While watching videos on the internet, not long ago, she found herself in that dark corner of the web filled with stuff one never seeks and can never forget when once seen. She sat watching one of her favorite songs playing over a video of a U.S. soldier directing traffic at an intersection. The song played and she idly watched. It seemed that the soldier was directing traffic to the music. His movement even kind of matched up with the beat. She was certain he was attractive. She hoped as the video played on she would get a close up of his face so she kept watching. The music stops suddenly just at her favorite part of the song and is replaced by a single rifle shot. It was obviously a sound effect added after, in post. The soldier fell to the ground. Christine laughed. It did not even seem like he tripped over anything. Writing scrolled across the bottom. It appeared to be in Arabic. She ignored it. To her it looked fancy. Then it repeated the soldier falling down in slow motion. and then again in slow motion but the image was zoomed in. Three times she watched the young man’s face explode outward from his skull not realizing what it was.
She was in shock maybe, but it wasn’t until she was drifting off to sleep later that she realized she had watched a person die.
Maybe not.
She jumped up and rewatched the video.
He did. The video was grainy, but if watched closely the damage is obvious.
Now, anytime she thinks about that song she cries.
Stories 