Soft curls of smoke lifted from the ash covered ground as...

Soft curls of smoke lifted from the ash covered ground as Stg. Jones roughly grabbed the strap to his pack, readjusting it to be more comfortable. Trees were visible in the distance, but the smoke made it difficult to see if he was walking in the correct direction or not. Every once in a while, Stg. Jones would cough, as if to drive away the smoke and ash that dared to enter his lungs and choke him. His movements were sluggish as he walked the barren wasteland, as if the backpack he carried was as heavy as the world. He gripped the straps tightly as he suddenly jerked his head, his knuckles gleamed with white. â€Å"My entire fault†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He muttered to himself, and then went into a fit of coughs, â€Å"All†¦my fault†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The curls of smoke seemed to†¦show more content†¦Images flashed before his eyes of those final moments in that battle. Gasping and groaning, Stg. Jones shook his head numerous times again, trying to steer those thoughts away and regain some control over his horror-struck body. It took a few minutes, but his muscles finally listened to him and his mind was cleared, somewhat. What remained was a heavy heart as Jones continued on his trek. Soon, the light smoke that surrounded him seemed to thicken, the smell of gunpowder and decay lay potent in the air, forcing him to step back for a moment. Through the grim hazy of grey and white, Stg. Jones saw the faintest silhouettes of odd lumps on the ground. Most of the lumps were spread out, but there were a few piled onto one another. Gulping loudly, Stg. Jones took in a deep breath and ventured on. He focused in on one of the odd lumps, and as he walked closer he saw that the lumps took a distinctive form. As he walked closer and closer, a sick feeling swelled up in the pit of his stomach. Then, a few feet away from the lump, the smoke seemed to clear for a moment, and Stg. Jones felt his stomach drop. There, lying in front of him was one of his fellow soldiers. ‘So†¦. I’ve returned to the battleground†¦. Where I abandoned my squad†¦.’ Stg. Jones thought to himself, his face crestfallen. As if his body was on autopilot, Stg. Jones continued to walk on, looking at every corpse that he passed with unbelieving and glistening eyes. Some were dressed in the