[ WP ] A soldier in the heat of battle suddenly hears a voice that says `` I am your child 's imaginary friend . They have sent me to protect you in your greatest time of need . ''

EDIT: Welp, I read it as'your childhood imaginary friend', instead of'your child's imaginary friend', so the story is about the dude's imaginary friend, not his kid's. Anyway... 
 _________________ 
 
 `` There's nothing like smoking a fat one and killing Vietcongs, Gary. Take that to your grave.'' 
 
 Gary nodded, not really listening to what Kurt was saying. He pressed the joint between his fingers and pulled a 
 drag, coughing the smoke out in a white puff. 
 
 Kurt pressed his hand over his mouth, pushing Gary's head to the ground. `` Shut the fuck up!'' 
 
 Gary passed the joint to the next soldier, raising his head an inch from the grass and over the log to look across 
 the forest. Nothing. Fog and darkness, like he remembered road scenery from his childhood trips to San Francisco. 
 
 The high was starting to kick in, and Gary begun to feel dizzy. 
 
 `` You stay here, we're gon na go check the perimeter'', Kurt said, getting up and signaling to the other boys. 
 
 By the time Gary got himself around to asking, `` Wait, I'm supposed to wait here alone?'' Everyone was already 
 gone. 
 
 The rattling sound of boots against leaves and twigs started fading as Kurt and the others stepped away. Finally, Gary could hear no more than his own breathing. 
 
 Well, not really no more. Crickets and stuff. But no human being. No sign that someone was hidden just behind the 
 bushes with a sniper, waiting for a clear view. That Gary did n't hear. 
 
 It came without a warning, when he raised his head to check for his friends. His helmet flew off, disappearing in 
 the darkness, and Gary fell back down, feeling the blood drip across his forehead. 
 
 `` Hey, dude. Bang, bang.'' 
 
 Facing the sky above him, Gary managed to turn his head around a millimeter or two. The pot made everything calm and ethereal, like it was n't really happening. 
 
 *Like I'm not really dying*, Gary thought, and then he got really scared by that thought. 
 
 `` You're dead bro. Fall down.'' 
 
 `` Ted?'' 
 
 Gary was breathing fast now; the realization that he'd just been shot in the head hitting him like – well, a bullet. 
 
 He laughed at the association he made about bullets and realizing he was dying from a bullet wound. Ted, his 
 imaginary friend, was sitting right by his side in lotus position, all dressed in army clothes like him. 
 
 `` I'm already on the floor, Ted.'' 
 
 What Ted was doing there, Gary did n't know. But he suspected the marijuana cigarette by his head might have 
 something to do with it. He also suspected the LSD from earlier might have played a role, too. 
 
 `` Hey, Gary, remember the last time we played?'' 
 
 `` I think I'm dying, Ted…'' 
 
 `` Out in the backyard, our last war. Me and you against the Germans, like your father fought for real. Remember? 
 The Anzio Bridge.'' 
 
 Through the fog of the forest and his mind, Gary actually managed to remember what Ted was talking about. 
 
 He saw his backyard, back in Missouri. He saw the swing his little brother refused to be pushed in, insisting that he 
 could do it on his own. He never could. 
 
 He saw himself and Ted, kids no more than 6 years old, running from behind the oak tree to the external wall of the garage, plastic guns held up at chest height, waiting for some imaginary signal from some imaginary General. 
 
 `` That was a fun battle, Ted'', Gary heard himself saying. He turned his head back to face the black sky again and 
 felt a drop. 
 
 Maybe it was raining. Maybe it was his blood. 
 
 Again, the realization that he was actually dying at that very moment made him start to panic. He remembered reading that he should keep his heart at a steady pace and not panic, so as to not lose blood in the event of a serious wound. 
 
 *Is a bullet to the head a serious wound? * 
 
 He closed his eyes again. `` Talk to me, Ted. Tell me about that day in the backyard.'' 
 
 `` Well, you were the hero, Gary'', Ted said. `` You saved all them boys.'' 
 
 `` Did I?'' 
 
 Behind him, Gary heart the rattling and the cracking of Kurt and the others returning. 
 
 `` Shit! Wilford has been shot!'' 
 
 `` You lead the first wave towards the German defense, Gary, and they never stood a chance. You were amazing.'' 
 
 `` Back! Stand back, everyone!'' 
 
 `` We ca n't just leave him there, Kurt!'' 
 
 `` Then what, Ted? Tell me.'' 
 
 `` Well… Then your mom showed up and the battle was over.'' 
 
 Gary smiled. His eyes closed, he saw his mother by the back door, calling to him. `` Supper's ready, darling.'' 
 
 `` Kurt, he's alive! We got ta go to him!'' 
 
 And Gary remembered his father's tall figure, showing up by his mother and putting his arm around her. `` Leave him. He's having fun.'' 
 
 `` We got ta leave him. It's a sniper. He's in the line of fire.'' 
 
 `` That night we played until dark, did n't we, Ted? Mom never let us play outside until dark.'' 
 
 Gary opened his eyes again to the black sky. The rattling and cracking of footsteps started fading behind him. Crickets again now, only. And irregular breathing. 
 
 `` It's dark now, Ted. And we're still outside.'' 
 
 `` Yeah. We are.'' 
 
 `` Did we win, Ted? Did we beat the Germans?'' 
 
 The black of the sky was taking over, shadowing the tops of the trees and the fog above. In a couple of seconds, it 
 took over everything, and all Ted could see anymore was darkness. 
 
 Darkness. 
 
 `` Ted? Did we win?'' 
 
 Gary felt a hand grab his own and grasp it tight. He smiled. 
 
 `` Yeah, buddy. We won.'' 
 
 ______________________ 
 
 *Thanks for reading! If you like my stories, check out /r/psycho_alpaca. You can also get my WP short stories book on Amazon for free until midnight tonight [ right here ] ( http: //www.amazon.com/dp/B00W5FX9JC ). * 

