The Photograph

by BARomero

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It was the meeting I’d been waiting for my whole life.

The Enemy ambushed my squad and was overpowering us. My unit was falling fast under the fire.

I took a hit to the shoulder and dropped, just as the kid’s unit arrived. They rushed in, driving a wedge between us and the Enemy, while the kid himself pulled me to safety.

He was young and dirty and unremarkable, but still I recognized him. And when I asked his name, my suspicions were confirmed. I asked every question I could think of while he dressed my wound. When he finished, I had to share a piece of my past and a piece of his future.

I handed the picture to the kid. She wasn’t yet the woman I remembered, but no longer the girl he would come to know. The kid stared at the photo, studying every line, every loose hair. He had completely forgotten where and when we were.

I coughed. Embarrassed, the kid tried to hand the photo back to me. I pressed it into his hand.

“I want you to keep it,” I smiled. In my head, I added, Dad…

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Comments

Average Reader Rating: 5.0 stars out of 5

  1. The Photograph

    John Perkins' Buddy Icon John Perkins

    Posted 2 months ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    While reading this I could not help but think of Terminator. It was very well told.
    I think you could have said “I handed the picture to him” instead of using kid again in the fifth paragraph. As it stands you call him the kid every time, and I think you could have used “he” a couple of times instead. I find “k” sounds to be very jarring given how little they are used in normal English.

  2. The Photograph

    THX 0477's Buddy Icon THX 0477

    Posted 2 months ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Disorienting and dreamlike, but a really neat scenario you’ve come up with and artfully and vaguely presented to us. Time traveling soldiers? Complexities upon complexities.

  3. The Photograph

    Melia's Buddy Icon Melia

    Posted 2 months ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    I think this is the would-be scene when John hands Sarah Connor’s pic to Kyle (I freaking love Terminator) and it’s done beautifully. Gritty nostaligia in the midst of battle. And I actually like the use of ‘kid’ because it evokes a sort of mentor-mentee relationship from the get-go. Great job Bar!
    LoA

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