horrors2

BenBiddick.Willy.tex

 1\chapimg{Discount\_Bees}{art/Discount_Bees-Willy.jpg}
 2\chapauth{Ben Biddick}
 3\chapter{Willy}
 4
 5I sat on my chair and opened a can of beer. The TV was on and I was
 6looking for a break from reality. It was 1953. I had just bought the TV
 7and was adjusting to the adaptation of sight and sound together.
 8
 9The Korean War was on in the Far East and a number of the younger
10generation of the town in which I lived had gone off to fight, including
11my grandson, Willy. I had fought in WWI, my son John had fought in WWII,
12and now Willy had gone off to fight in the Korean War. I prayed for
13Willy often, for I knew the ravages of war.
14
15I soon had fallen asleep on the chair when a certain annoying sound came
16from the door. It was a certain scratching. A horridly fearful sound. I
17woke with a start and walked to the door. The scratching came again and
18then a moan. A terrible low moan, filled with anguish, pain, sadness,
19and fear. I took a step back. Another moan. It caused fear to waltz up
20and down my spine.
21
22``Who's there?'' I shouted to the other side of the gate.
23
24All there was was an attempt at the word: Grandpa.
25
26``Willy?'' I asked the voice, and my sanity.
27
28I swung the door open in anticipation. There was Willy, lying on the
29front steps. He was dressed in combat fatigues and had no left leg. His
30thigh was raw meat. Blood had turned the green pants into rust all the
31way across Willy's buttocks, top right leg, and lower back.
32
33``Grand-nd-pa,'' Willy stuttered, ``I can't walk. What is wrong?''
34
35The young man was bewildered to the point of delirium. I hugged the boy
36and cried. I shut my eyes to the agony and squeezed the young boy.
37
38``Oh, Will,'' I shuttered.
39
40I then opened my eyes and I was holding nothing. I rubbed my eyes, and
41retreated in shock and bewilderment. I went back into my house in a
42stupor and called John's house. All I could say when John lifted the
43phone was, ``Willy---''
44
45``Grandpa,'' I heard accompanied with sobs and shrieks, ``Willy's dead. His
46left leg was blown off by a grenade and he bled to death.''
47
48All I could do was hang up.