The Broken Compass

It was admittedly rather cold for Georgia. Fall was in full swing and the weather certainly helped the brown and amber leaves to signal its arrival. It almost made Jase shiver as he turned on the car’s heater. He turned on the radio to see what was on and distract him from the cold. He adjusted the knob, finding mostly white noise, until it tuned into the local rock station, 102.9. Up Around the Bend by Credence Clearwater Revival reached his ears and he grinned, soaking in one of his favorite songs ironically, especially given it was an old protest and anti-military song.

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"You mind turning that down, Jase?” Jase shot a glance at his friend Jude. Admittedly, Jase and Jude looked almost identical at first glance. Similar slender body structures, same brown eye color, and the same dark brunette hair color. But once you stripped away their physical differences, they were two contrasting halves. One thing that was obvious at the current moment was their distinct tastes in music

Jase shrugged and turned down the volume, knowing that Jude really didn’t care for much classic rock. He sighed, realizing how his friend would never truly appreciate such amazing music.

Jude smiled widely. “Thanks. You know, we have reason to celebrate.” His usual jovial attitude came back as he remembered. Jase lifted an eyebrow wondering where this was going. Surprised that he didn’t pick up on his hint, Jude looked quizzically. “Don’t you remember? You got early acceptance to North Georgia!”

Jase started to smile a mile wide. It was really an accomplishment on his part to get into the college, especially given his inability to test or study well. That was another distinction between the two. Jase was a lot less studious than Jude. Often, Jude could be seen just pressing his face into a book or writing in his poetry and creative writing notebook to further the stereotype he fit into, he wasn’t anywhere near in shape. Not that he was overweight, but he was far too scrawny to make much progress in physical activity. He avoided social convention, but not out of shyness or fear. He just saw it as not worth the effort and unnecessary.

Jase was the usual antithesis to this. He was extremely bold and boisterous and was a rather active athlete. Not only was he an athlete, but he also was hoping to join the military. Honestly, if it weren’t for Jude convincing him to wait until college, he would have enlisted rather than waste away four years with studies he wouldn’t need. On that particular subject he was weaker; though he wasn’t necessarily an idiot, he also was not intelligent, certainly not to Jude’s degree. Jase’s knowledge was limited, doubly so in fields like math and science. One subject he knew much about was physical activity, especially shooting. He was a good shot; he was no sniper, but was well familiar with rifles and pistols.

“That is cause for celebration. Now I can go into ROTC and join the military in a few years, with an officer’s pay. You know, Jude, with your tactical smarts, I’d serve with you any day.” Jude looked at him with a joking smile.

“Oh, no way you’re dragging me into that Jase. The military may be ideal for you, but I prefer a more peaceful future, especially given my skills and declination towards violence.” Now it was Jase’s turn to exchange a look, this time one of confusion.

“What’s so bad about violence?” he asked.

Jude shrugged. “Call me pacifistic if you want, but the philosophy behind violence just doesn’t seem to solve any problems. War causes war.”

Jase groaned. Jude was a great guy, but sometimes that “philosophy” he studied just made him seem like some hippy egghead. “Are you honestly telling me that violence is never the answer?”

“Violence is never the best answer,” Jude quipped back. “Sure, it’s a temporary solution, but the consequences of violence make it a rather short lived resolution.”

Jase took his eyes off the road a moment to glare at his friend. “Alright, wise guy, then what is the solution?”

Jude pondered this a moment. “hmm… Love? Tolerance? Greater human understanding?”

Jase barked out laughter at his friend’s response. “You really believe that?”

“Oh, shut up,” snapped Jude. “I guess I’m a lone idealist.”

“Yeah, you are,” Jase stated, followed by a glare. He decided to change the subject. “So, I was thinking of going a walk later today. You want to come with me?”

Jude’s face lit up. Taking hikes was one of the few activities they both loved. Jase enjoyed being outside and walking around in fresh air, and Jude often found poetic inspiration from nature.

“Sure,” he finally said as Jase pulled the car over into the neighborhood. “Meet at the usual spot?”

“You know it,” replied Jase. Jude smiled as he got out of the car and walked off to get ready for a trek.

As Jase exited the car, he missed the relative warmth of the cab. The air outside was frigid and he wanted to warm up a bit before heading out again to walk around. He sauntered away from his car and into his house. Luckily, the air was nice and cool within his air-conditioned abode. He wondered if his dad had come home yet, not thinking to check the garage for his car. “Dad, are you home?” He called out as he looked beyond the foyer. There was no answer

He retreated upstairs to grab some better clothes and his gear. He selected his old Civil Air Patrol camouflage from his room and contemplated wearing them. After a moment’s thought, he hung the shirt back up. The pants would do nicely though. He kept looking and finally found a plain tan t-shirt to go with it.

“That should be durable enough…” he said to himself and began to look further around his room. “Now, where is that jacket?” He frantically searched around his room, tossing clothes and other miscellaneous items from the floor as he scanned it.

Suddenly, the jacket he was searching for came into view. It was his pride and joy, especially to keep him warm. It was a thin but tough, dark brown canvas jacket, much similar to a military style, even though it obviously was of civilian make.

The part that made it special was that Jase’s grandfather had given him three patches that had belonged to him. One was a Staff Sergeant insignia, the same he had worn on his uniform. The second was an airborne band that was above the sergeant insignia, both stitched onto the left shoulder. The final patch was an American flag that covered most of the upper back, from shoulder to shoulder.

“There you are old timer.” Jase said to himself. The jacket constantly reminded him of his grandfather. Always there for him, always teaching, always caring…

Jase shook himself back to reality. Jude would be waiting on him and the moment didn’t call for sentiment. He hurriedly donned the clothes, slung his hiking pack on, and grabbed the compass on his dresser, securing it in a pocket of his pack’s strap. He ran down stairs before a realization hit him.

It had been a long time since he had done any target practice, and his father was gone.

For a moment the thought just hung in the air. On one hand, his father would be furious on an apocalyptic level if he knew Jase had snuck the pistol out, and his fury would only be rivaled by Jude’s.

On the other hand… He did have a strange urge to shoot, and his dad probably wouldn’t be home before they were back…

Jase walked to the “gun closet”, as his father had termed it, and opened the door. Inside there were a wide variety of different firearms that belonged to his dad. He saw the 1911 pistol laying on one of the shelves, two small boxes beside it of .45 ammo. What’s the worst that could happen? Squeezing off some rounds wouldn’t hurt. He grabbed it and the boxes and shoved them into the bag before closing the closet back and heading out the backdoor and into the woods to the meeting point

…

“Took you a while, man,” stated Jude, who simply wore a blue V-neck t-shirt and khaki cargos in spite of the cold. The only things Jase knew he was bringing were his writing notebook and that small, pocket-sized copy of the King James Bible he always carried when they walked.

“Sorry, Jude. I had to grab a few things.” They were at the very edge of the woods now, just a quarter mile or so from his house. Jase picked up the machete he kept there to clear foliage and strapped it onto his belt. “So, where are we walking today?”

Jude paused a moment and thought. “How about we go to the creek?” He asked, referring to a waterfall and creek not far from the edge of the woods. That would be a good place to start. Jase nodded and started walking beside his friend.

“Since I chose the music in the car, it’s only fair you do the same now,” Jase said with a grin.

Jude returned the grin. “Thanks. Let me look for something.” He pulled out a cell phone and started flipping around before selecting a song.

They walked with no conversation but the accompanying music between them for a while until finally Jude spoke up.

“You know, it really is a big deal. You getting into North Georgia, I mean.”

Jase was taken a bit aback. “Yeah, I guess. It doesn’t matter. I’m going military regardless, and a college degree won’t affect that at all.” Now it was Jude’s turn to be uncomfortable with the words hanging in the air. He hated the idea of Jase becoming a soldier.

“Why do you have such a strong urge to go and fight?” Jude inquired as they strolled past a thick old stump that doubled as a landmark. Jase stroked an imaginary beard a moment before giving a short, resolute answer.

“Honor.”

“Honor? What honor?” Now Jude’s voice was growing subconsciously.

“It’s the honor of serving something greater than myself. It’s the honor of defending the weak.” Jase spoke with passion on the subject.

“And what will honor do when they’re sending a folded up flag to your mother?” asked Jude with venom practically dripping from his tongue.

“Jude…” Jase began. “We’ve talked about this. It’s a risk I’m willing to take. It’s worth it to protect those who can’t protect themselves.”

“By causing violence?” Jude’s point of view on violence was starting to become rather annoying.

“This again? Violence isn’t perfect, but it is necessary.” Jase’s tone was adamant that the discussion of this was over, but Jude looked as though he was not finished.

“There is no situation where it could ever be the best answer, Jase. It’s just-”

“OK, Jase. You want to get down to brass tacks, then fine. Say some guy has you at gunpoint and is utterly mad. Let’s say he wants to kill you for the sake of killing you. What is the answer?”

Jude thought a moment. “Try to talk him out of it.”

Jase face palmed. “You can’t talk a madman out of it. That is the definition of insanity.”

“Well then I’d try to escape,” Jude said.

“What if you’re trapped in an alley and can’t escape?” Jase’s face was getting red now, showing his infamously short temper.

“Well… I know where I’m going,” Jude replied.

“Pardon?” Jase said in genuine confusion.

“When I die, I’m going up into the clouds, Jase.”

Jase groaned. “You would just die rather than fight like a man?”

Jude shrugged. “If it was my time.”

Jase’s face reddened and Jude braced himself, knowing a hell of a shouting match had just opened up, but both of them froze as they heard soft footsteps. Jase was quite a woodsman, and judging by the pace and noise of the steps, it wasn’t an animal. He signaled Jude with a finger to his lips to be quiet as he crouched down to remain hidden.

Jude stayed down and still. If something seemed off to Jase in the woods, it was usually good enough reason to be cautious as possible. Jase, however, begin crawling quietly, unwilling to give the slightest noise until he resolved the mystery. As he carefully peered through a bush in the direction of the sound, his mouth dropped open and his eyes went wide. “What the hell...” He trailed off, mystified. Jude’s curiosity got the better of him and he came up beside Jase to have a look.

There, walking about in front of them was a girl who looked very out of her element in the surrounding woods. She had long purple hair which trailed down either side, framing her face, and a very thin, pale figure. Her face was gaunt too, and for someone walking around in the woods, she was oddly dressed considering her skirt, thigh high leggings, and button up shirt and bow tie were not at all good for long walks in the wilderness. But that’s when her weirdest feature showed as she turned slightly: Her eyes were purple! Not blue, not green, not even hazel, but a deep shade of purple!

Jude began to stand up, but Jase quickly pulled him back down. “What are you doing?” he whispered.

Jude looked indignant. “She’s obviously lost. We need to help her.” Jase looked even more adamant with his expression. “We don’t even know who she is. Stay down,” he said in a tone that was a bit too loud. He realized this because at that moment, the girl started looking around. Jude saw his opportunity and stood before Jase could stop him.

The girl froze, staring at him with a curious but fearful expression. “Hey,” he began. “My name is Jude. Are you lost miss? We could help you-”

Before Jude could finish she bolted off. He quickly followed after her, grabbing Jase’s machete to cut through the dense brush. “Jude! Don’t!” Jase shouted to no avail. He cursed under his breath and went after them both.

Meanwhile, Jude was running fast. Jase had told him many times about search and rescue procedures he had learned in Civil Air Patrol when he was younger and about how some lost persons reacted with fear and would flee if approached hastily. He cursed himself while trying to clear what dense foliage was in his way with Jase’s machete for being so direct and forceful.

It wasn’t long before Jase had caught up to Jude and was mere inches from him. They ran up hill, which gave Jase, as out of shape as he was and weighed down by all his gear, just enough of an advantage to catch up. But suddenly, as the hill crested and he was on Jude’s metaphorical heels, he felt a sudden falling sensation.

The ground beneath them had suddenly just dropped out of existence and they both screamed as they fell. Approximately twenty feet later, they hit the ground hard. Jase let out a massive groan of pain. He saw nothing but red for a few moments and as his mind cleared, as did his vision, revealing one of his thumbs bent the wrong way. He shuttered as he realized what first aid mandated. He removed his hat and bit on it while he slowly gripped his thumb. The mere pain of touching it was enough to make him groan again. He readied himself and counted to three.

On three, he jerked his thumb, popping it painfully back into place. This time, a scream, not a moan, escaped from the intense anguish. The pain didn’t stop, only lessened, and his torso didn’t feel any better. Suddenly, a thought sent him into a panic. Where was Jude?

Against his bodies pained complaints, he managed to get sitting up, and after greater effort, onto his hands and knees. That’s when he saw Jude. He was lying in close proximity to Jase’s landing spot. He was bloodied and bruised in a similar manner, and one of his arms looked badly injured, but the next thing Jase noticed sent him into complete terror. Jase’s machete had landed squarely on Jude’s chest, or possibly the other way around, which had caused a massive gash that was bleeding profusely.

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“Jude! Jude! Oh, my god, oh my god! Jude!” Jase began to shout such phrases hysterically as fear gripped him. He ignored the pain, adrenaline now taking over, and half-sprinted over to Jude. He ham fistedly opened his bag and the medical bag inside and started to treat the wound with first aid. He looked back momentarily to Jude’s face as he checked his pulse. Shock was already setting in and Jude even seemed speechless.

“Jude, don’t you give up on me! Don’t you dare give up on me!” Jase was pleading now, tears streaming uncontrollably. Jude seemed as if he tried to say something, but couldn’t. Suddenly his eyes closed and he fell limp. Horror gripped Jase as he felt his best friend had just died in his arms.

He was re assured with a less grim realization when he realized Jude was still breathing and had a pulse still. He had gone unconscious, likely due to shock setting in. At ease that at least his friend was alive and that there was hope, Jase continued sanitizing and dressing the wound. After fighting with the bloody gash for what seemed like hours, he was confident he had healed it as much as possible, although he was still bleeding out. Jase had to go find help for both of them, or Jude might die within hours.

He took a look at Jude’s arm and realized it was also broken in addition to the other injuries. Jase quickly dropped the rest of his pack and, fighting off sheer agony, lifted Jude. The pain was immense, but Jude needed medical attention, and though his injuries weren’t life threatening, the initial adrenaline was out of his system, leaving him fatigued.

Jase kept slowly limping with Jude on his back, trying his best not to let go. He looked around and took note, however, that this didn’t seem like any part of Georgia he had ever visited. The flora was completely different, and even the ground felt different from the red clay he was raised on. It was less humid too, and the more he thought about it, the odder it was that they had fallen through nothing into this… place.

As Jase finally broke the tree line after about twenty minutes of stumbling and limping, he thought he hallucinated… he couldn’t believe his eyes…

… Jase saw in front of him an angel. She was very pale and fair skinned. Her long pink hair seemed to flow down her small frame. She wore a yellow sundress that had openings at the back for her wings. She was smiling at a small group of squirrels in front of her.

Jase’s heart leapt into his throat. This was his chance to get help. “Hey! Hey! Over here! Please help! Hey!” he began calling over and over again to the young woman with wings. She turned and suddenly went from a smile of pure joy to a mortified expression. Jase’s energy suddenly ceased aiding his legs and he collapsed onto his knees.

She sprinted towards him, still scared out of her wits by the look of it. “Help! Please Help!” Jase called, but his ears stopped hearing at all except for white noise. The fringes of his vision started to fade and he frantically held onto her to stay vertical, his bloody hands and arms staining her dress. He collapsed again, lost the strength to even hang on. His vision got even blurrier as her concerned face went out of focus.

“Please… Help…” He hoped he succeeded saying before everything faded into darkness and numbness.