"Fall"

A Short Story

(Preface: My 10th grade English teacher gave our class a writing assignment, which was to be about our choice of a few different topics. I chose to write about "crocodile tears.")

Spring played a major role in the lives of adolescents living in Williamsburg before the war. It had been a season of joy and love for most and especially for Aaron Hetfield, who was about through his teenage years. Things had been changing all around Aaron every day, but he hadn't taken note; even the seasons had begun to change without his realizing.

All throughout spring, Aaron had enjoyed dates with his lovely girlfriend, time with his admirably ignorant friends, and practically no time with his family. Aaron was almost never home; he took advantage of his time, spending it carelessly anywhere and everywhere but home. Like most his age, home was not his haven, however, unlike most, he hadn't a haven at all. Adolescents in Williamsburg would have taken refuge from their families and lives at a friend's home or a library or a park, but that was before the war.

He ignored his fear by being with his supposed friends. It was his way of blocking out the truth. One might think that being with his friends was what made him feel protected and that wherever his friends were was his haven. It wasn't though. Even around his friends he was afraid.

Toward the end of spring, people around Aaron began to slowly fade away. Summer flew by unnoticed; it wasn't until the beginning of fall that he started recognizing change. The loss of his wonderful girlfriend opened his eyes to everything. When he lost her, everything about him changed. Aaron couldn't find it in himself to be happy. Most of the time he had was spent alone playing music, or crying silently to himself, allowing only one or two tears to fall before wiping them away, or both simultaneously.

Truth be told, he hadn't known sadness before the war. Change like no other arose in Aaron when the war came in winter. Maybe, during the fall, sadness was all he could feel, but it was nothing compared to that of the war; Aaron had never seen death before. Spring wasn't the same when it came back around.

Aaron lost his parents during all of the fighting, and Caleb, Aaron's closest friend and fellow soldier, was killed in action before Aaron's eyes. Surely, though, after experiencing war, Aaron would never cry those crocodile tears again.