[ IP ] Soldier plays an abandoned piano

As I stand on the dead leaves, in this dead forest, I recognize a small piece of my childhood. It just stands, as if waiting for someone to put their fingers to its ivory keys. Beckoning, echoing, but realizing its wait may be futile. The only part of civilization for miles around, and its beautiful. 
 
 I let go of my weapon and walk over towards the piano. Slowly, my gloves come off, revealing my hands to the pressing cold wind of the coming winter. My hand slowly flits over the warm, wooden outline, wiping off the years of dust and debris. My fingers hover over the keys as silence still rules the forest for but a minute longer. 
 
 Then, with a calm heart and sound mind, I play. 
 
 At first, my fingers move clumsily as I try to remember the notes and songs of my past. After a few minutes, I remember. My fingers now glide gently over the black and ivory keys as I play Beethoven, Mozart, and folk songs sung in happier times. Memories float back to my head as the notes reverberate throughout the empty forest. 
 
 My father, my mother, both them are still alive. My brother and I are still friends. And I hold my love's hand gently, like this war had never happened. I see laughter and sadness, good times and bad, I see everything. This piano brought back what I though I had lost, but now I have found. And I feel content. 
 
 As the last notes of the last song I play ring against the trees, I let out a breath that I had been holding in. A smile appears on my face and I put my gloves back on to shelter my hands from the cold. I take my gun in hands again and walk away from the musical instrument. I turn around to catch one last glimpse of the solemn and stoic piano. And I let a tear fall slowly down my cheek. I do not wipe it away. 
 
 I walk through the dead woods, back to my squad, back to the violence. A respite from this damned war, at least. But memories regained in the heart of this death. 
 
 For one, all too brief moment, I found them again. I found peace again.
