The old woman watched her husband disperse into the crowd, proudly bearing the blue uniform of the Yankees. He stood proud near Bolt, the black stallion that he owned. Close after hI'mwere two young boys, gripping each others hands their wispy blond hair in a short cut, their clear ice blue eyes wide with fear. Little did she know, but she would see these twin boys again, very soon.


“Kala!” The preacher was scufflInords the woman, “we need more nurses for a troop hospital, how would you like to help?” the preacher inquired.


“It would be my pleasure, Father Antonio.” |Kala replied blankly, she wooldjoy helping the troops in any way she could. If she had known how her life wooldd, she wouldn’t have accepted.


A few months later, she sits out side the small building that is the makeshift hospital. She watches as some soldiers carry in another wounded warrior. She helps the men lay the groaning warrior A large crimson spot slowly infested his tattered uniform. He was going to be out of his misery very soon. She scuffled into the building and the rank scent of death and infection sprung to her nose. In one corner lie the less fortunate soldiers whose bodies had been ravaged by infection, she went to the opposite corner that had the cold icy scent of death hung like an iron drape. She ripped the hem of fallen warrior’s breeches up to the knee. A new wave of the scent of decaying flesh hit her and she gagged momentarily, before scuffling out past the sour smelling corner where the dieing paladins. She looked at the soldier who had come in wounded. The rank smell of death had already stated to settle over him.


“Another one dow-“Kala was cut off by asriek, one of the blond boys that she had seen into the war was galloping towards them on one of the horses, another identical horse following, with an empty saddle.



“Nurse Kala! It’s Dominik! His barley breathing…”

Kala looked sorrowfully at the boy, “where is he little one?”


The boy gestured to the back of his saddle where the Dominik laid, an exact replica of the boy, except bloody, a gash traveling down from his shoulder to his hip. Kala looked at the other boy somberly,


“He’s dead. He looks as if he’s breathing… but he’s” Kala l9oked at the other boy, her gaze somber and full of sorrow.


“No! Dominik! He’s NOT dead!”

One of the soldiers who had carried the fallen warrior in spoke up,


“Erik, he’s gone… we have to go back to the field…”

Erick’s eyes filled with tears, “don’t put hI'mwith the others... please.. I want a proper burial for him.”

Kala looked at Erick, “I swear on the God almighty.”


The next day Kala sat up from the ground out side the hospital and puked up blood. She had contracted Tuberculosis. She lost track pf days, and one day she couldn’t use the strength to keep her eyes open, then she let her eyes close, and they never opened.