War is addictive. The rush of survival, the spilling of the enemy’s blood. The lawless carnage creates heroes, cowards, and addicts.

The rush of adrenaline; a feeling that a fair share of civilians get addicted to, and it’s only that much more addictive in war. A young soldier fires at the enemy while bullets are fired at him, but this soldier feels no fear. He smiles, visibly enjoying the rush as he runs and guns, intent on killing his enemy. Bullets fly, but does he notice? No. His dazed eyes think only of the excitement of it all, the smile on his lips signalling his joy. He pulls the trigger, feeling the shudder of the gun in his arms, the bullets streaming through the air. Death is this young soldier’s bodyguard, and War is his best friend. With so many bullets flying through the air, the scent of the gunpowder is overpowering. A courage overtakes the soldier, a feeling of invincibility. For these brief few moments, this soldier can be described as a hero, walking towards the enemy while they fire at him, his own gun raised. “There is a sort of beauty in watching those tracer rounds fly.” A guest speaker, a veteran of the Vietnam War, has said similar words. This beauty has its grip on this soldier, telling him to keep shooting, to do things his cowardly self wouldn’t have done just a few days ago. And he enjoys it.