Literally Lifesavers

Here is a short story I wrote a few years ago for an online magazine called, Braingunk. The only rule was that it had to be exactly 500 words. That is a lot more tricky than it sounds. It's the first thing I had published. Some of you may have already read it, but for those of you who haven't, Enjoy!
                                                         
                                                         Literally Lifesavers


 Today was one year to the day since Private C. Johnston received his High school diploma. A short time later, he kissed his mother and sisters goodbye and shipped out for Vietnam. Today he was in a small village just off the Moi River; a location he had been in several times in the past few months. Most villages gave Casey an uneasy feeling, it weighed heavy on him not knowing who the enemy was. It could be an 11-year-old boy with kind eyes and a sad smile. However, in this particular village he knew he had at least one friend. She was a 15-year-old girl named Phuong, and whenever his eyes met hers, Casey was overcome with emotion. He instantly felt very protective over her and wished there were no language barrier between them.

“I am so sick of this heat!” Complained Casey, as he filled his cheek with Gold-Bears. The guys in his unit spent their extra money on tobacco, and often busted Casey’s chops over his love of candy.

Every time Casey saw Phuong he shared his candy with her, Lifesavers were her favorite, so he purposely stopped eating his stash of them in order to make sure he had some on hand should they meet again.

As Casey shoved his bag of candy into his pocket he saw Phuong out of the corner of his eye. She looked incredibly sweet even with her torn dress and dirty bare feet. As she approached him, she smiled and he was glad that nobody else was aware of the fact that it was her smile that helped him go on everyday.

“Get over here” Staff Sergeant K. Scott muttered. Casey then diverted his gaze from Phuong and headed into Sergeant Scott’s direction. He was standing about ten feet away in the doorway of hooch. When Casey approached him, what he saw made is stomach drop and he was glad that all he had eaten today were a few Gold Bears.
Private J. Bonner was laying on the dirt floor in a pool of blood while a group of NVA regulars stood around him with U.S. Marine issued M-16 rifles. In such a case, there is only one thing to be done. Remain calm.
Casey cautiously walked toward his wounded brother in arms and knelt beside him. “Click” “slide” “click” The sound of a round loading into the chamber of a gun echoed in Casey’s ears. He could feel the hard cool steel pressed up against the back of his head just below his helmet. Then in the same instant the voice of an angel filled the room and his heart. Phuong was yelling, pleading and crying. She grabbed the arm that held the Colt M-16 and removed it from Casey’s head.
Relief filled the small room as the other NVA’s lowered their weapons. Phuong’s tear filled eyes met Casey’s as he scooped up his wounded comrade and walked out of the hooch with both of their lives.


http://braingunk.com/main/braingunk-500?start=12