"You have to go now!" My commanding officer choked. "We don't have much time!"

    I looked around at my comrades, all slumped unconsciously in their seats or on the floor, and I felt distraught. We hadn't wanted to sign up for this War. But the United States Government had made it mandatory for everyone above the age of 17 to enlist, and we had no choice. I had been chosen to be just one more soldier in this War, and so the second I got to the training center they put a gun in my hand, told me to shoot at anything that moved, and loaded me into a helicopter with several other strangers.

    The helicopter took off, and we all sat there in silence, unsure of what to do next. But then one of the guys stood up and introduced himself, and we were so shocked by his forthcoming that we all broke out into laughter. With the tension shattered, we all started talking to one another, and after 10 minutes we felt like we had been friends for life. I looked around at my new friends, and imagined fighting with them sided by side. Little did I know that soon, almost all of them would cease to exist.

    A few hours later. we were still talking. Suddenly, a jolt rippled through the helicopter.

    "Don't worry," said one of the guys, "it's probably just some turbulence. Or maybe we just have a really bad pilot."

    We all started laughing, but then the air inside the helicopter started to get cloudy. Within a matter of seconds I could not see the person sitting next to me. Quickly, I groped around for a small window that I knew was right above my head. My hand reached the handle, and I yanked it down. Cool air started whipping through the opening, and my vision started to clear slightly.

    "We're going down!," I heard a voice choke out from within the smoke. And sure enough, I could feel the plummet in the pit of my stomach that only happens when you are falling from the sky uncontrollably.

    I ran my hand through my hair, trying to calm myself down so that we could figure out a way to get out of this deathtrap. But then I stopped. I pulled my hand out of my hair, and looked at it. It was wet. Then noticed that there was sweat dripping down my neck, and that I was getting uncomfortable hot.

    "Oh no," I whispered to myself, "you've gotta be kidding me."

    "We're on fire!" I yelled out into the smoke. "Whoever was sitting by the exit, open it now!"

    But no response came from within the impenetrable smoke. I gulped a big breath of fresh air that was streaming out of my window, shut my eyes, and plunged myself into the smoke.

    I moved my hands around in the air, desperately searching for the exit. I could feel my lungs starting to burn, desperately needing oxygen. Then, when I felt that I was about to collapse, My hands brushed a lever. I yanked it towards me with all the strength that  I had left, and with a huge whoosh the door in front of me flew off its hinges and sailed into the sky.

    As I quickly grabbed on to the first thing that I could find (a handle that was conveniently located right by the exit),  the smoke quickly cleared out of the aircraft. But I almost wished it hadn't. For lumped in their chairs and even on the floor were comrades, and they were unmoving. I was too scared to check if they were unconscious or...dead.

    Then one of the bodies on the ground started to stir. I struggled towards it, and when I got close enough I realized that it was my commanding officer.

    "You have to go now!," he choked. "We don't have much time!"

    I helped him get up from the floor. "But what about you?"

    "The pilot is out," he replied. "I may be able to still land this hunk of metal and save everyone on it, but just in case, you need to leave."

   "But..what about...I mean..." I stutter.

    "Go!" he yells at me. "Now!'

    I turn and grab a parachute from off the wall. I put it on, secure it, and walk towards the exit.

    "Wait," says my officer.

    I turn back around, and he places something in my pocket.

    "Take this," he says. "Just in case I...we...something happens. You may need it. Now go!"

    He shoves me, and I fall towards the exit. And then, I fall out the exit.  

    I tumble through the air, the wind slamming my body, not knowing which way is up. Then a cord slaps me in the face, and without thinking I grab it and pull.

    I instantly slow to a near halt, and look above me. Attached to my body several yards above me is a parachute, and I realize that that is what the cord was for.

    As I am looking at the parachute, my head gets slammed into my shoulder, and I feel something wet dripping down my face. I take my hand and try to wipe it off, but when my hand gets back to my eye level i realize that it is covered blood. My blood. I reach up again and feel something protruding out of my head. But I don't feel worried. Instead, I feel like i'm floating. The world around me starts to get blurry, and I feel tired. I can close my eyes for just a second. The ground is still very far away. So...Far...Away...