The blood dripped from the eyes of the man who once saw, the man who once knew, the man who once felt, the man who was once...alive.

-

He didn't want to join the army, not at 19. Yet as Henry though, he knew that this could be the chance to make something of himself, look his parents in the eyes and know they were proud of him. To look into every face of every person who once stood in front of him and told him that he wasn't good enough, that he wasn't...that he wasn't normal.

Of course Henry WAS normal, in the sense that there was nothing wrong with him, no mental or physical illness. Normal was a vast word. Henry thought everyone was normal, yet there was that list, that list could prove he had what it took to be "normal" to them.

-

It happened so fast. The months of training, the hours spent running drill after drill. His squad stood before the rest, they had what it took to be one, to move as one, to think as one, to be a team. They were ready for the battle.

He loved the feel of being in the uniform. Davidson would greet him every morning with a quick salute. His squad looked up to him as a leader. He felt so good inside. This was his moment, that moment he had dreamed about when he first signed into the army.

It was time.

They were called in to Battalion 419, Squad Delta.

Moving out into position Delta and Echo climbed into the vehicle. They were the flank for their offensive attack. It would be a simple everyday routine for Delta. He had the plan mapped out. Cover fire coming from the left side, bullets flying every which way. The first squad out would be Delta to set up position. They wouldn't even have to fire their weapons if they were lucky. Once they could get to the point then Echo wou-

"First time out on the field?" Echo leader asked, interrupting Henry's thoughts.

"Yeah, my first. Hopin' to get me a medal before all this is through," he said with a small chuckle. The man smiled back.

"You got a lady back home?" he asked.

"Well I would like to say so but in truth no," he replied sadly, "You got one?"

"Yeah," the man's face lit up, "shes the best woman a man could ask for. Her name is Gloria, shes one fine woman. Ready to do what women do the best don't you know? Well, I'd have to say I loved her ever since the moment I laid eyes on her. We bumped into each other at the coffee house. It just felt...right, you know?" As the man spoke on, Henry could see the look of happiness on

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