Literary Devices

Catching the signal from one of her friends, Angela brushed her skirt, took a deep breath and walked towards where he was sitting. He sat cross-legged as he played a lament on his violin. He had come from Gettysburg where a massive battle took place that killed millions on both sides. The sad melody brought him back to the battle. "Infantry! fix bayonets! prepare to counter-charge those tyrants!" The commanders voice ranged out through the ranks as a wave of clanking and clicking noises spread. He crouched there as his wandering eyes looked down from the hill to see the corpse of trees and farther away the Federals. His bayonet gleamed brightly in the morning light begging to be used. The howitzers boom filled the still air... The Hegemons message plays in fog of static "What happens there this day, the fate of this nation in the balance it hangs!" His lament slowed and increased in emotional waves as he remembers the death that happened there. As Angela approached Captain Anderson his playing abruptly stopped. His dirtied black combat uniform, now brown, stained the fresh grass that he sat on and all in all looked horrible in that shade. He turned his head to face Angela and stared straight into her eyes. It felt like his eyes were burrowing into her soul and forcing her to feel the sorrow that he now felt. "Lieutenant..." was all he said before looking away again. Sighing Angela kneels down next to him and oddly remains there, silent, for a long time. Her eyes got locked on the distant black smoke coming from the battle as drop ships swarmed over the site. "Anderson-"

"go away, I don't psychiatric help..." His voice is rough yet empty.

"Isn't that for me to decide? After all I am the on duty psychologist and You have been to hell and back in the last week..." Anderson sits there for a long while just staring at the horizon. Angela remains locked on him waiting for him to come back to this world.

"I need to take a shower"

"wait!" Anderson stood up and briskly walked back to the compound making sure to escape Angela's grasp. Looking over she gives a pitiful face to her friend who nods in sympathy as she goes back to talking to a private who is shell-shocked.