They all ran inside the compound surrounded by the partially broken fence.

Once they were all in, the lieutenant asked "Anyone hit" and they all responded their status which was good.

"Glad you guys made it." The Sergeant said.

"Likewise mate. Now, we need to secure the perimeter."

The Sergeant nodded and they all moved towards the building. Once they reached the building, the gunfire suddenly stopped.

"That's strange" Alex said.

"Maybe they're tired and gone to take a piss." Said another soldier.

"Let's not keep our hopes high. Prepare to breach." And they all got into position to breach. "We will still spilt again, I will go through the front, you through the back and we will me-" the lieutenant was cut short as a sound came from the distance and a bullet hole marred the lieutenant's head.

"SNIPER!!!"

"Get to cover" the Sergeant shouted as everyone scattered, running for their lives. Alex ran, he could feel his heart beating as he heard the sniper's shot and the sound of his fellow men screaming in pain and falling.

He found cover by the building wall and pressed himself against the wall, trying to be invisible. Then, took a sneak peek and saw one of his men running to his direction. It was the comms guy. The guy looked very scared and Alex gestured to him to run faster. He saw Alex and was running to his position when his journey was cut short by a bullet in his leg.

He screamed in pain as he fell down, clutching his leg as blood spurted out of it, soaking his uniform at an alarming rate. Alex stood frozen, shocked by what he saw and when he was about to help the guy, the soldier was shot in the head, cutting off his misery which stopped Alex cold.

...End of Flashback...

The nightmare was a vivid and terrifying flashback of the war, a reliving of the horrors he had witnessed and the trauma that had scarred his soul. In his dream, he was helpless, reliving the most harrowing moments, the ones he had never shared with anyone, not even Sarah.

In the dream, he saw his comrades fall, one by one, their faces etched in pain and fear. He could hear their final cries for help, their pleas for mercy, and their heart-wrenching farewells to their loved ones. He reached out to them, but he was always just a moment too late. It was a haunting replay of the past that left him drenched in cold sweat and gasping for air.

As the nightmare finally released its grip on him, Alex woke with a start, his heart pounding in his chest. He was disoriented, for a moment unable to distinguish between the dream and reality. It took several deep breaths and the comforting sensation of his bed beneath him to ground him back in the present.

In the dim light of the room, he glanced at the clock and saw that it was the early hours of the morning. Beside him, Sarah lay sound asleep, her chest rising and falling in a peaceful rhythm. He didn't want to disturb her, didn't want to burden her with the horrors he had just relived.
Quietly, he slipped out of bed and went to the bathroom. The cold water on his face helped to wash away the remnants of the dream, but it couldn't erase the memories. In the mirror, he saw the haunted look in his own eyes, the exhaustion etched on his face.

He returned to the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed, staring out the window at the tranquil sea, which seemed a world away from the battlefield of his dreams. The memories of war and the scars they had left behind had a way of creeping into his life, like uninvited guests that refused to leave.

Sarah stirred in her sleep, sensing his absence. She opened her eyes and saw Alex sitting there, lost in thought, his face a mask of pain and turmoil.

"Alex," she said, her voice laced with concern. "Are you okay?"

He turned to her, his eyes meeting hers. "I'm fine, Sarah. Just had a bad dream, that's all."

She could see through his attempt to downplay the nightmare, and her instincts as a journalist kicked in.

"Alex, I know it's more than just a bad dream. You've been through so much, and you're still carrying the weight of it. You don't have to go through this alone. I want to understand, to help you."

Alex hesitated, the memories of the dream still fresh in his mind. It was a battle he had fought for so long, keeping his wartime experiences locked away, even from the woman he loved. But in the face of Sarah's genuine concern and the tenderness in her eyes, he felt a deep yearning to unburden himself, to let her in.

He opened his mouth to speak, but then the words caught in his throat. The pain of the memories, the fear of reliving them in the telling, held him back. He couldn't find a way to put into words the horrors he had witnessed and the emotional scars that had been etched into his soul.

"I can't, Sarah," he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's too... it's too much."

She reached out and took his hand, a gesture of reassurance and support. "I understand, Alex. You don't have to tell me everything at once. But please know that I'm here for you, that I love you, and I want to be a part of your healing process. We can take it one step at a time."

As the night continued to stretch out before them, Sarah and Alex sat together in silence, the weight of the unspoken memories and the emotional gap between them palpable. It was a moment that revealed the complexity of their love—a love that was passionate and intense, but one that was also defined by the unspoken trauma and the emotional barriers that had yet to be fully breached.

In that silent space, both of them were left with their thoughts, the memories of the nightmare still fresh in Alex's mind. It was a night that would leave an indelible mark on their relationship, a night that hinted at the long and arduous journey of healing and understanding that lay ahead.