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View Full Version : A Short Story - Cherry Blossom Rising



Blackronin
09-12-2014, 03:40
The dawn sun rose and didn’t catch him by surprise. As he dressed up his combat uniform he drank his last tea. The sun was blood red as it was proper. His last doing, his last effort to protect his home was a desperate one and - he thought - probably pointless. But fate was set and duty would be honoured. He met the others in the airstrip. They were all silent and circumspect when they drank the small bowl of sake.
Their leaders had betrayed them all and further disrespect was made as they bolted the canopy of his Zero fighter so that he couldn’t repent and jump away. As if he would...

They had told them that the Americans were weak. It was false, the Americans kept fighting when they were losing and now that they were winning they were returning in kind previous injuries suffered. Now all that was left to him was the will to make such a sacrifice that the Americans would prefer to negotiate peace. But he knew that the American resolve was strong. And he wondered how would they react to this extreme attacks. He would never know.

The heavily loaded Zeroes rose, their engines crying with effort in the morning light. He looked around and saw their escort squadron behind and above. They went up as seagulls, gaining altitude slowly before the clash against the mighty American fleet. He lost a moment looking at the paint peeling from his fighter. He knew it better than he ever knew a woman. Its lines, its quirks, the sound of its engine... Now, like desperate lovers they would meet together their final fate.

The anti-aircraft gun bullets pierced his Zero’s left wing. A pang of fear and despair consumed him for a moment. He froze as the American destroyer grow under his sight. Then his mouth formed silently a word. Banzai. And the word grew in his mouth louder and louder and louder as it pushed away his fear, as it pushed away his dreams, his life, the wife he would never have, the children he would never nurture, the house he would never build. Banzai! Banzai! Banzai!

“Why?! Why do they do this?!” Cried Johnson again. “It works.” Replied Robertson. He scanned the debris and the waters around him to look for survivors. “What?! Are you crazy?” A white plane wing with a red roundel floated for a moment and then was swallowed by the ocean. “No. I’m not crazy. A man died and took with him a warship. It’s a good trade, I would say.” He kept scanning the waters. He didn’t want to look at Johnson’s face again. “Why?! Why do they do this?!” Cried Johnson again. Robertson wanted so much to punch him in the face.

TGalante
09-12-2014, 04:01
Great story! Very well written.

Blackronin
09-12-2014, 04:16
Thanks, Tommy. You're most kind.

Lt. S.Kafloc
09-12-2014, 09:22
Poignant, brings home certain realities of war.

Blackronin
09-12-2014, 09:26
Thanks, Neil.

Flying Officer Kyte
09-12-2014, 11:39
Sorry Quim, I answered it here before I saw this post.

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/showthread.php?20065-Cherry-Blossom-Rising-A-Short-Story&p=309485#post309485

Rob.

gully_raker
09-12-2014, 19:48
Sorry Quim, I answered it here before I saw this post.

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/showthread.php?20065-Cherry-Blossom-Rising-A-Short-Story&p=309485#post309485

Rob.

:D Me too.

Blackronin
09-13-2014, 03:43
No problem. Thank you both, my friends.

Barkmann
09-13-2014, 07:25
Fantastic.:clap::clap:

Blackronin
09-14-2014, 04:15
Thanks, Nick. You're most kind.