Short Story – The Price of War

The Price of War

My stomach was making that sound again. I was worried that they would find my hiding place. It was obvious that my chances of survival were slim. This whole ugly mess started last night when the bombs went off in my neighborhood. Now they were so close I could hear their shoes making their way to my room. I held my breath when I heard the footsteps stop in front of my closet. 

Just then, a rat ran over my foot and out the hole in the bottom of the closet door. The soldier screamed like a frightened child and I had to hold back my laughter. I bit my tongue so hard that it began to bleed. The metal taste in my mouth was a quick reminder of what was at stake.

“Anyone in there?” yelled another soldier from outside my bedroom.

“Nah, just rats!” the first soldier yelled back.

I held my breath until I heard the last footstep leave which had almost made me pass out. I gathered myself and tried to listen to the noises of the soldiers leaving over the sounds of my empty stomach. I may have survived for another day ,but without any food, it may be the hunger that gets me before the enemy does.