Memories of war

Writing prompt for today: Memories of war

As night fell, life started to take on a subtle form of normality. Men and women roamed the streets, looking for survivors or loved ones in the rubble. Ambulance vans were busy transporting the injured to makeshift hospitals. Shops that had spontaneously shut for business started opening again, their displays rearranged to reflect the promise of life that had been given.

Sara had been at home at the time of the strike, down in the basement of her building, along with the others. It had been an agonising hour of waiting, wondering and constant listening. The bombs had missed her neighbourhood entirely in that air raid. But now the sirens sounded again.

Sara and her friends rushed to the makeshift shelter in the basement of the restaurant. It was her birthday today and her friends had dragged her out despite her repeated protests. She huddled next to her friends, ready for the memories that would begin to haunt her from this ten year long war. She closed her eyes and listened. She heard the sounds of babies crying, of whimpering women and murmured prayers, of planes flying low and fear gripping men. She felt the tremors and vibrations and heard shattered glass and muffled explosions. No matter how hard she covered her ears with the palm of her hands, the sounds continued to invade her. They came from beyond but more from within. In the midst of her tremulous state, she felt a warm embrace and held on tight. It was all she had and she felt grateful that this time she was in good company. After it was all over, she opened her eyes and felt nothing, just a ringing in her ears that echoed the memories of this war.