-David's POV-

The jungles of Vietnam, the perfect place to be. Or at least that's what I thought back home, never understood why I thought it would be a good idea to go here. I'd love to be back in home in San Francisco playing football, but no, I'm doing this shit instead.

I don't regret it, I just don't understand why I did it, oh well, too late now. I've been here for a month, and I've got another eleven before I can go home. I don't even care if I'm just a grunt, that's pretty much what all privates are anyways. 

Well anyways, back to me, I'm just walking through the jungle, talking to my buddy Ben, I've known him for a solid like, two weeks, oh wait right, I'm talking to Ben.

"-Yeah, and he, are you even listening?" Ben said, looking at me, his eyes felt like bullets, well not that I can say that I know what a bullet feels like, I've never been shot before.

"Yeah, sorry, my bad, I was just thinking." I replied, looking at him and looking away instantaneously.

"It's fine, anyways-" Ben said, before getting cut off by a hail of bullets unleashing from the dense trees ahead of us.

"Get down!" A soldier yelled, and I immediately fell down and ducked behind a large rock.

Ben fell down, but not before getting shot in the arm.

"Fuck, stupid Viets, always doing this shit." Ben said, loading his gun and firing back at the ambushers.

"Uh, alright." I said, before looking at my weapon to reload it.

'Stupid fucking M16, always gets jammed.' I thought as I struggled to load the gun, before it finally cocked and was ready to fire.

I peeked over the rock and held the trigger, before ducking back down as soon as the bullets started coming back towards me.

"Hey man, you got any bullets? I'm running dry over here." A soldier next to me said.

"Yeah, here." I replied quickly, handing him a magazine from my vest.

"Thanks." He said, before getting behind the same rock me and Ben were using as cover.

We exchanged gunfire with the ambushers but were slowly losing ground as we were losing number fast, and the enemy seemed to keep on replenishing.

Suddenly, a bullet ricocheted off my helmet, causing it to fall off.

I returned fire and reloaded again and again. This time, I had no more ammo.

"Fuck, anyone got a mag? I'm dry over here." I said, looking around, but to no avail. Everyone was too preoccupied with you know, repelling the ambushers. 

Suddenly, the ambushers started dropping fucking bombs on us. 

"Oh shit, aw hell nah." The soldier next to me said, before trying to get up and run but he didn't make it far, in fact he didn't even get to take a step before his lifeless body fell to the ground beside me.

I looked at the emotionless face before me, staring at me, but... There was no heart behind those eyes.

I was horrified, the screams of my fellow soldiers literally getting blown to shreds terrified me. I was looking around aimlessly, hopelessly.

"Were getting the fuck out of here, no sir we can't stay, half the fucking platoon is dead-" Ben said, chatting on the radio back to base. I assumed.

I could barely make out the words he was saying, they were all muffled in my head, the sounds of war filled my ears, and I started hyperventilating. 

A soldier next to me names Charles started to yell something at me, I couldn't make out what he was saying but I could read his lips even with my blurry vison, "Fall back" he said.

I got up and started running, or a better word would be stumbling my way back to the dense forest behind us, hoping to make it nearly sixty miles back to base.

Charles came up behind me and started shouting at me, "Get yourself together David, if you don't start using all the energy in you to start running, your skull is going to be on a stick soon."

I shook my head, my vision still blurry and my hearing still muffled but I was in the zone, I started running with everything I had in me, the heavy gear pulling my down, but I persevered. 

Ben and Charles were close behind me, and we ran while evading gunfire and using trees as cover.

"This is not what I signed up for." Charles said, laughing a bit before going straight faced.

"Very funny Charles." I said, stifling out a laugh.

The sounds of bombs going off behind me and in front of me was so loud, my ears were ringing and the sounds of people literally exploding left a mark in my mind.

I suddenly stumbled and my eyes widened, and I fell to the ground, Charles slowed down to help me, but as he ran to me he got shot square in the face. 

He fell to the ground next to me and I swear to god, that's when I lost all hope. One of my friends just died in front of me and everyone had already run past me. 

I just laid there, trying my best to act dead as Vietcong ran past yelling things I did not understand. 

I laid there, nothing but a pistol and a bayonet. 

Once all the Viets had gone by, I laid still for a bit, before getting up cautiously. 

I heard the sound of Huey gunships in the distance, and the sounds of machine guns tearing apart whoever the ambushers were. I was hopeful again, but I suddenly realized I'm behind enemy lines.

I ran as fast as I could towards the sound of helicopters. But it was too late, they were already in the sky, flying back to base.

I could only stare as the helicopters got farther and farther away.

I looked around me, a bunch of dead Vietcong laid, and I was the only person still alive.

"Now what?" I asked myself, standing still and just... thinking. 

Then I heard the sound of jets flying, I thought back to something Ben said on the radio, 'Yeah, alright, were going to get the fuck out of here, we have transport on the way? Alright, wait what? A bombing run? Isn't that overkill? Well, yeah, your right, just make sure those Viets are dead for sure.'

My eyes widened and I started running again, this time on a path, a dirt path that seemingly led to nowhere. 

I was alone, so I walked on the side, just in case if I got ambushed, I could use the forest to my right as cover.

"Hmm, hmm." I hummed, some song I guess. I heard it all the time, never got the name but it was pretty good. 

I heard the sounds of explosions behind me and turned around, the giant explosion clouds and smoke covering the air in front of me.

I ignored it and kept on walking, I walked for what felt like hours, just humming songs and thinking about stuff back home. 

You know, that reminds me, I used to know some girl back home named Sarah, she said to me before I left, that she would be waiting for me. Well, I heavily doubt that, and plus, the US Army probably thinks I'm dead. I bet my parents will be receiving a knock on their door about their son being dead.

I sighed, I was pretty much on my own now. There was fifty-eight miles between me and base camp. No way I was going to make that journey by myself, and without a rifle.

I was walking down the path alone, before I heard the sound of footsteps and wheels behind me.

I unholstered my pistol and turned around, only to be met with a... girl?

"Uh, hi?" I said, raising a brow, my gun still pointed at the girl.

She was shorter than me, she wore one of those grey robes and straw hats I saw all the time around here. She was pulling a wagon with bags hanging off of it, and it seemed like something a street vendor would drag around. But, she was so... I don't know how to say this without sounding weird, beautiful? Is it weird to call someone you've just met, and are pointing a gun at beautiful? 

"Hi? Could you like, get the gun out of my face please?" She said, speaking English which surprised me.

"You speak English? Also, sorry." I said, lowering the gun but still having it in my hand.

"Well, I lived in the Philippines all my life, and my parents taught me, I decided to move here a few years back but I'm still fluent." She said, before sighing, "I would love to go back home, but this stupid war has caused me to become displaced, all thanks to you." 

"Woah, woah, I didn't cause this war, what did I ever do to you? We just met." I said, raising a brow at her.

She kept on walking, and I walked alongside her, maybe because I wanted to talk to her, and because I had nothing better to do.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it in that way, I meant your superiors. I know you guys are just following orders but damn, you grunts are assholes." She said, looking at me nonchalant. 

"Well, I don't really know why I'm even here, I just got drafted." I said, shrugging.

"This is surprisingly casual, for well a conversation between a person and a soldier that is." She said, looking ahead.

"What's so special about it? Were both people, I don't have a superiority complex or anything." I replied, my eyes glazing over her before looking away.

"Well, I've never talked to a US soldier before but I kind of expected you to like, assault me or something when you first saw me. To be honest, I thought I would have to give you all my food, or even my home." She said, chuckling a bit.

And my god, that was the most beautiful sound I've heard in ages. I bet it probably was the best thing to ever enter my ears.

"I, uh." I tried to say something but couldn't, I took a deep breath and looked her directly in the eye. "You got a place? I know this is a weird question but I'm kind of... Dead to the US army, they think I'm dead, and I really don't want to spend the day in the forest, I'll probably be dead by tomorrow if I stay out here for much longer."

She looked at me, her eyes staring into mine, I swear I started sweating. "Why would I do that exactly? I don't know you, you're invading MY country, and who knows what you could do to me..." She said, her eyes narrowing at towards the end.

I nodded, understanding her worries, but I knew I couldn't just accept a no, I couldn't. 

"Look, I promise not to try anything. Plus, I'm not like that. If you let me stay the day, I'll be out first thing in the morning." I said, smiling awkwardly at her, made it look like I was pleading, which maybe I was. 

She stopped walking, and I stopped as well. She looked at me, her eyes narrowed, and she seemed to be really thinking about it. The seconds became a minute, and I was getting nervous, as if I wasn't already nervous. 

"Alright, fine. Just leave me alone, I'll give you just the things you need, and then you're out. Deal?" She finally said, breaking the silence.

I felt a sense of relief fall over me, and the biggest smile spread over my face, I swear I looked like an idiot, but I was happy. 

"I, thank you, I really mean it. You probably just saved my life." I thanked her, putting her hand in mine and squeezing it lightly.

She seemed to be surprised by the sudden contact, and slowly pulled her hand away. But she laughed nonetheless, "It's fine, I'm happy to help, as long as it doesn't mean I have the guilt of someone's death on my head." 

I know I just said this but, I swear THAT was the greatest sound to ever enter my ears. I felt my face get warm, but I shook my head, no, we can't be falling for random women we just met. Even though she is very pretty, augh, I know this isn't how soldiers act. 

"So, lead the way." I said, motioning towards the road.

"Oh, right." She replied, starting to walk again. 

I saw her visibly start to struggle with the cart so I decided to help her out. 

"Here, let me get that." I said, ushering her away from the cart and dragging it behind me.

She looked at me with a smile, "Thanks, I appreciate it."

I looked back at her and gave her a smile of my own, albeit mine was a lot more nervous. "It's nothing really, just being myself."

"You know, I didn't expect this out of a soldier. I always thought soldiers were tough, and aggressive. Which would make sense, since you know, you kill people for a job." She said, looking away.

"Well, yeah I have killed people, but that doesn't mean I can't be humane. I'm a person like you too, you know." I said, and it was the truth, I have shot people in my short time here but, I always saw it as defending myself.

She chuckled, "Well, I suppose you're right. Well, thank you for enlightening me..?" She looked at me, like she was expecting something, oh right, my name, we never exchanged names. 

"Oh, David, David Moore. But you can call me Moore, or David. Either one works." I said, awkwardly introducing myself, and extending a hand for her to shake as we continued to walk down the road.

"Well then David, I'm Aera, Aera Tehiro. I don't usually tell people my surname but, you did so I only thought it was fair." Aera said, smiling at me.

I chuckled nervously, "Right, sorry." 

"No, it's fine really. Anyways, just a little more to go, were finally in the city." Aera said, and she was right, huh, the transition from dense jungle to city was weird. Just a moment ago we were walking along a dirt road and now were walking on a sidewalk in, well a city. 

The sounds of people saying stuff I couldn't understand, and the sounds of well, people living life was something I hadn't heard in a while. 

I was getting weird stares from people, probably because I was a US soldier, but whatever. I tried my best to ignore it and silently signaled to Aera that we should probably move a little faster.

After a short while, we made it to her home, and it wasn't anything too fancy, but it wasn't anything bad either. It was more or less the average home, but its architecture was unique. Eh, I expected that.

"Come in." Aera said, opening the door and motioning for me to enter.

I walked in and was greeted by a nice, comfy place. It was pretty nice, but it was a little small, just a kitchen with stools along the counter which I assumed you would eat on, and a small living area and a bedroom.

"It's nice, I like it." I said, not even thinking about it.

Aera looked away, "Oh, thank you. It's nothing special really."

I looked at her, "Well it's where I'm staying so might as well get comfortable, right?"

"I suppose so." Aera said, before walking into the kitchen and minding her own business.

I didn't know what to do so I just decided to go in the living area and sit on the couch.

I laid down and felt my eyes close, but I kept them open, just to ask for permission to sleep, I guess.

"Hey, Aera, is it cool with you if I just, take a nap?" I asked, looking at her from across the room.

She didn't even look at me, focusing on what she was doing. "Sure, I'll wake you up in a few." She said, before going silent again.

"Alright, thanks." I replied, before closing my eyes and drifting into the world of sleep. Although the memory of what I dreamed about is cloudy, I remember one thought I had before I fell asleep.

'Am I really dead to the entire world? Is David Moore, really dead?'