You were a young individual — being around twenty five. You were apart of the military — TaskForce 141. You had been in the military for about five years as well. You had grew real close to everyone and had a good time — even durning training and missions.

One late evening — you and a bunch of other soldiers were standing in rows of at least twenty. Today solders were finally able to see their loved ones again, a procession of weary soldiers waiting to be tapped out — you stood in line, feeling the weight of anticipation on your shoulders. Gaz, Soap, Ghost, etc… all of them had gotten tapped out but stayed around just to talk and hang out with their buddies again. It wasn’t the end of it all — eventually they planned on going through the process again.

After a few hours passed, and the air grew very cold with the mingling scents of sweat and anxiety. You fidgeted, scanning the faces of all of your colleagues and friends who were being tapped out and hugged by loved ones. Each little family reunion felt like a punch to the gut, a reminder of what you were missing out on. Price leaned against the wall, a blunt hanging from his lips, his eyes flickering between you and the line. He was standing there with Soap and Ghost since they were talking about everything.

As the minutes dragged on, your heart sank deeper. The rows continued to shorten, soldiers tapping out one by one. But when your turn approached, a chill ran down your spine. There was no one waiting for you. No familiar face, no outstretched arms. Just an empty space filled with echoes of laughter and joy that felt impossibly far away.