D is for Darnell

Excerpt from my debut novel Out of the Great Black Nothing, for the April A-Z Challenge.

I will post excerpts from various writings daily.

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Darnell heard that last part and looked up from his baton and adjusted his black hat. Now that he had finished the Air Force anthem, Darnell began singing the Marine anthem, monotone and off-pitch with that blank look in his eyes he always seemed to have. "From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli."

"Shut up, Darnell," Jugs said.

"We will fight our country's battles in the air, on land, and sea."

Jugs pressed the brake and checked the rear-view mirror. No traffic appeared in the dark road behind him, nor did any appear in the road ahead of him.

"First to fight for right and freedom and to keep our honor clean!"

The Dodge Charger slowed and Jugs edged it off the road, into the grass of the shoulderless blacktop. The car angled sideways with the slant of the ditch. When the wheels stopped, Darnell became suddenly animated and with one smooth motion unlocked and opened the door and rolled into the ditch. He came to his feet and put the whistle to his mouth and blew, jabbed the baton skyward, and high-stepped through the waist-high grass lining the rural ditch.

Darnell screamed the Marine Anthem into the woods. "WE ARE PROUD TO CLAIM THE TITLE OF UNITED STATES MARINE!"

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Eric W. Trant is a published author of several short stories and the novel Out of the Great Black Nothing. He is currently represented by Debrin Case at Open Heart Publishing. See more of Eric's work here: Publications