The 38th Parallel
some lines are not meant to be crossed
December 1950, near P'yongyang, North Korea.
Andrew heaved, blinked, struggled to focus. What he saw first was the red. Viscous and dazzling. He watched the scarlet ribbon unspool over the snow and remembered wet brushstrokes on a fresh canvas.
Days after arriving, he had passed through a muddy field trampled with blood and imagined his paints back home, red and brown melting into an indefinite maroon.
He gazed now at an unyielding red, etched in brilliant purity on the white flag of winter.
Harsh wind sliced through his haze. Andrew pushed himself upright and searched around anxiously.
Panting, he staggered to a slim soldier whose hands convulsed over the bubbling gash in his abdomen. Andrew gently removed the man's helmet, smoothed half-frozen sweat from his forehead, wiped bloody froth off his lips. With one shivering finger he touched the man’s golden hair, leaving a smear of red.
“Tom,” he whispered, then louder, “Tom!” Andrew took Tom's blood-drenched hand in his.
"Andy ..."
Tom was looking straight at him. And then, beyond him.
"Let's go, private!" The sergeant beckoned to Andrew, who suddenly realized he was weeping. He slid Tom's eyes closed, painting his pallid face with scarlet streaks. Then he stumbled after his troop.
As they crested the hill, Andrew could not resist one final look. Turning, he caught the sergeant eyeing him with a canny glint. He lowered his head and followed the line of tracks in the snow.
About the Creator
Sonia Heidi Unruh
I love: my husband and children; all who claim me as family or friend; the first bite of chocolate; the last blue before sunset; solving puzzles; stroking cats; finding myself by writing; losing myself in reading; the Creator who is love.
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Comments (3)
Great micro! I love the red on white and the "flag" reference. Really poignant. It is almost brutalist in nature. Stunning imagery.
The seemingly unbearable tragedy of war & armed conflict. This will continue to haunt him for a long time.
Author's Note: The 38th Parallel was imposed (not by Koreans) as the dividing line between North and South Korea after WWII. In June 1950, North Korean forces barreled across this border line; U.S. forces pushed back and captured the North Korean capital, P'yongyang, in mid-October. But then the Chinese forces attacked. Outnumbered, outflanked and unprepared, U.S. forces suffered heavy casualties as they retreated to their side of the 38th Parallel. And the war went on. It was one of the coldest winters in a century.