Chapter 1 Another shot screamed over his head as he dove for more cover, tearing a chunk bigger than he was away from the wall. Falling to the ground with a grunt, the soldier cursed inwardly. He should have never gotten separated from the others. Grabbing his weapon up from the dirt he struggled to get to his feet. Every few seconds the ground would shake with the impact of more weapon-fire making it very difficult to stand. Stumbling along, the soldier squinted through the dust and smoke to see his path, a small side street through the downtown area. Alfera had once been a vibrant, thriving city. Its streets filled with traffic both automobile and pedestrian. It was now a barren ruin being lighted not by streetlamps, but instead the only too common flashes of explosions and gunfire. Even during the day the sky was dimmed by the haze of smoke and dust caused by war. Destroyed or abandoned buildings loomed overhead and empty cars littered the street. Small fires burned in windows and water gushed from broken pipes. The air smelled of sewage from the smashed sewer system. But the soldier did not stop in horror at his apocalyptic surroundings. He had witnessed them for almost a year now, since the invasion began. The pain from losing such a peaceful home had long since ebbed away, leaving only a bitter hate for the enemy and a will to survive and fight. He was a warrior now, and he didn’t have room in his consciousness for such unnecessary feelings. Right now he was only concerned with the staying alive part. As he continued down the street his eyes swept from alley to alley, making sure the way was clear. Throwing the strap of his weapon back over his shoulder he raced on, praying that his way would not be blocked. You never knew when you would run into a fresh heap of debris clogging your path. Looking back he could see a dark silhouette through the smoke. Standing half again as tall as the man, it came towards him with long strides and raised its weapon again. With a burst of light it fired, this time missing the foot-soldier by mere inches. He felt the intense heat of the projectile, moving slower than a bullet. It dug a small crater in the wall of a nearby building, leaving a red-hot scorch mark that sizzled menacingly. The soldier cursed aloud and threw himself down an alley. He had to stay out of that thing’s line of fire. He could not continue to count on being so lucky. Suddenly disaster struck. Through the dark mist of combat he saw the literal end to the road. A chunk of the ground had been blown away leaving a crater that stretched across the width of the alley. He slowed as he approached the edge and looked down. The bottom could not be seen. A screech echoed down the corridor from the way he had come. It sent a chill down his spine and he knew it would not be long before his pursuer caught up. Looking about franticly he searched for an escape, but seeing none he raised his weapon. “Alright Julius.” he said, “This is it. No more running, time to make this thing pay.” He raised his rifle and braced it against his shoulder, all the while chuckling at his own words. He was surely a dead man. * * * Just a little something ive been working on while here in minnesota. anyone hav any thoughts? | 
