The Secret

In the usual course of setting each other themes or challenges, 'The Secret' was recently suggested. Well, this may or may not spark more such offerings on this blog, but here's one example, written as a synopsis. You could regard this as a bite-sized, 'one minute story' :)

In the Second World War, a squad of marines on a special mission in SE Asia come across the camp they have targeted, after a long struggle through dense jungle. From a covert position, they witness a group of Japanese officers in conference over regional maps. Messages are being written and passed to junior officers. The senior officers are frustrated and frequently take it out on those around them. At a climactic point, a lieutenant brings a message back and is viciously slapped. The colonel berates him and writes a new message, savagely gesturing at it. Acting on instinct, the Americans work their way round to what seems to be the communications tent, seeing piles of messages spiked next to the radio equipment. The nervous lieutenant reappears, bearing a message to take back to the colonel. He is tripped up and the message is snatched. After another long and arduous trek through torrid and near impassable vegetation, picking off countless leeches etc., they arrive back behind their lines. The vital message is handed over. They collapse on bunks, exhausted, to recuperate. In due course their own captain returns with the now translated message in his hand. “Uh guys, well the thing is this. Yes, there’s a lot of words here but they’re just covering their asses. Basically, it’s the field kitchen, explaining that they have run out of tea.”