The trench
I suddenly shot up back straight, my blanket breaking the silence as it crumples. I had awakened from a night terror of what it's probably like back home in London. I gazed at the stars in the cold, windy German night. A lantern shines brightly into my eyes. A tired "get back to sleep, you've got morning watch". As I lay back down in my makeshift bed and slacken my muscles and close my eyes and drift away.
I awakened to the smell of smoke and the sound of crackling fire, it took me a while to realize the cold sweat I was drowning in and my uncontrollable shiver in my left hand, it feels like the thud of a footstep on the trenched dirt is bouncing around my head. As I finally woke I was on cooking duty all we had was powdered eggs and dried fruit. Soon after it was time to go to my post. I was walking through the dirt hallway that we called 'sanctuary' since it saved us from whatever the Germans had planned for us out there. I seemed to notice that there was movement coming from the enemy trench I looked closer, I saw four German helmets bobbing along the top of the trench then a metal pole appeared.
It was mortar. Gasped then yelled "everybody get down!" everybody turned confused and then I heard it, the whistle of the mortar as it sliced through the air I knew what was coming. The devastation that it will cause I ran for the Sergeants hut sprinting, holding my head down as I burst through the doors Sergeant jumped out of his makeshift seat as I was shouting at him he was getting ready for an invasion I knew this was serious. As I left the hut, the smell of hot brass and burnt gunpowder filled the air and blood stained the wooden planks beneath the dead bodies of my fellow men. I secured a tight grip on the stock of my rifle and swung it round my shoulder with my finger on the trigger. This is it, my life will depend on my rifle not jamming. I rested my cheek on the cold wood of my gun with my eye down the sights that's when time slowed down I saw two Germens jump down our trench I looked on like I was a machine I pulled the trigger twice and I had ended their life then it hit me. What if they had kids or a wife I had stopped a man's heart as I swallowed it felt like my heart was in my throat and that I weighed a ton, a tear rolled down my cheek and onto a dead German, I looked down at his expressionless face and broke down it took Sargent to pick me up and hit me around the face to knock me out the trance I had fallen into by the time I had fully recovered a bullet whizzed pass my head. In a panic, I looked left as a German was aiming his pistol at my face I duck as he pulled the trigger the bullet had missed me. In an act of adrenalin, I pulled the knife from my boot and ran at this German and pounced knocking him to the ground.
We were on the floor as the German hit me with the bottom of his pistol this knocked my helmet off of my head, for a second my eyes blurred with tears then reminded myself why I was here this was because my country and my queen need me then the feel of pride came over me and gave me the edge I needed. The knife in my hand had pierced the heart of my enemy. It took me a while to realise that with me absent-minded the German had time to pick up his pistol and shoot me in the gut I fell to the floor beside my enemy who had perished, I lay falling from existence flashing back to the happier times of this lifetime I knew this was it and as I spent my last breath I wondered If my family were where I was going, if I will be able to ever see them again and with this I had fallen I had failed my duty in a fight for glory all to protect thy homeland.
