The Great War.

The Great War.
March 15th 2012
By: Anog






I try to sleep during the night, but the constant fear of Gas attacks and a lucky artillery shell to land right in the middle of the trench keep me from my dreams.. my dreams of going home. The mud and muck in the trench always fill my boots and I have come accustom to ignoring it.

The night lasts long, as the sun rises, the Maxims start to shed shells into "no man's land," cutting down the Brits who dare rush our lines. I stick my rifle up occasionally and fire toward the enemy trench, not even knowing if I am actually getting to the trench.

Suddenly...

"GAS! GAS! GAS! GET YOUR MASKS ON!"

I fumble with my gas mask, but eventually get it on just in time for the gas canister to land just outside of the trench. I rub the eye ports to see, an unfortunate soul couldn't get his mask on in time. I could see him very well, even though the dense yellow fog obscured most of my vision... he was choking and gasping for air.. like he was drowning in dandelion tainted oxygen.

Two other soldiers tried to drag him out of the trenches to our Headquarters location, get him out of there. He dropped his helmet and his Mauser.

The gas was starting to clear and the Maxims continue their chatter down the range just in time for another charge, this time the Brits have some sort of 'Panzer' and the Infantry are using that bullet magnet as a shield as they advance toward our lines. I, and a ton more soldiers charge up to the walls and fire volleys of rifle fire. The armoured beast continues to advance but nothing can stop it... the infantry begin to get close and I pull out my sidearm, firing only at necessarily close targets.

I hear a familiar whistle from over head as the shells pour on and around the row of tanks and they stop dead in their tracks. Soldiers from inside the metal giant begin pouring out in flames and explosions, just then it seemed as if the god had summoned a silence just to hear the CO order..

"ANGRIFF!"

All the soldiers to my right and left barrel out of the trenches, hunting down the retreating soldiers. The Brits and Yanks were dazed and confused and their machine guns stopped firing as if they were allowing us to pass.

I saw only a couple people stop from a full sprint to stab the crawling and wounded in No Man's Land along with the Tank crews that were burning alive. Some soldiers exploded spontaneously from landmines. I started to slow as my feet were getting stuck in the bloody mud.

Many soldiers spear into the enemy trench as the enemy Machine guns start firing again. I, being a smart man, pull out my side arm again.

I spot a British soldier and he fires at me and misses, he racks out the bullet and attempts to fire again, not knowing his gun was empty. I try to respond, but I can't. I stare at the defenseless man.

As fast as it began, it ended by an Artillery shell landing near inside the Allied trench knocking me and the other soldier into a daze. I feel him ruff me up against the wall, he looks me dead in the eye.

He pulls up my hand into mine and his view and hands me a Christian Cross and nods in appreciation.. he dashes off toward his back lines as I was still in a daze.

I slide back down the trench wall, taking a rest as Central troops pour into the trenches and shoot at the retreating Tommies. I go up to a Machinegunner and I pull his arm out of the way, hoping to give the man a chance.

I sit down in a folding chair and take a cracker out of my bag and take a drink of water.






Home is going to have to wait for a while..




End.