The Drummer Boy                               

I open my eyes in the morning to a splitting headache, and my wife looking at me concerned. Not knowing what happened or what is going on, I attempt to sit-up not realizing that my body is aching, and there is bandages around my arm. I wince from the pain and lay back down. My wife makes sure I’m okay and then we looked each other in the eye.

“What is going on?” I inquired while trying not to raise my voice due to the pain. Mary closes her eyes breathes in and very slowly breathes out she stares into my eyes as if attempting to pierce my soul. She begins,”Your squad was patrolling  when you got ambushed we don’t know who attacked you but, it might have been loyalists. We only found you at the site of the incident no evidence of where your teammates might of gone, we did find your all of your teammates guns however.”

I lay there eyes wide as I try to process the information. I quickly lose my temper and start yelling horrible things that I should not have said. This attracts my maid Claire and she yells, “What is going on here?” They both manage to calm me down and I ask Claire for a favor. “Claire can you get me some tea and some flapjacks?” She complies and starts to work on them. I lay back down and let out some steam when I hear both my little monsters run into my room and pounce on me they start laughing so I laugh with them trying to ignore the massive wave of pain that is flowing through my body.

Layla gets off me first then she is followed by Abigail. Once they are off me Mary scolds them in how I am hurt and need alone time. They both frown and I feeling bad allow them to go outside in which both of their faces light up like a fireplace. After feeling a little better, Mary tells me she is going out to buy food. Claire comes over and tells me that everything is finished and is laying on the table. I get up and limp over to the table and sit finishing my flapjacks and tea in record time. I tell claire that I am going to the army camp in which she tells me to be safe.  

When I arrive at the camp I am greeted by wide eyes staring me down as the entire camp is looking at me. I freeze not knowing what to do under this much pressure. A captain rushes over to me and engages with me in a conversation. “Glad to have you back Soldier! As you were in a deadly situation recently, and are injured we have decided to give you a new position.” My eyes grow wide just like the people that are staring me down. I nervously harness the courage to ask,” What position, Sergeant?” He quickly exerts an answer. “ Drummer boy Soldier, your training starts today.” He directs me to a medium sized cabin and I creep inside.

Once I’m in, an old man is sitting on the ground in a meditating position. The man raises his head and in a split second he grabs something, jumps up, and turns around and starts playing a flute. The melody he played for some reason forced me to look to the left. He played a different tune that made me look at the ceiling. He stopped and with a look of disgust said,” Your training starts when you are ready.” He then sent me home for the day.

The next day I come back to the cabin, but this time I feel ready he plays a tune. I resist it and walk to him and shook his hand. He said,”you are ready.” Over the next couple of weeks I train vigorously with him to perfect the tunes and to learn which tunes to use in a situation. Once I perfected it, my first battle came.

The armies were facing each other this went on for a few seconds.Then out of the blue George Washington yelled,”CHARGE!” The armies ran at each other full force. I took cover behind a tree I played my tunes and helped my force detect flanks and such. I realized that our army was cornered and I needed to do something. A dropped gun was nearby so I took a chance, I ran. I ran as fast as I have ever ran before and grabbed the gun. I had to reload the clip with scattered clips around me. Once I was finished I was behind the enemy and started shooting them I managed to take out twenty and while retreating I was shot in the back.

I was behind a tree taking cover. I slowly bled out praying that I wouldn’t die today and I can see my family again. Luckily I was saved and treated but I wasn’t allowed to be in the army. But that was okay.