Imaginations
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Battle
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "So,
      how
      long
      have
      you
      been
      here,"
      asked
      a
      man
      in
      a
      military
     
     
      green
      helmet
      and
      jacket.
      He
      was
      peering
      intently
      over
      the
      ridge
     
     
      and
      the
      valley
      beyond
      for
      any
      signs
      of
      movement
      on
      the
      hill.
      He
     
     
      was
      rough-looking
      with
      a
      week’s
      growth
      of
      beard.
      Dirt
      and
      grass
     
     
      stains
      covered
      his
      clothes
      and
      skin.
      A
      riffle
      lay
      beside
      him
      at
      the
     
     
      ready.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      younger
      soldier
      beside
      him
      thought
      for
      a
      moment.
      Funny,
     
     
      I
      don’t
      remember
      ever
      being
      anywhere
      else.
      War
      does
      that
      to
     
     
      you
      I
      guess.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "I’m
      not
      sure.
      I’ve
      lost
      track
      of
      the
      time.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "Happens
      sometimes.
      Keep
      your
      eyes
      peeled,
      they’ll
      be
      coming
     
     
      any
      minute
      now."
      He
      shifted
      a
      bit
      to
      reach
      for
      his
      belt
      pack.
     
     
      He
      withdrew
      a
      bar
      of
      the
      high-energy
      garbage
      the
      army
      insisted
     
     
      they
      eat.
      It
      tasted
      like
      card
      board,
      but
      it
      would
      keep
      them
      alive
     
     
      when
      on
      long
      patrols.
      One
      was
      offered
      to
      the
      young
      soldier
      who
     
     
      accepted
      a
      piece.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      He
      wondered
      for
      a
      moment
      how
      this
      man
      could
      know
      they
      were
     
     
      about
      to
      be
      attacked.
      It
      could
      be
      *******,
      but
      he
      seemed
      so
     
     
      certain.
      ,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "What’s
      your
      name,
      soldier,"
      the
      older
      man
      inquired
      gruffly
      with
      .
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      hint
      of
      a
      smile.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "Reggie
      Allen,"
      he
      replied.
      He
      started
      to
      continue
      speaking
      when
     
     
      shots
      began
      ringing
      out.
      Reggie
      grabbed
      his
      gun
      and
      moved
      to
     
     
      a
      better
      spot
      as
      his
      partner
      began
      squeezing
      off
      shots
      at
      the
     
     
      people
      now
      moving
      through
      the
      trees
      on
      the
      other
      hill.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      People
      all
      around
      him
      were
      shooting
      and
      running
      around.
     
     
      Reggie
      stopped
      as
      a
      woman
      in
      a
      white
      head
      band
      on
      the
      other
     
     
      hill
      stopped
      with
      a
      red
      spot
      forming
      in
      the
      head
      band
      on
      her
     
     
      forehead.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It
      was
      then
      that
      he
      realized,
      as
      he
      looked
      from
      her
      falling
      form
     
     
      to
      the
      gun
      in
      his
      hand,
      that
      he
      had
      never-killed
      anyone
      in
      his
     
     
      life.
      It
      all
      seemed
      so
      unreal.
      He
      couldn’t
      believe
      this
      was
     
     
      happening
      to
      him.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      sight
      of
      a
      man
      beside
      him
      falling
      dead
      brought
      him
      out
      of
     
     
      his
      trance
      and
      made
      him
      realize
      that
      he
      was
      standing
      in
      full
      view
     
     
      of
      the
      enemy.
      He
      marvelled
      that
      none
      of
      the
      shots
      fired
      had
      hit
     
     
      him.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "I
      don’t
      belong
      here,"
      he
      spoke
      to
      himself
      as
      he
      dropped
      his
      riffle
     
     
      and
      started
      running
      across
      the
      hill
      top,
      through
      the
      ******
      of
     
     
      trees
      and
      *****,
      shooting
      men
      and
      women
      who
      seemed
      to
      ignore
     
     
      him.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      He
      reached
      the
      edge
      of
      the
      hill
      and
      ran
      down
      onto
      the
      flat
      area
     
     
      that
      was
      the
      continuation
      of
      the
      valley
      floor.
      He
      followed
      a
     
     
      stream
      that
      wound
      from
      between
      the
      two
      hills.
      He
      glanced
      back
     
     
      and
      saw
      a
      man
      in
      a
      dark
      uniform
      running
      after
      them.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Reggie
      leapt
      over
      the
      stream
      as
      it
      ********
      over
      his
      path
      again
     
     
      and
      again.
      His
      pursuer
      caught
      up
      to
      him
      and
      tackled
      him
      to
      the
     
     
      ground.
      They
      rolled
      into
      the
      stream
      with
      Reggie
      on
      the
      bottom.
     
     
      They
      struggled
      for
      several
      minutes
      before
      Reggie
      finally
      fought
     
     
      to
      the
      top.
      He
      held
      the
      man
      in
      the
      water
      until
      he
      stopped
     
     
      struggling.
      It
      didn’t
      feel
      like
      he
      was
      dedd,
      just
      not
      moving.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Reggie
      leapt
      up
      and
      continued
      running,
      his
      heart
      flying
      as
      he
      felt,
     
     
      he
      knew,
      that
      he
      would
      be
      free.
      Others
      were
      chasing
      him,
      but
     
     
      he
      could
      outrun
      them.
      He
      had
      defeated
      one
      of
      them,
      so
      he
      had
     
     
      earned
      his
      freedom.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      He
      stopped
      suddenly
      as
      he
      hit
      a
      great
      wall.
      He
      looked
      up
      and
     
     
      about
      a
      hundred
      feet
      above
      him
      he
      saw
      a
      row
      of
      windows
      behind
     
     
      the
      wire
      mesh
      that
      covered
      every
      inch
      of
      the
      wall
      for
      as
      far
      as
      he
     
     
      could
      see.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      He
      turned
      slowly
      and
      realized
      that
      he
      was
      in
      an
      enormous
     
     
      building..
      A
      ring
      of
      windows
      circled
      the
      building,
      and
      behind
      the
     
     
      windows
      were
      dozens
      of
      people.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Why
      weren’t
      they
      doing
      anything,
      why
      don’t
      they
      help
      me.
      It
      was
     
     
      then
      that
      he
      realized
      that
      this
      was
      all
      an
      experiment,
      that
      he
      was
     
     
      no
      more
      than
      a
      subject
      to
      be
      studied,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "No!"
      he
      screamed,
      his
      voice
      echoing
      through
      the
      huge
      room.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      UPEI
      X-Press
     
    
   
   
    
     
      November
      8,
      1990