Horrors of War

Explosions. I remember explosions going off in the background. The bases alarm went off in the barracks and all the Free-State soldiers grabbed their rifles and ran out of the barracks ready for another rebel attack. The year is 1921, my name is Teddy O'Sullivan and I am a private in the Irish Free Stater Army. When the civil war broke out in Ireland my family was torn in half. My father supports the rebels and my mother supports the Free-Staters. My older brother supports the rebels also. I haven't seen him in a while but I know he joined up with the IRA a few months back.

Theres a rumor going around that there is a man in all black that kills anyone loyal to the crown, or Collins. We went out to a building that we thought rebels were hididng in just to find bodies of our comrades hanging by there feet with there blood spilled out. It was a nasty sight but thats war. I was given the mission to hunt the murder down with a few other guys from my squadron.

We have been looking for the "Dublin Murderer" for the past few weeks. He's killed 30 soldiers so far and numerous civilians. The pressure is on to find him and theres not many places for him to go. The rebels have captured the Four Courts Governemnt building and the Free-Staters have all but closed off the city. No one can get in or out, so he was trapped. We went door to door searching for him until we came across the Old Wheat Compant factory building. We entered from the back and slwoly made our way through not knowing what would be inside.

Me, Connolly and McGoughtic, the "brave three" the three men who would eneter the factory. Connolly was our point man. He's the one who busted in the doors, and he was efficent at it. We got to a large double wooden door, very fancy actually. When he kicked it in he was blown back by a bomb blast. "He is here, he must be", I thought, why else would the door be rigged? Connolly injuried and screaming and McGoughtic told me to go on. I pushed into the room with my revolver out and aiming foward. Then I saw the man standing with his back to me. He spoke very low and soft, "Your all traitors to our land, our country that we fought for together". He sounded very familiar I remeber saying back, "This treaty IS freedom now show your self!". He slowly turned and threw a hatchet at my and it hit my left arm. I shot 3 times right at his chest not missing once. I slowly moved towards him grabbing my arm to try and stop the bleeding. He had a black mask on like the Phantom of the Opera. I pulled the mask off and stood there staring. I knew who he was all along, the whole time. My brother. I pulled a letter out of his jacket which said,

Dear Teddy,

If your reading this then I am dead. The Free-Stater army has surrounded us in the city. From the Easter Rising of 1916 when I first fought against the British I knew that I had to do something bigger. I tried to tell my family... that we had to do something BIGGER. My brother BETRAYED me and joined the pansy Free-Staters. My mother supported him. She always said "Oh be more like your brother". She's dead now. So will all the false Irish-Men. If you need to get a point across you must do soemthing to get EVERYONES attention. Yes Teddy, I knew you would be my downfall and I am somewhat happy that it was you.. but I've done much much worse. I met a man in jail by the name of Adolf... he agrees with my views and will help me with my goals even in my death

- Willy