» Wed Sep 16, 2009 6:59 pm A Time Before the End
Chapter 1
The clouds boomed with a loud thundering noise. Lightning flashed all across the sky, rain poured down from the thundering clouds as soldiers and civilians alike, took shelter best they could from the elements. It has been several years since the European Commonwealth crumbled and countries began fighting amongst themselves for what remains of Europe's last remaining resources. It was like hell on earth, no one actually thought nuclear arms would be fired during the war, but they had, and now all European's were suffering because of it. France had crumbled into a anarchistic state, fighting their enemies one day, then allying themselves with them the next. Paris had been turned into a battlefield, barricades were built across certain street blocks and squares, dogs and cats were caught and eaten, even some people were killed and eaten by others. Paris had become hell on earth, and it seemed that there was no hope in sight for its once magnificent beautiful glory.
I sat in my foxhole, my old american M1 Rifle laying beside me, and rain collecting at the bottom that created a small puddle of muddy water. My poncho kept me fairly dry from the rain, and my helmet pinged every second a rain drop hit and bounced off. All around me, buildings were in ruins from the previous battle that had occurred two days before. Large holes were peppered all around the walls of the buildings from rocket propelled grenades, and other explosions. They were like large bullet holes, something a giant would fire if he had a machine-gun or rifle in his size. Trenches were drawn all around the City of Lights, some were empty, but full of rotting corpses. Others were used one day, and taken the next by another group who probably bled and sweat taking them. Life was hell in Paris, but it was what I had come to know.
As the storm weathered on, showing no sign of letting up, a voice from across the field echoed through the cold damp humid air.
"Louie! Where are you, Louie?" The voice continued, I sat listening for a moment to the voice as it cried out again and again. I looked at my lonely foxhole, and studied the puddle that was collecting, and rising as well. "Louie! Louie! Louie, where are you?" The voice cried again.
"What?" I called out in an agitated tone. The voice was silent for a moment, no reply came. Just silence. I gripped my M1 and looked over the foxhole, partially revealing my hazel eyes. I looked around, nothing was there. No voice, no movement, no wine or beer, and certainly no women?
"Louie! Where are you?" The voice suddenly cried out, making me slip into my lone foxhole, gripping my rifle close.
"What!" I said again, in an even more agitated voice, "What do you want? Who is this?"
"Louie! I am so glad to have found you. Where are you hiding?" The voice said, in a raised jubilant voice. It was almost like I knew who it was, but had not seen or heard them in years.
"Who are you?" I said, lowering my tone of agitation.
"It's me, Philip, I have come to see you." He replied. I looked up out of the foxhole, partially revealing my hazel eye's once more. This time a figure, no doubt Philip, waved in a wild direction. I looked all around me, maybe it was a trick? Maybe it was someone trying to lure me out of my safe secure foxhole, waiting for a sniper to take me. I just kept my head down, and listened to Philip.
"Where do you come from, Philip?" I asked looking at the waving hand, my M1 gripped tightly in my hand.
"Why do you ask this question, do you not recognize my voice?" He replied confused and pvssyring. The weather was taking a tole on him. I could hear him shivering in each word he spoke, but I still could not recall his name or anyone I knew by that name.
"Answer the question, I don't remember anyone with that name. Refresh my memory wont you?"
"I'm Philip Dubois, I'm working with Ragg's or whatever his name is. The idiot near the fallen Eiffel Tower, who thinks he is running the whole place!" He replied in a cocky attitude. Suddenly I realized who he was talking about, but not who he was. Ragg's was my groups leader, he had served in the Middle East with some Airborne battalion during the thick of it, and now had a huge chip on his shoulder because of it. We never asked why, he just stared at us, and we went about our day.
"O.K., Philip Dubois, why are you here?"
"Ragg's sent me to find you. You must hurry to the northern trench lines, but be careful, there are snipers crawling all over the place." Philip raised his hand, waving it some more as I looked at the surrounding buildings. They seemed silent and safe enough, if there was a sniper in the buildings, they would have surely fired at Philip waving his hand. He would have become a bullet magnet. I grabbed my wet satchel bag, and took one more look around just to make sure as no sniper was around. Philip called out to me again, and I decided to take a leap of faith, I quickly jolted out of my lone foxhole, zigging and zagging towards Phillips hole, which was much large than mine. Two other soldiers sat in the foxhole on either side of a man, who I suspected to be Philip.
"Are you, Philip?"
"Yes." He replied, suddenly calm and taking a drag off his cigarette.
"Are you taking me to the trenches, or am I to do it alone?"
"Alone." He said, quickly ending his sentence before it even began. I looked at him a bit odd, but figured that I wouldn't get much out of him from this point. He just sat there, looking at me, smoking his cigarette in the thundering clouds and pouring rain. I ignored the two others, not giving them much mind, and hurried through the mud and pouring rain, trudging to make my way through the ruined buildings, and cracked roads towards the northern trenches.
As I took cover, watching out for possible sniper positions, I suddenly spotted a lone cat walking through the rain. It's fur was while, but had a wild cat coloring on its head, sort of like a mask, and a ringed tail, odd for a cat with white fur on most of its body, but with one reddish brown and black spot on its back, and a smaller red spot near the base of its tail. It looked starved and wet. Its ribs clearly showed through its loose think skin. I called over to it, holding out my hand, and then pulling out a piece of meat when I caught its attention.
"Come here cat, I've got some food you can have. Get out of the rain you stupid cat!" I said, starting to get irritated by its stubbornness. I sat under a thin metal sheet, the rain pinging louder than it had on my helmet, waiting for the cat to come over. Finally it did, I realized I should be getting to the northern trenches quick, but I felt for the cat. Alone, starving, and no where to call home, I felt that it was like myself. The cat cautiously walked over, sniffing at the meat, then quickly licking my fingers, its rough sand paper like tong licked off several of my knuckle hairs, and quickly took the meat from my fingers. It ate the small piece of meat quick, and stood waiting for another. Its eye's were like a wild yellow, staring at me, waiting for the piece of paradise that it had not had for sometime.
"Here you go cat, your just like me. Probably like sour milk, like I like cheap wine?" I said handing the cat another piece of meat. The small moment with this little starved cat, was sort of a relief from the whole world. I sat anolyzing the small cat, then grabbed a small handkerchief, and dried it off the best I could. It turned into a small furry ball, and shook after I set it back down. I looked for a bit, and realized I better hurry to the trenches before Ragg's started considering me MIA or KIA, either one was bad in his eyes. I wiped off my knee's and checked my M1 making sure it wasn't drenched in water. It made no difference, either way it was getting wet, and I would have to clean it when I got to the trenches or somewhere dry. The cat sat down, patiently waiting for another piece of meat.
"Sorry, but I don't have anymore for you. Go find someone else." I said pointing towards the foxholes I had been, and where Philip and his two friends were. The cat didn't pay attention to my motion, it just sat there, looking and waiting for some meat. "I don't have anymore! Your going to have to find someone else?" I said pointing to the foxholes in the far distance. But no, the cat just sat there, and then began rubbing against my leg. I felt bad for it, after it reminded me of myself, I didn't want it to starve much anymore. I picked up the drying cat, it was smaller than most cats, and placed it in my between my large coat and body armor that was covered by the poncho. It meowed, showing its gratitude towards me and probably wanting more meat. I rolled my eyes, and made my way through the continuous pouring rain towards the northern trenches.
And thanks again. 
