I retracted immediately from the running-almost stampeding-troop. I don't think anybody realized, I was going back to Gump. Had to deliver the important message to the most innocent person I had ever met. Gump was still there, holding the grenade in his hand. He wasn't frightened, rather seem upset. I think he was sad to see how fast all the troops ran without even saying a word of goodbye to him. He raised his head in excitement as soon as he saw me. "Gump, I am sorry that we have to leave you in this position. But you have been a good friend and I think you deserve to know a truth before parting." Gump looked a little surprised. I continued, "The reason you hadn't recieved any letter from your sweetheart was because we had been hiding them. You see, the love of her life, Edwin, who had dumped her previously..came back and they are gonna marry soon. She said she was sorry and claimed she never could develop any such feelings toward you. She will always see you as her best friend, her last word." Gump, with his mouth wide open, kept staring at me..may be in disbelief, may be in surprise. But I had to return back to the troop, the guy might let go of the grenade any time. I did say goodbye to him for the final time and start running West, faster than earlier. I kept running, still thinking about Gump, how we all liked him, not for his naiveness..but most probably because his dis-association with anything corrupt. He told us had nothing to live for before he met us. When he got his love too, he was the richest person alive. We loved the kid, still we didn't consider him a friend. He was never an inner-circle. Suddenly, in the midst of my run, I heard a loud sound, BANG!!!! It wasn't of a bomb explosion for sure, followed by a whistling fade. It sure came from Gump's direction though. I saw all the soldiers getting up and going back to check on Gump.. but I had a bad feeling in my stomach. Suddenly it became clear to me, without me witnessing what had just happened. With slow pace I walked towards our Camp, where Gump had shot himself with his .22 caliber. The kid had nothing to live for again, his friends alienated him without a hint of farewell and his love had just deserted him. The world was worthless for the kid who played the biggest prank of his life, he had the grenade on his left hand now.. a faulty one lablelled, 'Demo.', a small gun on his right. It wasn't night yet, but I could swear I saw a shooting star..a pure lonestar falling off the sky, red with deceits. THE END