Takes place on Veteran’s Day of this year.
Red took one look at Kyle and knew the Army never left him.
Red made sure to come up to Kyle, full on. Brixl had gone to get both of them a beer, and Red saw Kyle from across the room. Same haircut that they both got at Basic, same baby face that got him so many pushups. Yet his frame was a lot leaner, definitely coming from working out with a gym. He had stripped out of his dress uniform and was in only a t-shirt and jeans at the Army’s get-together back at the party tent. Almost all the men were in the same state of casual dress, Red and Brixl included. Both had marched in the parade, and both didn’t want to mess up their dress greens – and blues – for the ceremony tomorrow.
Kyle had been invited and RSVP’d. Red walked up to Kyle, making sure to stay in his field of vision.
“Hey,” Kyle said, and bro-hugged him with one hand. “How the hell are ya?”
“Can’t complain. Glad you’re coming tomorrow.”
“You kidding? Wouldn’t miss seeing my old bunkmate get hitched.” Kyle took a sip of his beer, and looked at Red sideways – Red could tell he was assessing the movement of the room while he spoke, “Though I didn’t think it would be another guy.”
“Like I’d spread it around.”
Kyle turned his head and smiled at Red, “Well, it’s good to know you’re going to be happy.”
“What about you? Conquests on the horizon?”
He shook his head. “Almost, but you know what they say.”
“Only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” Red grinned. “Want to meet him?”
Kyle drank again. “Sure, I guess.”
Red was going to lead the way but Kyle took a place beside him. People moved for him. He had that kind of look about him that even the Army guys respected. They met up with Brixl half-way, and he offered the beer to Red. “Hello,” Brixl said, offering his now-free hand. “I’m Brixl.”
“Kyle,” the man said, and shook.
Red asked, “Still in the Dragon Battalion?”
Kyle nodded. “Can’t wait to go back, though.”
“I hear ya,” Red said. “How long you re-enlist?”
“I got three more years.”
“And you’re a—“
“Lieutenant. Might be going to West Point, but not sure I want to.”
“Yeah, once they make you an officer, you can’t have any fun,” broke in Brixl.
“Got that right,” Kyle said.
Red watched as Brixl and Kyle got along well together. He smiled, as Brixl didn’t seem to have a problem getting along with anyone. Though it remained to be seen if Red’s mother was going to show up tomorrow…
Prompt:
He was an elite killing machine, though to you, he’d always be your best friend from high school. You knew that he would be involved in some kind of military career. It was obvious from the way he would absolutely destroy you and your other friends in military-based video games and how extremely seriously he took them. You weren’t surprised when he enlisted and you were even less surprised when he told you he’d be involved in a very covert position doing sniper work. When he returned from duty, he was an extremely different person. He explained that he might act strangely when he entered a room, because he was still in a mind frame of killing and avoiding death from his time spent in some of the most hostile territories in the world. You wondered if he’d ever be able to get over such a psychologically altering life-or-death mentality.
Cohen, Bryan (2012-01-31). 1,000 Character Writing Prompts: Villains, Heroes and Hams for Scripts, Stories and More (Kindle Locations 728-734). Build Creative Writing Ideas. Kindle Edition.