[ TT ] `` Shut the dog up . ''

He had good reason to hate the dog, he was becoming more of a nuisance than a solution at this point. We had brought him along originally to run supplies back and forth, deliver messages between the front lines and the FOB, but now, jeez, now the dog was growing old and tired. For good reason, the war had been going on for years now and we were still just one step behind. 
 
 And all he ever did was bark. 
 
 He gave away our position a few times during some recon missions. They turned sour very quickly and we lost a few guys. But hell, we lost guys over the last four years. The original squad had dwindled from eleven strong army vets to me, the CO, Jacobs, and the dog. We had seven other soldiers with us, obviously, but they were all green. 
 
 Jacobs and I had the dog. And the CO had the war. He loved the goddamned war. The thrill of fighting, aiming down the sights to line up a shot, and taking the life of another man. The CO loved it. 
 
 Jacobs and I had grown tired of it, and it seemed the dog had to. 
 
 So when our boss gave the order, Jacobs and I looked at each other, we shared a glance that only two men who fought for years together could share. While the rest of the rookies just stared at the poor thing, and one of them, a little bit too excited, volunteered. 
 
 `` That wo n't be necessary, Private.'' The words drowned out as if I was speaking on auto-pilot. `` He's been with us since the start...'' I looked at Jacobs, dirt and grime over his face, the scarring on his neck from the fire back in'37, his body shaking in the dirt. 
 
 Then I looked at his eyes. I had never known Jacobs to show emotion like that, but I could see, in his eyes, he did n't want to lose this dog. At least he did n't want to be the one who made us lose him. 
 
 `` I'll do it.'' 
 
 I did n't want to, but I was n't going to let some jackass with something to prove put down my ol' pal. He was my dog, more than anyone else's at the moment, and it was my responsibility. I stood upwards, shook some of the dirt off my chest and made sure my pistol was in the holster. 
 
 He was napping in the sun a few feet from me and I slowly knelt over to him and patted him on the head. Slowly, he came to, his bright eyes staring at me. 
 
 I swore he was smiling. `` Come on boy. Let's go for a walk.'' 
 
 He perked up when he heard walk, he always loved to walk around, that's what made him a good runner. 
 
 We walked for several dozen meters, a nice slow pace for him until we reached a small clearing in the woods. Good enough spot. I sat down on one of the logs and whistled. He took his time, playing around in the grime and dirt, barking a bit here and there. I figured it was just the squirrels, maybe the birds that had him all riled up. 
 
 But he never ran off. He never left my sight. If anything, he was loyal. 
 
 Over time, he grew tired and sat next to me. He placed his head on my knee and looked at me with those sweet, blue eyes. They reminded me of home, of the bright blue sea that crested over the beach. 
 
 The beach. I shivered. The last time I was on a beach, it was covered in blood. It would never be the same again. 
 
 I looked back at him, rubbed his head and smiled. He looked so happy. He did n't know what was going on, he did n't deserve this life. The rest of us had volunteered, we had gone through the training willingly and signed up to serve. 
 
 But him, he was bred for war. And then I realized, in a way, so were we. We were bred for one thing, to kill the enemy. And we've been doing it for the past seven years. 
 
 `` What happens when there's no war for us?'' 
 
 He tilted his head and barked a few times, as if he knew what I was saying, and he nuzzled into my chest. I could feel his warmth, his coat, his gear, his heartbeat. 
 
 `` Oh god, what happens when there's nothing left for us?'' 
 
 I held him close. He was the closest thing to home we had over here. He reminded us all of what was waiting for us. Family, friends, hope. Here we had nothing, just bullets and guns. Here, we had lost everything. 
 
 He was the closest thing I had to remember what it was like. He was the only sense of humanity left for all us. 
 
 Shooting him, putting him down like this, would be like putting the last bit of humanity inside us down. 
 
 `` You do n't kick an old dog when he's down.'' 
 
 But I had to, it was an order. And we have to follow orders. 
 
 He broke away from my grip and barked at me a few times. I shook my head. 
 
 `` I'm sorry old friend. I'll see you soon.'' 
 
 I grabbed him by the collar and brought him back close. I tightened my grip around him and I could feel him struggle for air. His heartbeat increased, he started to huff and puff. 
 
 But I held on, tightly against the struggling. 
 
 `` You're going to a better place. Away from all this. Away from the blood and the death and the hatred.'' 
 
 He yelped. God, the yelping. I could feel him crying, gasping for air as I drained the life from him. And then slowly, he stopped. Everything stopped. 
 
 The birds stopped chirping, the wind stopped howling, and his heartbeat stopped beating. I shut my eyes and held him close. He was gone. 
 
 And this was the end.
