Monumental Disaster
September 11, 2001. Every American citizen knows the date. It was on this fateful day that all hell broke loose in the country springing the United States into a war. The fighting forces of the United States military found themselves shortly after in Afghanistan. In 2003, they wound up in Iraq as well to overthrow their dictator Saddam Hussein, remove insurgency and terrorism, and bring peace and order to the region. American forces fought and died in Iraq for over a decade. That is not, however, the main focus of this tale.
In 2010, my unit was sent to southern Iraq, stationed on a crappy little base known as Camp Adder. The camp is located next to the town of Tallil which has one small claim to fame...the ancient city of Ur. Ur is described as the birthplace of civilization by scholars worldwide. Being smack dab in the middle of the Fertile Crescent, this area was once a lush green land perfect for growing crops and raising livestock. Ur was famous for another thing though, the Ziggurat. A ziggurat is a temple built to worship one of the pagan gods of the area. In Ur, they worshiped the Goddess of the Moon. The temple still stands to this day and is visible from nearly every point on camp Adder. While I was stationed there, I was afforded the opportunity to visit the ancient city. It was an opportunity I should have declined.
The tour started out just walking about the streets of Ur. I saw the remains of the palace, the tombs of the kings, and even the house in which Abraham (as in biblical Abraham) grew up and lived in before venturing out into the desert. Upon crossing the threshold into the house of Abraham, I felt this presence. I couldn't tell if was my imagination or if there was something there but I suddenly felt rather uneasy. I decided to go out onto the roof the try and get some fresh air. As soon as I stepped outside I felt better. I thought it was just the heat playing with my mind so I took a couple of long drinks of water to prevent dehydration. Afterword, it was time to go up to the temple and ascend the 50 foot staircase to the top.
On the mile walk from Abraham's house to the temple, I couldn't help but feel as if I was being followed. I knew this was ridiculous and probably just a trick of the desert heat but it was still very unsettling. I continued to drink my water none the less out of fear of passing out. Upon reaching the temple, I adjusted my armor and helmet, checked my weapon and ammunition, and started up the stairs. I had barely made it half way when I was overcome with exhaustion. It felt as if my legs were made of lead and my armor increased by 50 pounds. The feeling passed as quickly as it had come on and I was able to finish my climb. When I reached the top, I took a few pictures, walked around a bit, and made my way back to the vehicle to return to base. All in all, it seemed like a relatively successful trip. Until about three days ago.
I have been plagued with nightmares. The most horrific things I have ever seen. I'm afraid to go to sleep because of the horrors I see when I close my eyes. They know this. They know that I'm refusing to sleep. I can see them looking at me in the reflection of this screen. They look like your typical local Iraqi citizen, aside from the scars running across their throats and down their bodies. Men, women, children...all of them follow and haunt me, begging me to join them. I cannot hold out much longer. If I do not do it myself, they will do it for me. I can hear them sharpening their stone knives and smell the fire starting to burn. They will cut me open, tear out my intestines and burn them in front of my eyes. They will reach into my chest squeezing my lungs and heart until it stops beating. They will hang me upside down and slit my throat to drain the blood, and I will join their hunt, back where it all began, for all time.
Credited to BenNasty
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