The battlefield quiets. A hand rises amongst bodies. Pleading eyes meet mine.
I can save him.
But his uniform... the phantom scent of burnt flesh clings to my nostrils. Those bodies were so small.
Oath be damned!
Trading bandages for dagger, I leave his side a darker shade of me.
Another week, another fifty word prompt from @jayna. This week the word is shade, and I immediately wanted to discover an alternative use outside of shelter from the sun.
I came to my fellow writers with an idea and they helped me work through about four or five versions of this piece. Lots of suggestions were thrown around, different things tried, but the most constructive editing came when they asked questions to know the character and his/her situation better.
I really like how this turned out and great thanks goes to @negativer, @jasminearch, @anikekirsten, and @therosepatch for helping me on this one. Again, peer editing helps to refine a piece into the best version.