I sprint back to my starting position.  I bear crawl from tree to tree with my weapon on my back.  Finally, I spot my opponent.  I fire the first shot, and it is followed by shots from the opposing team peppering the trees behind me and next to me.  Adrenaline rushes through me as I fire back.

The weekend before school started, me and my 3 best friends went to Cooperstown, NY.  James, Hayden and I met Chris at his parent’s house.  They own a ton of land filled with woods, a few ponds and streams, and lots of open fields.  We fished, hunted, swam in the stream and rode around in ATVs.  Doing all of these activities and living without service, the outside world, gives you an opportunity of freedom.  We all brought our airsoft guns to his farm, waiting the whole summer to have a battle in the undiscovered woods.  An airsoft gun shoots lightweight, spherical plastic pellets.  We planned out the teams, who got which weapon and discussed the basic rules of battle.

The next day I am woken up by a crisp gust of air floating through my open window.  I see my friends already conversing about what is to come later that day. 

“Should we play before or after dinner?” Hayden asked.
“We should wait to see how bright it is at the end of the day.” I had suggested.
“Yeah, we don’t know what time we are going to dinner anyway.” Chris told us.
That night, there was confusion about when we were leaving for dinner, so we played afterwards. 
  “I kind of think these teams are unfair.” James said.
“Yea, you guys have the better players and the best gun.” I said as I supported my teammate.
“Jack, your the best airsofter here, stop complaining.”  Chris shut us both down.

It was about 6:30pm and we all loaded up in Chris’s yellow Mule.  A Mule is basically a mini pickup truck, it is usually used to go over rough terrain in the woods.  I drove us up the long hill to the brink of the woods.  We walked into the dark, and cold wilderness.  We discussed how far away we should walk, then we dispersed to our sides.

Chris shouted “Gamestart!”

I got down on all fours and started crawling from tree to tree.  The dead pine needles on the ground seemed alive to me.  They were up at me as I slide my limbs across the ground.  My hands are becoming numb from repeatedly sinking them into the cold earth.  I feel the adrenaline rushing through my body.

I covered about 40 feet of ground.  I stand up when I first see my enemies through the pineless branches.  I think to myself “Can they see me?”  I continue on tree to tree, walking in a stealthy and tactical way.  As I walk, I feel the branches fling against my sweatshirt so I tilt my hat down further to provide protection from the whip-like branches.  I approach my enemy, lining up my first shot.  I finally have a clear path, a pure window of no foliage leading straight to my target.  I quickly cock the tight lever to load my gun and I fire.  I miss and all players turn their attention to me.  I retreat back a few trees as my two opponents rapidly fire and pepper the trees all around me.  My heart starts to pound out of my chest as I regroup and start to fire back.

Out of the corner of my eye I spot James up on the green hill.  I am listening for Chris's movement and detect he is reloading: I have time to relax.  I watch James and Hayden marching towards each other through thick brush.  I think to myself that they are having their own battle and Chris and I are having our own battle. 

Time passes and it comes down to a shootout, Chris and I are about 15 feet apart from each other.  I notice we are both standing behind what it looks like identical trees.  They are about the same height, same burnt orange color and have the same coarse texture. I am at a disadvantage in this shootout because Chris is wielding a fully automatic machine gun and I have a sniper rifle that is specialized for long-distance shooting. 

I perch my firearm on a thin branch poking out of the tree.  I fire, and then try and make myself as small as I can and prepare for the cascade of pellets hitting my tree.  Many shots were fired, but Chris heard me dry fire and charged me.  Our shootout lasted about 15 minutes James said afterwards, however it felt like 15 seconds.

I start to think about something beside the game.  This is brotherhood.  Working together in battle, covering each other when we need it most is what I see as brotherhood.  We will always stick with each other against anyone.  That is why we go to our school.  It brings us an everlasting brotherhood.