros asked.

     "I hope so, I mean if its not, what else can I do?" Jim said back to Astros. "If it wasn't though I will just figure something else out later."

     "So now what?" Susan asked. "Do we get back in the carriage? Or what?"

    "Lets walk." Jim responded.

     Then the crew of Jim, Susan, and Astros walked to the army's entrenchment.  They could be seen from across the battlefield. Jim and Astros' glow was enough to light up the sky.  The scene of two massive men and one tiny woman walking across no mans land would be forever etched into the minds of the soldiers.  As they reached the entrenchment Jim let out a yell. "WHOSE IN CHARGE HERE?!" His godlike booming voice was enough to shake the very ground they stood on.

   "Careful with the god voice darling, don't want the mortals to shit themselves." Astros said to Jim.

   Frank made his way out of the trenches. "I am in charge here. My name is Frank."

   "Ah, nice to meet you Frank. I am Jim, the god." Jim said with a smile.