start of a story

Alan Marks heaved a sigh as he looked out at the Desert painted pale white in the light of the full moon. Pulling guard duty after a full day of clearing the stretch of road he now sat on. His squad leader and team leader asleep inside the up armor snoring between the two of them. He relieved them of duty for the night about an hour ago. “This place could be beautiful”, he mused as he puffed the last of his cigarette. A gentle breeze blew past him picking up the dust from the ground as it went. It was then in the pale light he saw figures shimmer into appearance across the barren land. A cold chill crept down his spine watching them fade in and out of existence. “This place is haunted by the wars that have been raged here”, he thought as he watched the spectral dance. “This country will never be able to hide its past. This desert sand will always remember it. But someday the scars will fade and new hope may spring forth”.