Ivory soldiers

Soldiers in white stand as still as stone not daring to breathe. Their eyes are holes of pitch black set in a field of ivory. They watch the single figure before them teeter on the edge of oblivion. Hopes and dreams fade as quick as sand through loose fingers. The figure staggers forward and back, and for a split second it seems as all will be alright at last. Scenes of success and joy spring into the men’s minds like a flower blooming after a storm. All is right with the world, the soldiers in white still stand firm. A gust of wind blows across the field and the soldiers shiver as the scent of death flows over them. How long will they be able to stand, before they topple over?