A Moment of Serenity

Image by SplitShire from Pixabay



“Soldiers! We’ll make our stand here on the high ground!” I yelled.

Assessing our surroundings, I quickly triaged our next moves. “Company A, clear the brush starting at the top of the hill and work your way down until our scouts sound the horn! Company B, take stock of our ammunition and rations. You, you, and you, collect water from that lake and start a boil. If they decide to lay siege, I want a fresh supply. Archers—”

I was interrupted by the tuning of a guitar. I turned,
livid. How could someone play guitar now, when the enemy was closing on our heels?

It was Sergeant Donny Ruff, a seasoned veteran even before
the power grid went down. Of all people, he knew the importance of discipline!

But before I could admonish him, he started in on a melody, and it hit me straight in the soul. He hummed a little accompaniment to ‘Johnny’s Widow Waits.’

“What the hell are you—” my second in command said, rushing
forward. I grabbed his arm and stopped him with a shake of my head.

The men and women around the camp had stopped what they were
doing, and each one turned toward Donny. Some hummed along, others’ lips moved
silently, and some just got a faraway look.

“He’s right,” I said. We needed a reminder of why we were doing this, of what it all meant. The song spoke of the pride of our homeland and the people we left behind while we ensured they stay safe. The chorus came around and I lent my strong voice to it. So many years had passed, I forgot how I enjoyed it.

All too soon, the song ended. The final note hung on the
air.

“Archers! Take up position,” I ordered.

~~~~~~~~~~
Did you enjoy this story? Join my newsletter to get an exclusive novella that you will also enjoy, and hear about future projects first!

~~~~~~~~~~
Be sure to come back tomorrow. There are still two days of guest authors, despite this interruption.

The post A Moment of Serenity appeared first on Ichabod Ebenezer.