A World Away

Chapter 7

Seventh months have gone by. 

"You ready, Ad?" Edwin said as we prepared for battle in Cambrai, France. My unit was stationed here in Cambrai to fight against the Germans who were attempting to push their way through Britain's defenses. My friends and I were some of the only U.S. soldier's stationed in this battle working with Britain as part of the 11th United States Engineer Company. 

"As ready as I'll ever be," I replied. No one can ever truly be ready for war. Ready to give your life to a cause that I've come to realize is a lost one. I joined the war to find my purpose, but now that I have, I shouldn't be here. I've had to leave my purpose behind for seven months for a fight that I did not prepare to be in. 

"Oh. There you are, Adam," Thomas said coming through our camp area. "You got another letter from Evelyn here. I would've given it to you sooner, but I couldn't find you." He handed me the letter, and I was about to open it when our general called us out to walk to our positions. 

"Ladies! Let's get a move on! Germans don't wait for anyone!" He shouted in his loud voice. I placed the letter in my pocket along with a few other letters she had sent to me during my time away. I always kept her letters with me just to keep a piece of her close. It reminded me that I had a promise to keep. "Move, O'Connell!" The general shouted once again at my slowness and reluctance to leave this camp. I followed after the other men as we walked towards the battlefield.

My friends and I grabbed our gear and moved with our company to the positions at five-thirty in the morning. We didn't make it to our post until seven o'clock. And in that hour and a half, all I thought of was her. I hoped that she was doing okay without me. I hoped that she had kept her promise and was waiting for me and hadn't fallen in love with another man while I have been away. But in a way, if she had been with another man, I wouldn't have blamed her. No one should ever have to be away from the one they love for so long and if someone else had stepped in to keep her happy then that's all I could ask for. I just wanted her to be happy.

                "Hey, Adam!" Henry said loudly after jabbing me in the arm. "Get your head outta the clouds. We gotta make this trench deeper." Our unit was in charge of doing the construction work behind the British lines and digging the trenches here in Fins, Somme. The fighting was happening about an hour's trek away from us, so all we were responsible for was working fast and getting the hell out of there. I continued digging along with my friends with the sound of gunshots and grenades and the sounds of dying men as the music to pass the time.

                "How do you think they're doing out there?" Thomas asked suddenly.

                "We're winning. I know we are. What army would we be if we didn't win this one?" Edwin answered on our behalf. I wanted to believe he was right. Those screams could always be the Germans losing this one. But in the back of mind, the paranoia crept in and everything on this side of the battlefield seemed too quiet.

                "Good keeping the spirits up, Ed," Henry commented. Then we continued digging silently to the music of battle. But the paranoia and the anxiety only grew stronger when the music got louder. It only seemed closer to us now. Then all of a sudden, I saw something fly past me in my peripheral and everyone looked down to see what evil had fallen upon us.

                "MOVE! GRENADE!!!" I immediately dropped my shovel and only got a good five feet away from it before it exploded and blew me another five feet. I landed hard on the ground with ringing in my ears and felt the pain of a burn on my left calf. I managed to prop myself up slowly and look behind me at the damage done by the grenade.

                "Guys!" I shouted. "Guys, are you okay?!" I was answered with nothing in response. I pushed myself off the ground and managed to stand up even though my calf hurt like hell. I slowly made my way to where I was and witnessed the minute massacre that had occurred before me. What I saw before me was the few men working in this trench an hour away from the real battle lying dead with burns covering their faces and bodies. My friends...dead. I was the only survivor.