Fort E-6 by Kevin Long (if you give a mouse a cookie read aloud .TXT) 📕

0 300. Standing outside the walls of Fort E-6 and I realize, sometimes, a man can forget just how cold he can get until he is left alone.-

It was an easy night. Work was done and all of the guys were itching to hit the town. They begged me to go with them, each one of them had done it on their own. I still refused. I used the classic get out of jail free card,
“ Sorry guys, you know someone has to stay behind an watch the fort.”
When time came they all said their goodbyes and filed out. Off they went like children getting ready to play in the summer evening heat. How much like a father I felt as I watched them all go.
I wasn’t much older then the oldest of the men but that quarter decade just happened to be the quarter decade I had served. Being their commanding officer, I was left feeling a bit fatherly. Seriously, I could have been the youngest man’s father had I started early enough. Looking back now that must have been the thought that let you in.
No sooner had I closed the door and turned, I found you standing behind me. Arms folded, hands holding on to your elbows you looked at me with a smirk. You gave me a chance to look you over; Perhaps because you were wearing the dress I had bought you. As my eyes climbed their way back to your face your lips part,

“Hello Alan.” you said almost mockingly.

“What are you doing here Jessica? Off limits to Civilians remember? You of all people should know that. Now go.” I waited, staring at your face. I wanted you to go so bad. I wanted you to stay so bad. You cracked a smile.

“No.” Softly but to the point the words came rolling from your mouth like a child disobeying a parent while obeying the rules of the library.
“You know Alan, I am starting to believe you didn’t miss me. What with your greeting and all. You aren’t even going to show me around?”

“You know your way around, Jess’.”

“For old time’s sake?” , you pouted.

“Old time’s sake?”, I laughed at the thought. “You had seen the fort hundreds of times. You were probably checking it out before I found you here. What do you want Jessica?”

“What do you mean what do I want?” you said with your arms outstretched and looking down at the dress, ”You asked me to have dinner with you. Or do you not remember?”

“Not this again,” I said bringing my head down to meet my hand halfway. Rubbing my forehead, I tried to think of what to do but I knew there was no use. Like always, I was going to have to go through the whole ordeal all over again. It was going to be one of those nights. I sighed as I pulled my head from my hand and brought it back to its normal upright position. I looked at you and again you flashed your smile as if you knew what was coming. This time though, it was going to be different. I turned up a little smile myself as I asked, “Whiskey?”

“Don’t mind the mess, we just cleaned today.” I said jokingly as I held your hand over my shoulder and led you into the kitchen. I continued, “ I am sorry Jess’ but we will have to have dinner here tonight as everyone has left and I must watch after the place.”

“That’s okay, Hamlin. You always did walk the line for this place, didn’t you?”

The words brought the hair on the back of my neck to attention. A trickle of cold sweat beaded down the side of my face. I turned to look at you and found you smiling. A cat, playing with it’s prey. Returning to what I was doing, I grabbed two glasses from the shelf and placed them on the counter. Before I could reach for the ice, you chimed in.

“Would you mind, Alan, if we shared your glass?”

“Not at all. No sense in dirtying two.” I replied as I placed the other back on the shelf. “So, what might you be hungry for? I see you’re all dressed up, I don’t think I have anything as fancy as you look.”

“You like it? Still looks as good as the day you gave it to me huh?”

“Better. It looks the way I always wanted it to look on you. Did you have it taken in?” I asked knowing that you could not have removed a single piece more from the dress with out it ripping at the seams. It was as if you were made with it on. “Doesn’t look like you left much room for food though. You hungry?”

“Are you hungry?”, came right back at me.

“Not really. I think I’ll just drink my dinner.”


“Sounds good to me. DO you mind if we turn on the radio? I want to hear some music.” You asked.

“You know, I was just thinking that. I don’t know what it is about you but I only feel like hearing music when you are around.” I said. With that I poured our drink and we headed toward courtyard.

The music played and as we sipped the whiskey, you and I danced. We talked about old times. We laughed about old friends and then you proceeded to quiz me on their whereabouts. Like always though, the conversation eventually went back to the night you left.

We had finished dancing and were now headed toward the back door of the fort. You took another drink of the whiskey and handed the glass back to me when I asked you.

“Why?”

“Don’t Alan.” you replied sadly, I could already see the tears forming in your eyes but I had to know. This time you were going to tell me.

“I need to know Jessica. Cant you see? My life revolves around this question: It is what keeps me calling you back here. Why Jess’. I thought you loved me and wanted to be together forever?”

“I did Alan but you were to busy being
Badass Hamlin, trying to carry the entire fort on your back. Making everyone adhere to the code. I thought that if I could only do it one more time, I could run away and then send for you. I knew that if I could just get you away from the this place, you could relax and we could live the life we dreamed.” The tears were now streaming down both our faces. I set the drink on the ground outside the back door of the fortress and wrapped my arms around you.


As we touched my mind flashed back to the night (Bleeding, Holding you while the light ran out, You were already gone) You cried into my shirt for a while and then you slowly stopped. As you leaned your head back I looked into your eyes and then we both leaned in for a kiss. I would swear I could feel your lips.

You backed away and I reached into my pocket for a cigarette. As lit it I bent down to retrieve the drink. When I returned to standing you had that look in your eye.

“Are you going to walk me home this time?” you asked softly.

“You know I cant do that Jess’.”

“That’s right. I forgot I was talking to the great Alan Hamlin, protector of Fortress E-6”

“Now why do you have to say it like that?”

“See ya next time, Al.”

“By Jess’.”

With that you strode down in the hill disappearing in the fog just before the gates to the fortress cemetery. I hoped I would never see you again. I wished I could walk down there and lie down next to you for eternity. I gulped down the last of the whiskey and dumped the last of the ice out, dropped the cigarette and stomped it out with my boot.

“Time for bed.” it thought as I drug myself back inside the walls. Walls that reminded me of me. Those old tired walls of Fort E-6.

“See ya soon baby.”

Publication Date: 12-31-2012

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