Free World of Ashes by J.K. Robinson Page A

impression Officer John Newton was seeking permission from him somehow. Who was Ethan to give any orders?
                 
    2
    “Battle is an orgy of chaos.” ~Gen. George S. Patton
     
                  It was three in the morning when Ethan opened his eyes again. He didn't remember coming home, but luckily he realized where and when, he was before he freaked out. His nightmares had already seen to his bed being covered in sweat. He’d reached for Nicole at his side, devastated not to find her there. She’d been his only attachment to reality most days. His eyes were blurry, the half pint of vodka he'd been drinking had tipped over and soaked the carpet. Again. Not that it mattered to him now, his mother and father weren’t there to complain about the smell or stains. Looking around he saw a light on in the kitchen, Keith was passed out with a cigarette burned down to the filter between his fingers.
    Rubbing his eyes , Ethan turned on his laptop and looked at his normally empty inbox. He was missing the instant gratification of deleting spam, or replying to it with an equally idiotic message or pictures of a penis. Only this time it wasn't empty. There was a government address on it, which didn't elicit much excitement from him. He'd already gotten two emails confirming that he'd been reported missing in action, and another was an automated canned letter of condolence to his family. Apparently dispatching a currier or using a phone was beyond the Army’s resources these days. He clicked on it and almost threw all the vodka back up again.
                 
    ethan were okay at tulsa if you read this we love you                                   
     
    One sentence, no explanations, just a location and a farewell.
                  "They're alive!"
                  Keith sat up and launched himself out of his seat. At that exact moment the phone rang. Ethan grabbed it, "Hello!? Nicole?" The response he got was even more shocking than the email.
                  "… Thank God you're alive.. ."
                  "Lee?"
                  " I don't have long, I'll be back soon, promise. "
                  "Lee!?" Ethan shouted as he heard static on the line, "Lee! Can you hear me? Where are you!? I'll come get you!" The line was dead. "FUCK!"
                  "Lee's your brother, right?" Keith asked, but Ethan was beyond reasoning with now. He shouted and broke something before collapsing to the couch in near convulsions, torn over the disturbing moments of what he hoped was just a vivid nightmare.
                  "Where's Lee, Ethan? Where is he?" Keith grabbed Ethan by the shoulders, trying to snap him out of the panic attack.
                  "He's in Tenth Mountain." Ethan choked out, "He was in Kentucky when I got drafted." Ethan calmed down some when Keith brought a half finished bottle of Jagermifter to him. Polishing off the licorice flavored swill in a chugging motion that made Keith ill to watch, Ethan hastily typed a reply to the email and started throwing clothing towards a vintage ALICE* pack he’d had since JROTC.
                  "What are you doing?"
                  "I have to go to Oklahoma. Stay here, I won't be long."
                  "Oklahoma? Are you fucking insane? You won't make it past the next town. You'll be lucky to survive getting past Fort Leonard Wood. And on that note, what about Bourbon?" Keith pinned Ethan to a wall, hitting his head on the thermostat. "You gotta stay here, man. If Lee is coming home you can go when he gets here. If your family is using the internet then there is electricity and computers and the safety to use them. They're okay for now. They’re fine. They’re alive. My family is not. You have to pull yourself together and recognize the gift in front of your fucking face!" Pushing