JACOB'S BATTLE

Five years I spent in the Army. Five years of war has screwed with my mind. Five years of missing my family. Five years of constant never-ending danger. Five years of watching my brothers getting killed. Finally, all the pain of war is finally over.

I'm finally home. I finally came home to my beautiful town of Lake Haven. This town is what the name means, a Haven for me, a place to wind down, go fishing, and hiking. There is no place like home.

My home is right next to the lake and boy is it beautiful and on top of that I have the most beautiful, loving and caring wife, Indie. Three amazing kids who are the light of my life.

I don't know what I would have done without my family. I don't think I would have survived all the horrors I saw. My family is my strength and my hope. Indie and my kids brought me home from the battlefield. I wake up every morning not having to think about the people I killed or my brothers who were killed in front of me.

The smell of bacon and eggs hits my tastebuds. I happily get out of bed, put my slippers on and head downstairs. As I make my way downstairs I see the pictures Indie has placed on the wall. They are of me, Indie and the kids. Look at my beautiful family. The next picture is of me and Indie on our wedding day. Wow, Indie looks so beautiful. What I don't see is my Army picture and the picture of me with my Army brothers.

Indie probably put those pictures away so as not to remind me of that time in my life. I don't blame Indie for doing what she did. She is just trying to protect me.

I walk into the kitchen, there is Indie smiling and laughing with our kids. I walk to the table and sit down. Indie puts an amazingly, delicious plate of food in front of me. I take one bite of the food and it hits the right spot. I love this being home, sitting around the table with my family.

You know I never notice Indie's hair is blonde. I remember her being a brunette. That seems a bit odd. Indie is a woman who never liked to change her appearance. I find that strange.

"What?" Indie smiles at me. I ask her "Your hair is blonde." She looks at me with a weird expression on her face and tells me "My hair has always been blonde. Are you okay?" I nod and finish my breakfast.

Hmmmmm, my Indie is a blonde. How weird is that? I don't remember her at all. Maybe I never notice Indie because I was so caught up with my Army career. Yup that's it.

Anyways I home now. I want to to relish in the moment and do something fun. My favorite thing to do in Lake Haven is going hiking. I go and get dress. I head back downstairs and Indie is waiting for me. "Ready to go hiking. The gear is in the truck." Indie going hiking with me is a first.

"I never knew you liked hiking." Indie turns to me and tells me "Hiking is our favorite thing to do together. Don't you remember?"

I can't say I remember Indie ever liked hiking. She never been an outdoor kind of woman but I'm not going to tell her that. "Sorry, I guess I forgot. Today has been one of those mornings."

Indie looks skeptically at me. "I'm fine Indie." Me and Indie get back into my truck and I continue to drive to Haven Falls. On the way their me and Indie talk about the kids. I ask her "How's Kyle doing playing football?"

Once again Indie looks at me with a weird expression on her face. She tells me "Kyle doesn't like football. Jacob stop the car." I stop the car. "Look at me and tell me that you are really okay." I grab Indie's hand and tell her "I'm okay. Let's go."

This doesn't make any sense. Kyle loves football. How can he not like football anymore? I don't know my wife or my oldest boy anymore.

"I don't understand Jacob. How can you forget my hair is blonde or that Kyle doesn't like football. This is not like you. I'm really worried about you."

I'm starting to get worried myself. I don't know how to explain this. I should know my family and yet I don't. "Maybe, I forgot about you and the kids because I spent so much time in the Army. The Army became my number priority in my life and you and the kids became second in my life.

"Jacob, you were never in the Army." I stop the truck and turn to Indie. "What do you mean?" I get out of the truck and begin to look at my arms. No scars where my injury is supposed to be. I roll my left pant leg up and again no scar where my injury is supposed to be. What is going on?

Something is happening to me. I know for a fact I'm in the Army. I signed up straight out of high school. Why doesn't Indie remember? "Jacob, tell me what's going on? You are scaring me." I have to find a rational explanation.

I look at Indie. I tell he "I'm sorry. I have a lot on my mind." I don't know what else to tell her. My explanation was not good. "The last time you were called out you injured your head. I should have realized it sooner. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry too much Indie. I'm sorry to." Me and Indie get back in the truck and continue our drive to Haven Falls. I still don't understand what is happening. Indie tells me I injured my head when I was called out. What does that mean? I don't remember injuring my head. I have to find out.

One thing I can tell you is that ever since this morning when I woke up my head has been killing. I didn't tell Indie because I didn't want to worry her now I don't know what to make of it.

The hike to Haven Falls was amazing. I forgot how beautiful the falls was. What made the falls even more beautiful is Indie being right next to me. I forgot all about the things I didn't remember and I certainly forgot about my blistering headache.

Indie keeps looking at me as if I have three heads. I don't blame her. "Baby, I'm okay." I walk inside my house not knowing if anything in my life is real. I look around the house looking for anything that is not normal.

Everything so far is normal expect for a couple of things. One is Kyle's football picture is not hanging up. I know for sure Kyle loves football, now all of a sudden Kyle doesn't like football. Second thing I remember is having a lazy boy chair right in front of the T.V. now it's gone but what is most weird and odd is my Army picture and the picture of me and my Army brothers is not hanging up on the wall. This is my house, my family and my life but yet it doesn't feel like me at all.

My headache is back and this time the pain is much worse. I fall to the ground unable to control the pain. "Jacob." I hear Indie's voice, yet her voice is so far away.

I collapse on the floor. Indie's voice is in my head. I'm no longer home. I'm in a different place, far away from where I want to be.

I feel Indie touching me. I hear her say "Come back to me. Please come back to me." I'm trying. I'm trying very hard. I want to go back home. Send me home.

A calming presence has descended over me. My headache is gone. I open my eyes and see the most beautiful sight, my Indie. I'm home. "I'm okay Indie. My headache is gone." Indie nods.

After a disastrous day in which I collapsed with the worst headache imaginable, the night is filled with so much laughter. I can happily say my headache hasn't come back but I'm still feeling the effects. I don't let that interfere with my family's happiness.

Indie made a wonderful dinner followed by desert. I'm stuffed. Later in the night me and the family have movie night. My kids pick a war movie. Indie makes a bowl of popcorn. She turns the movie on. We begin to watch.

As I watch the movie, I begin to have memories of a battlefield, being in uniform, and firing a weapon. Now I'm having flashbacks of dead bodies, blood everywhere. Oh My God! my headache is coming back. I get up from the couch and rush outside.

I fall to the ground. I don't hear Indie's voice. I clutch my head and feel a soft spot. I feel something oozing out of the soft spot. It's blood. What's happening to me? I fall to the ground and close my eyes.

"Jacob, buddy can you hear me." I hear someone talking to me, it's not Indie. "Jacob, wake up. It's me Jaxon." I open my eyes. I look around trying to find Indie. She's not here. Where am I?

"Jacob." I look at the person in front of me. I recognize him. It's Jaxon. My best friend.

"Where am I? Where is Indie?" I ask Jaxon. "You don't remember what happened?' I shake my head. "You were injured over a week ago. We thought we were going to lose you. You're in the Army Hospital. Indie and the kids are back home waiting for you."

Oh no this can't be happening. I was never home. Home, Indie, the kids was all in my head. Everything I saw wasn't real.

My head is throbbing. I close my eyes once more and go back to my safe place. Home with my Indie and my kids.