Excerpt: War In Reverse

“Makes me wonder what living in reverse is going to feel like,” muttered Kaplan, who had been silent throughout his comrades’ discussion. Sergeant Lucky thought about it for a moment. Squeak, squeak, squeak.

“Well, Kaplan,” Sergeant Lucky said, removing the last of the plates with meticulous accuracy, “The way I see it, it’ll be like walking backwards on a train platform – the train’s moving forward and you’re moving back, back, and back some more, and there’s that all funny feeling when you feel like you’re not going any direction whatsoever.”

“And that’ll be it?”

“Well, Private Kaplan, this shit hasn’t happened yet, so that may not be it at all.”

“Yes, sir; got it, sir.”

“And what do you think it’ll be like, Zola?”

The youngest man of the outfit shrugged noncommittally.

“It’ll be like living normally, only everything will be happening backwards, and we’ll forget everything as it goes along. If this thing works, the moment the bomb doesn’t explode, we’ll forget our mission and start doing everything in reverse.”

“Smart theory, Zola. I always knew you were the brains of this outfit,” said Sergeant Lucky, drawing out the chemical masterpiece of the first bomb. He stood, carefully, turning on an about-face to meet the eyes of his cohorts.

“Take a look at this pretty thing, boys. Funny thinking it could wipe out half the damn country if we dropped it here.”

“I’m trying not to think about it, Sarge, if it’s all the same to you,” said Kaplan. Sarge shrugged. Zola blinked.

“What now?”

Sergeant Lucky looked at the two young Privates and smirked, the gummy toothpick poking out from the corner of his wry mouth.

“Now, boys? Now, we save the goddamn world.”