S.O.S Read Online Free PDF Page A

vision. He could see nothing except the seared head of the snake which rose up in his mind time and time again. He’d killed it but it had been too late.
    His leg was throbbing and the pain was rising up towards his groin. His pulse was racing and the dizziness spread. He was done for; he knew that, no one would find him here in this darkness, in this night heat. He would be dead, probably from respiratory failure, by morning. He closed his eyes, drifting away from consciousness.
    Suddenly he was alert. He reached up and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, blinking furiously to reveal a strange white light dancing before his gaze. He rubbed his eyes again, harder than before. He must be imagining this. The strange light was still there and nervously he shut his eyes hard again, the hot darkness allowing him a moment to think. Is this it, he wondered, is this the end?
    There was a flash of brilliance and he was lit up, blinded by the light. It lasted no more than five or six seconds, but he could see himself clearly, where he was, by a wall of rock. It looked for a moment as if it was the middle of the day and the sun was at its highest. It disappeared as quickly as it had appeared and he was plunged into darkness again. The fear rose within him just as there was a call from behind.
    â€œComrade?!”
    A beam of light – a torch light shone near him and then in his face. He squinted.
    â€œHere!” he cried, his voice weak, “Over here!”
    The soldier ran across to him.
    Cha’anyom was an experienced soldier, serving in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Army for more than fifteen years. This was his third deployment to the area and he knew the dangers; he knew all about this place. He wasn’t supposed to have knowledge of the past, of the spiritual; it wasn’t officially allowed, but Cha’anyom knew there was an echo of the departed here and it made him uneasy. This whole area was rumoured to be an ancient burial ground and they shouldn’t be here. Something bad always happened here. He too was sweating, but it wasn’t just the heat that made him perspire.
    â€œI have anti-venom. Was it a viper?” he said.
    â€œI don’t know. Can you see it?”
    Cha’anyom shone his torch on the ground. “A viper,” he said.
    â€œThe light?” The other solder whispered. “Did you see the light?”
    Cha’anyom hesitated. It was not good to show weakness by admitting to anything unusual. “I’m not sure,” he said. He wiped his face on the sleeve of his uniform. Memories of the light swam before his eyes and he closed them. It was the heat he told himself; it had to be the heat. When he opened them again everything was normal. Relieved, he took his water bottle and made his comrade drink, rehydrating. He prepared the anti-venom, but his hands were shaking. He looked across at his comrade.
    â€œHold still.” He administered the dose then he remembered the mission before they’d been separated. “Did you take the reading?”
    The younger soldier nodded up toward the top of the rocks. Cha’anyom shone his torch and spotted the small computerised energy meter on the rock. He stood and picked it up. He looked at the screen. Suddenly he shouted. He looked down at his bitten comrade and a different kind of sweat began on Cha’anyom’s forehead. Failure was not acceptable.
    â€œWe must report this,” he said. He switched off the computer and closed the case. He bent and lifted his comrade up, supporting him under his arms. “Come, the jeep is not far from here.”
    They headed back to the vehicle, the older soldier half dragging, half carrying the younger man. It was pitch black and they almost lost their way, but as he helped the injured man into the jeep Cha’anyom knew that despite saving his brother, the consequences for not delivering what was needed would be dire.
    *
    The Colonel