A Short Story by Vasu Gangapalli

“Edward, It’s your turn now. Hope that you’ll succeed in your this mission. Anyway, best of luck to you.” His friend waved good bye to him.
Edward Stallone got into his aircraft. He took off into the cloudy sky. At last, he reached the enemy skies. He saw an enemy plane rushing towards him. He put his finger around the trigger of the gun and pressed it.
Suddenly, the enemy plane burst into flames ! It fell down rolling, like a ball of fire!

“Got it !” he said to himself. Then shot the second enemy plane. But one of the enemy plane came from his behind and shot at his plane and his left wing caught fire within no time. Soon, the entire back side of the plane was on fire!
He decided to jump down from a height of 20,000 feet, it meant retrieving his parachute from the rack behind, where the fire was waiting to engulf him.

He opened the door and gaped at the blazing tongues of fire. But this was his only hope. He spotted his parachute. Then watched in horror as it disintegrated in flames. He thought that it was better than clean death than frying in that fire.

On the instinct, he jumped out. Once outside a feeling of relief took over the terror. He somersaulted backwards and it was like resting on a cloud and there was no sensation of falling. He thought of his girlfriend ‘Jane Elga’. He had applied for a week’s leave before this mission. Now, he couldn’t enjoy it. For some time, he gazed out at the stars. Then passed out, he could not understand why he was feeling so cold. He was supposed to be dead. He opened his eyes and stars shone above through the fur trees. It was 3.00 AM; he had been unconscious for nearly three hours.

Desperate for a smoke, he lit a cigarette, and he could not help the sigh of relief.

“Oh, God, I’m alive.” He shouted and found that he was safe. Frank Willis closed the book, that he was reading for so long. It was a novel called ‘Warriors of the Brave’ by Marry Shelley. Then the doctor came to his bed and said :-

“Frank, How are you?”
“I am fine doctor. When can I go?” he said.
“Tomorrow morning!” said the doctor, smiling.
Frank recalled his past memory, one of his friends had given him one of the books written by Marry Shelley. He read with deep interest. Later, he went to the army library and found the address of the author and wrote to her. His joy knew no bounds when she replied his letter. They both soon became good pen friends. He had asked her for sending him her photograph. But, she refused him saying that :-

“I might be beautiful or ugly. But, did you make friendship with me knowing how I looked like?”
He wrote to her saying that he lacked the courage to face the enemy in the battlefield. As he feared for his life. But she had encouraged him, by giving him the best of her advice.

“Frank, every one of us have to face the challenges in our lives some day or the other. The person who faces them bravely will certainly come out successful in the end. Make yourself bold, Frank and I wish you all the best!”
Soon, the war had begun. Britain fought well in the beginning. But the enemies cunningly captured many of the soldiers and only a few soldiers were left, and they planned to return back to their camp. But Frank insisted that they all go and rescue their fellow soldiers from the enemy camp.
“I’m not coming with you! I am going to rescue them!” he said.
“Frank, have you gone mad or what, pal? The enemy will not spare anyone of us if they capture us alive. So, let’s get the hell out of here safe!” shouted his friends.

“Are you afraid of your lives? How can you leave when they are ill-treating our friends? They are killing our kin and kith, and you guys want to run away like cowards !?!” he cried on the top of his voice.

“O.K., Frank, we will come with you. Let’s go together in life or death.” Said they and they followed him. They entered the enemy camp boldly and attacked them. At last, they rescued the prisoners of the war. But one of the enemy soldiers shot at Frank’s right arm. But luckily he managed to escape safely.

“Frank, a lady had given this for you.” Said the nurse, coming and handing him a bunch of flowers with a note in it. Frank removed that note and it read: –

“Dear Frank,
How’s life? I am fine and hope the same from your side. You have become a real hero by saving those captive prisoners from the enemy camp. I would like to meet you in person tomorrow in the Adam’s Inn at 11.15 am sharp. I will come with a pink rose on my coat.”
With Best Regards,
MARRY SHELLEY

The day he had waited for had at last arrived. Frank dressed himself in his best suit and with that paper note in his pocket, which Marry had sent him, he left for the Inn. He waited eagerly for her arrival at the Inn. She had promised to be there at 11.15am Sharp and he looked at his wrist watch and it showed 11’o clock and his heart was beating fast.

Later, he found a beautiful lady passing by him. But she didn’t have the pink rose on her coat. She was followed by another lady, and she had the pink rose on her coat pocket.

But she was middle aged lady. Much older than him. How Frank had dreamt about her. But he had gone nowhere from his wish.

He then remembered how she had encouraged him in the time of war and so he went forward and greeted her: –

“Hello! Miss Marry Shelley, I am very glad to meet you. Will you please come and have dinner with me?”
She looked at him and smiled at him and said: -“Mr. Frank I am only her maid. She had instructed me that I would meet you here and if you invite me for the dinner then she told me that she would meet you at her table over there.”

She took him to her table. He was overjoyed to see her lovely face. He walked towards her table, standing before her table, he asked: –

“Hello! Ms. Marry Shelley, May I take the seat please?”

“Sure, you can.” She said, smiling at him.

“Will you have dinner with me?”

“Certainly.” She said, smiling once again at him.

The End