“Prepare to fire,” said the leader of the firing squad. Walter Mitty takes one last look around him, and finds himself surrounded by secure walls and a few spectators to his left. The warden decided to have the execution outside, allowing Mitty to have one last breath of fresh air. Walter Mitty could feel the heavy droplets pummeling on top of his head, leaving his clothes drenched with water. He used to hate the rain, the way it would drain his mood. However, after accepting his inevitable fate, he learned to appreciate the rain, allowing the sound of the droplets hitting the stone ground to calm him. One of the guards then walks over to cover Mitty’s head with a cloth-like bag, and secured him in place. Now, all he could see was pitch-black. Mitty began to panic as he realized his current thoughts might be his last. He still couldn’t understand what happened to get him to this point. The sky began to rumble before the leading guard yelled out, “Ready?.. Three… Two…. One…
BANG! The lightning whipped the ground into a rumble. Mitty could hear dogs barking in pandemonium, as if the rain weren’t enough of a nuisance. Mitty’s wife walks out of the drugs store with a couple of things in hand. She didn’t take very long. As she was walking, she then paused for a second, looking upset. Mitty realizing what the problem was, quickly spat out and stomped on his cigarette but it was already too late. “Walter are you serious,” she said, “I thought you said you were going to quit,” handing him one of two newly bought jackets. She wore a disappointed look that caused Mitty to feel ashamed. He has tried to quit smoking before, but it has been difficult to get rid of his addiction. Mitty put on his jacket, and although it was slightly over-sized, it was warm and comfortable. Mitty and his wife began walking down the path passing a construction site. Posted up against a wall, he saw a poster of a man fighting in the war, a thought that excited him. The noise of the construction was quite irritating, drills buzzing screws into walls with concrete-breakers crackling, “Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta.” Suddenly, a gust of wind strikes Mitty, thrusting upwards under his jacket and catches the jacket, lifting him slightly into the air…
“Alright men,” said Mitty, “this is our opportunity.” Soldiers around him began preparing for the assault, putting on their backpacks and loading their weapons. The door then opened, releasing a whistling noise that came with rushing air. “Good luck, Captain,” said one of his men. With a nod, Mitty motioned with his hand and jumped, followed by his soldiers. Cold air rushed upon his face as he was descending from the clouds. The sky was dark, with pouring rain taping his helmet. Bullets where “whizzing” past him as they continued falling. This was war. Birds above where shooting at other birds, falling when hit. Below him, he could hear cannon shells rattle the air as they impacted. Eventually, when Mitty felt it was right, he pulled hard on his backpack’s handle and released a parachute, yanking him up and slowing down his fall. When the last man reached the bottom, he was happy that they all made it through the fall but had to continue with the task at hand. “Rodgers! Your squadron will flank the west side, while Marshal and his men take the east,” said Mitty. “Armstrong, you and your men will invade and capture Tower 7. That should put a dent into their armor.” “Will do,” said Armstrong. “Garcia, I need you and Johnson to find shelter and provide my men with cover-fire when we advance to Tower 4” said Mitty. “We NEED that cover-fire, UNDERSTAND.” “I’ll handle that, you just capture the damn tower,” said Garcia insolently. “Alright then, lets move!” Before Mitty left however, something caught his eye and stopped him. Kneeling down to get a better look, he saw a coreopsis plant, alone and surrounded by a wasteland full of destruction. He went to pick it up when…
“Walter what are you doing?” said Mitty’s wife. It took a few seconds of blinking for Mitty to realize where he was. He picked out a beautiful daisy from the ground, one full of color. He stood back up with confusion and gave the flower to his wife. Shocked with surprise, she began to blush and held back a large smile into a small one. For the first time in a long time, she actually smiled. His wife wrapped herself around Mitty with intense strength and passion which Mitty returned. After she let go, she grabbed and held his hand as they continued down the street.
