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[6] Silberkugel

My ear began to ring as the bullet whizzed past it. The figure emerged from the embers of the now burning city. My vision was blurry from being flung so violently through the air. I quickly whipped my body around and hobbled away as fast as I could. Several more gunshots rang out from behind me as I ran.
*ping* *ping* *ping*
I flew into the walls of buildings, harshly maneuvering through the ghost streets in attempts to find a safe place. I quickly grabbed my sun off my back and turned the safety off. I fired a few shots at the man behind me. He suddenly slipped and fell, a pool of blood surrounded his head. I kept running forward, not looking back as I did. I wondered where the others were, and if they were safe. I came across a building that was in better shape than most of the other ones around it. Promptly, I kicked down the door and flew through the buildings and up the flight of stairs. My breath was hot and heavy, and my legs ached like never before. I came to a room on the second floor and plopped myself down by the window, my head still throbbing. Outside the window, a huge flare blew up into the dark sky, illuminating everything in its path. I looked at the streets below me and noticed the silhouettes of a few figures. I could tell by the helmets that they were my friends.
"Psst" I whisper-yelled out of the broken window.
"Guys!"
They suddenly looked towards the window and took off like a shot toward the building. I heard the quick footsteps coming up the stairs and the heavy breathing that they all shared. Karl was the first to come crashing up the stairs. He was sweating and out of breath.
"Are you okay???" He cried as he rushed over to me.
"I'm alright, I'm alright... are you guys okay?" I insisted.
They all nodded. A sudden unfamiliar shadow appeared from behind them. A young German soldier emerged from the shadows, looking around in sheer terror and shock.
"Who is that?" I asked, pointing at the young lad.
"Noah, we found him wandering around when you got separated from us." Leon replied.
"What's your last name soldier?" I asked.
He looked up at me with tired and weary eyes.
"Neukirk, sir."
"What unit are you apart of? And how the hell did you end up here?"
"The 34th, sir. I don't remember how I got here." The kid stated. Noah couldn't have been old enough to join. He didn't look a day over 16. He had a look in his eyes, though, a very familiar look. The same look that I had when I first joined. A look of determination and confidence.
"I suppose you could come with us." I suggested. The boy smiled and nodded.
"Thank you, sir."
Karl noticed the blood seeping from my head and knelt down to look at it.
"What happened here?"
"I got thrown up against a wall."
"Bet that felt lovely."
"Sure did," I laughed.
He pressed a cloth up against my head.
"Here, keep that pressure on it. It'll stop the bleeding."
I nodded.
"Do you feel okay otherwise?" He asked.
"Yea, I suppose we should go."
The group nodded and we headed down the stairs and out of the building. We quietly crept along the streets. I thought of that man who was chasing me before he slipped and fell. I wondered if he was alive, and if so, where was he? We shortly reached the edge of the town where a long wooden bridge sat. We crossed over, the water beneath us rushing past as we went. The water was in as much of a hurry as we were. I looked back at the town and saw another flare shoot up into the night sky. It disappeared just as quickly as it had started.
A deep forest lie ahead of us, it was rather eerie. It felt as though the trees were watching our every move. A feeling of dread grew in me as we got deeper and deeper into the woods. I knew that we weren't alone in that moment, someone, or something, was watching us, slowly anticipating the right moment to strike. A feeling of paranoia washed over me. Every few seconds I was turning around to make sure we weren't being followed.
When we exited the forest the moonlight shone upon a large, wide open meadow. A stick cracked behind me and I jumped, aiming my rifle into the darkness of the trees.
Leon placed a hand on my shoulder. "It's alright, there's nothing out th-"
*ping*
He fell to the ground.
"Leon!!" I shouted.
Blood poured out of his mouth that was still moving, indicating that he was still alive.
I whipped around furiously only to be met with the face of the man who I had seen back at the town. Only this time, there were three of them. We had so many run ins with the English and had cheated death on so many occasions, but this, felt like the end.