I wrote this for a competition.

spent ages on it, it's exaclty 500 words and the topic was the summary.

'When I looked again there was nothing there'

havent got the results back

wish me luck

(thought i'd put it on here)

enjoy

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I watched from afar, feeling above them but keeping my distance. They ran full speed towards us in a mad rage of fury, abhorrence and pain. They had nothing to hold them back, nothing to stop them moving; they carried naught but a soul full of pride and the heavy heart of a race scorned. I watched them run into the swarm of our troops then fall like the tears their families would surely cry over the deceased martyrs. I found it difficult and painful to believe there was someone behind the blaze of bullets, pulling triggers that sentenced death, closing their eyes as the sight of what they had done entered their peripheral vision. Only when standing alone was I able to deny my cooperation and masquerade that I was somewhere else, anywhere else that was not offering assistance to this unwaking nightmare. I could fool myself into thinking I wasn't a part, not for my weapon, not for my pride, but for my distance.

One of the others arrived at the small crack in the line where an ally had screamed before, a fallen soldier with aspirations and perhaps a family. The new contestant was marching right towards me, his deep red eyes that had seen too much meeting my cold black ones, cold black eyes that had once sparkled, eyes that had once been called handsome, eyes the same as my father's. This enemy was different from the rest only because he had a weapon, a bat which he held passionately as though he were a child about to swing at a ball. He was an extra in this tribulation, this was no soldier these were no infantrymen and this was not war.

He ceased running and we stood, frozen in our solitude yet connected in ways neither of us understood. He didn't want to take my life but would sacrifice everything to protect what he loves; I was a mere setback for his ultimate goal. He didn't know me and I'm glad he never will as I was only there because I had to be; tied to my rank I was obliged to follow their commands. They tell me to go to war, I get on a plane, they say fight I grab my weapon. I knew who deserved to win, I also knew who would. In this game of genocide that some called war, only the strongest survived.

My thoughts were broken when he bolted forwards; caught off guard I clicked without thinking. A blaze of dancing flames shot out before me and I forced myself to look away. When I looked again there was nothing there but a deep crimson fire, flames that were no longer dancing but devouring. Flames that had once given heat now cloaked like darkness towards the enemy, destroying all in their path. Flames I created.

No longer able to stand apart I stared helplessly into the inferno and prayed for forgiveness; to this day I still hope it comes.