Platoon (1).ljbc Page

Suddenly, the jungle went silent. The rhythmic chirping of insects cut out like a snapped wire. Elias raised a hand, and the platoon froze, sinking into the foliage. Taylor’s heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic bird in a cage. He gripped his rifle until his knuckles turned white.

"Keep your interval, Taylor," Elias whispered, not even turning his head. "The jungle has eyes, and they like it when we huddle." platoon (1).ljbc

Tracers stitched the air like burning needles. Taylor fell back, his ears ringing, the chaos swallowing his thoughts. In that moment, college, his parents’ letters, and the world back home felt like a dream he had once had. Here, there was only the mud, the man to his left, and the desperate hope that he would see the sun rise through the canopy one more time. Suddenly, the jungle went silent

Around him, the platoon was a collection of ghosts draped in olive drab. There was Sergeant Elias, who moved through the elephant grass like he was part of the wind, and Barnes, whose face was a roadmap of scars and a reminder that surviving often meant losing your soul. Taylor’s heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic