Post by ratminer on Mar 6, 2011 12:57:49 GMT -5
yea this is my short story for english
It had been a year since I had left home to join the war. It was a little hard to leave home, but as the drill instructor said, it was for the better of the country. My father would have joined the war effort, but he was getting old. Also, somebody needed to stay home and work on the farm, not to mention keep my mother and sister from worrying all the time.
We were being shipped over to France, where we were needed at Pas-de-Calais. I was both excited, and scared at the same time. Being cooped up in the barracks back in Canada for a whole year, training for the war, was getting a little boring. We would arrive there around midnight, and the battle would start the next day.
“Hey, Laird, you excited for tomorrow?” Asked George, a friend of mine from high school.
“Yea, I guess.” I replied nervously. I could tell that he sensed my nervousness.
“Hey, don’t worry. If any of those Germans try to get you, I’ll be there, and put one in their heads.”
“Thanks George. I’ll try my best to protect you as well.”
We finally arrived at Pas-de-Calais, and were told to get off the truck. But instead of going to the barracks, we were sent to the front lines. At this point, I was getting scared. I had heard stories from men who had been in the front lines, none of which had been very pleasing at all. It seemed to me that I wasn’t going to even survive the first night out here.
“Alright boys, the plan goes as follows. We will have the artillery firing shells in front of us, while we run towards the enemy lines.” Said the sergeant in charge. “Remember to keep your heads up, and never run too far ahead. We will be killing everything that is still living in the enemy trenches.”
“So, you’re saying that while we are raiding trenches, our own artillery is going to be firing shells at us?” exclaimed George. “This is madness!”
“Like I said, stay well behind. You just follow me, do not go ahead.” Said the sergeant. “Now, load up your guns and we will leave on my signal.”
The shelling had begun, and almost immediately, the sergeant gave us the signal to run through no mans land towards the enemy lines. My heart jumped as I ran across the open terrain. All I could hear was the sound of shells exploding in front of us. We made our way through the mud and shards of barbed wire littered across no man’s land. Just over the hill, I could see the enemy trench. As we got closer and closer, I could feel my heart beating. I could see men in the trenches. We hid in one of the shell holes, and threw a grenade in the enemy trenches. BANG!!
I was relieved to find that the grenade had done some damage; three men lay dead in the trench. But we couldn’t stay long; we had to get moving again. We ran down the trench line, and reached another section where we could hear the enemy just around a corner. I crept around the corner, and threw another grenade. As it went off, I could hear them yelling. And just then, a man jumped around the corner, holding his trench club above his head. He brought it down, but I ducked out of the way; just narrowly missing the club. Then, the man fell down. I turned around to see George holding his gun.
“See, I told you I’d protect you.” He said with a smile.
“Thanks buddy.” I replied. But just then, another man came out from around the corner and threw a hatchet right into George’s chest. I reached over to grab the trench club that was lying on the ground, and swung it, shattering the man’s leg. As he keeled over in pain, I took my gun, and killed him. I then ran to George’s aid, and pulled the hatchet out of him.
“I’m sorry George.” I said to him.
“Don’t worry, it’s not your fault.” He said as he closed his eyes.
I was filled with rage because they had killed my best friend. Then I ran around the corner. Eyed an enemy up ahead, and shot him down. I kept running forwards, and stopped at another corner. I pulled out my last grenade, and threw it down the trench. After I heard the bang, I ran in. There were three men left. I fired upon the first one, knocking him down dead, the same with the second. But I was not quick enough to get the third one. He shot me in the chest, and almost immediately, I fell over. He ran over to me, holding the butt of his gun high; ready to beat me. I pulled out the hatchet that had killed George, and swung it into the side of my enemy repeatedly. He fell to the ground in a pool of blood.
I tried to get up, but the pain was too much. I couldn’t move. I took a look up to the sky. It was tinted pink, signaling the start of a new day. But for me, it was the end.