Michael+Fidler

Timid Assorted Sunlight

 The sunlight peered through the hole,  Deep down into the darkness it faded,  A mouse runs from the light appearing,  Snickering as it moves away, ear twitching,  The moaning wood, footsteps,  Hammers pounding, organized tools and materials,  Cranes powering loads up and down.  Piece by piece the building rises Reluctant to reach the sky, but still it goes up.  Busy ants on top and busy ants below  The hole is widened and the mouse cries, While being invaded by tyrants. A pipe of stone lowering,  Men yelling, crying, shouting  All in place, all set,  A home built. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> A home destroyed.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Outlandish violet Nursing homes

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> The violet landscape so rich, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Only to have the want or wish, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Over the hills and valleys, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Toward the violet landscape, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Home over the hills and empty space, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Long ago, not the future, back in time the nursing home alive, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> The lives here, yet close to gone, they will live <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> For now, and have peace when they go. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> No longer for the elder, no longer older. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Age has no meaning, life as well, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Long ago it muttered, no more. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Over the hills and valleys, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Forever home, forever dead <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Forever with peace and life <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Peace with me now and forever.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Attack!

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> The music from the radio increased in volume as the lights flickered. In the small confined area, the lights caused reflections from the polished metal walls. The lights flickered again. “Merlin, what are you doing now!” Someone yelled “Could you possibly not fiddle with the lights right now, we playing here!” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Sorry I thought it was a bit dark!" Merlin yells back. "Would you prefer to play in the dark, sir?" Merlin was a tall built figure with bright blond hair and had the softest personality of the entire Company, as he entered the room the smoke fumes and music hit him in full. The room was slightly more lit then the rest of the ship, and had one large table in it making the room cramped. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Its James, Merlin stop calling me sir makes me feel... clean.” replied James, who was strong and for the last few weeks following the rules, which was strange, "Pull 'sir' on me again and I will for sure pull rank on you." <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Yes, sir" <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"That’s it get me a drink, now." <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"I thought we were going to play a game though." <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Not with your attitude." <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">From across the table someone says "The way we are waiting this game isn't going to end." <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Oh Brandon, don't get too sad. After all it’s your turn." replied James. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Alright fine... There, Full house." <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"You’re a sore player aren’t you..." James says with a smile, "I guess you won’t mind me calling lights out a bit early today, huh." <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">From all around the table you hear groans, "Come on Brandon, you always ruin it." <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Brandon slowly gets up from the table, and begins walking towards the door. "Oh well it was bedtime for me tonight anyways." <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As Brandon left the room he heard everyone begin to almost talk at once saying the same thing. "Well now he's gone so can we continue?" The last word Brandon heard was a no and it wasn't from James, but Merlin. Brandon continued down the hall. It had eight doors, four on each side with one leading into the room he was in and one going upstairs. Brandon took the second door on the left and entered into a medium sized room filled with personal affects and bunk beds. He crossed the room to where his bunk was and climbed into his bed. He sighed as he thought of his home and the war. Its been a year now getting ready here for something, he thought, I wonder what it is. Within minutes he was asleep comfortably. Early the next morning he awoke with the morning bugle. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Hurry up boys, time for morning exercises!" James yelled, "Get dressed and on deck or else you might just lose some privileges tonight sitting around the table!" <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">With that the room was full of people running; they were not going to miss this game tonight, because it was supposed to be a good one. All the troops were going to be setting up a tournament, and everyone wanted to prove they were the best at the game. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Brandon you awake? Seems to me you’re still half asleep" called Merlin from the bunk beside him. "I would hurry; Sarge is in quite a hurry for some reason." <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Merlin was completely dressed already. Brandon couldn't help think if he was in on what James is doing, and what is with the formalities. It would take awhile to get the bed head out of his brown hair. Its getting too long, he though as he pulled on his dress uniform. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In minutes the deck was full of Marines, and Sailors all dressed up. The front gun of the battleship was in front of them and pointing back over their heads. Everyone was here, well almost everyone. It seems that only a few groups got up this early. James was in the front of our group standing as straight as he could. I was getting ready for him to fall into us. This must be a big day for him or else we wouldn't be out here already. Brandon took a quick glance at his watch, 0600, why are we out here this early. As the Captain came up to our group he congratulated James and gave him a pat on the back that for sure I though should have caused him to fall he was standing so tense. A strange symphony of humming rose, and I looked over my right shoulder just in time to notice a plane off in the distance. The Air force isn't up this early usually. Seconds later a whole formation of planes burst from the clouds and began moving down for the attack, with their red dotted tails. The Japs. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Merlin popped out of the dazzled group of men and ran down the deck toward our gun. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Move, Now!" James yelled, but it was too late, Brandon was already half way there, following Merlin. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> All around guns started firing, both the enemy and our guns, as soldiers got to their stations. While running I get shoved into Merlin. "Get Down!"James yells as he pushes me and Merlin into the deck. Seconds later bullets riddled the side of the ship we were standing at. From behind there are a series of screams as those who didn't notice the plane got filled with bullet holes. "Move!" <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We jumped up from the deck and proceeded towards the back of the ship and our gun. As we closed in on our gun the ship lurched forward starting to gain speed. James and I couldn’t catch ourselves and came tumbling toward the ground. Merlin, who managed to catch himself, reached the gun and started preparing the gun to fire. We got there just as he finished and I began firing up into the sky at some of the fighter/bombers called Zero's. We slowly gained speed as the ship got momentum. I braced myself and took aim at a group of Zero's flying towards two destroyers nearby. The ships guns and I began firing at the group to stop them. One by one they went into the water from our gunfire. I ran out as three of the group dropped their payload. “They are dropping their bombs in the water!” I yelled. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“They are not bombs, they are torpedoes!” Merlin yelled back as he finished reloading. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">From afar I watched as one by one the torpedoes hammered into the two destroyers. One began sinking immediately the other almost didn’t seem fazed by the barrage. I took aim at another group of Zero’s that was making their runs. Three went down crashing into the waves with the torpedoes of the survivors. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Try to hit the torpedoes in air and get them to blow up the formations!” James yelled, he was running back and forth getting ammo and helping load the gun. “Hit them on the undercarriage and watch the fireworks. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The next group of zero’s I spotted was on their way to their target. The Missouri noticed the incoming attack and concentrated fire on those planes. I took one down and they finished them off. No torpedoes fired. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Keep firing, don’t stop!” James yelled as he went for more ammo. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I spotted a group of five zero’s come down and opened fire. I noticed they were flying strait toward us and that we were the target. I took down three and kept firing taking one more at the torpedo and throwing off the other torpedo as it fell. Both planes fell into the waves. I started searching for the torpedo that made it. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ones coming at us!” I screamed, my voice trembling. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> “Keep firing!” Merlin yelled, “Just keep firing until it hits us!” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I stopped searching the water and looked up looking for something to shoot. It seemed to take forever to find someone to shoot at, but I found them. Another group of five. I started shooting at the front one. It took a dive in toward us. I fired five more rounds the first two taking out the torpedo the last three taking out the plane. James yelled to take cover. He spotted the torpedo. I looked around again and noticed a white funnel heading towards our ship. It was not aimed at the middle of the ship. It looked like it was coming straight toward our gun! The ship seemed to gain speed rapidly, as if it knew that the torpedo was coming, and it was planning on missing it. I grabbed hold of the gun and fired at the closest group. One, two, three. Empty. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ammo!” I yelled. Merlin was on his way with more. Where is James, I wondered. I searched the deck and saw him frozen standing up next to the railing, his mouth was wide open and it looked as if he were about to fall over again, except he did this time. The torpedo had just missed, barely. There was no explosion, no shuddering hull. Silence. It had missed… James recovered from his shocked state and slowly walked back over to me and Merlin. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Merlin was the first to wake everyone up. “Ammo, sir!” he said slow and even. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“… Right…” James started over to the ammo. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I turned back to the gun and searched for another target. Three taking fire close to us, I took down the rest and searched for another target. A sound and something else cause me to look up as a plane plummeted toward the ship, the front of the ship. I stood there and watched as if in slow motion as the zero separated from its torpedo and began pulling up and away. I then watched the torpedo as it slowly came down to earth right into the ship. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What are you doing!? Fire the g…” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Whatever came next wasn’t heard. The whole ship lurched in the water. It stopped almost instantly with the explosion and caused a huge shockwave through the ship. All three of us got tossed to the back of the ship. I had hit something and blacked out. When I came to James was firing the gun still and the ship was rotating slowly into the water. I watched the deck slowly dip down and sink into the water. As I got off the deck Merlin showed up. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Are you alright!? Brandon! Brandon are you okay!” Merlin had taken hold of me and was about to shake me when the deck started pinging away, the rattling stopped. As soon as the sound stopped Merlin ran over to the gun and jumped in the water. All I could do was sit and watch from the deck. It was slowly going under water. Merlin erupted from the water, caring a body behind him. All of a sudden the ship shuddered and lurched one last time tossing me into the water and causing the ship to sink a few feet. The deck was now floating over the water. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Merlin!” I called, shivering, “Merlin!” weaker this time, in barely a whisper, “I’m sorry.” Slowly I drifted along the water and into a dream. We were playing cards around the table again. All was well and nothing was wrong. The dream slowly transitioned into the ship again, except I never noticed it wasn’t our ship and I was on a rescue ship. I started searching for my friends… “James, Merlin.” Nowhere. Reality quickly caught up with me and when we pulled up to the broken up dock it hit me. I was alone.