11/3/2013 Battlefield
I awoke sitting in a trench, there we were, sitting, waiting, talking, dreading, praying; it felt like hours had gone by, but in reality only minutes. It wasn’t long before I started to dream of when I was a child again, the cold metal feel of the gun reminded me of the merry-go-round in the park near where I grew up, a small village in Devon called Russington, I lived down Towers Lane, and my best friend lived next door, his name was Bill Smith. The moment I thought of his face was the moment my dream had become a nightmare, for weeks ago I watched as his right arm was engulfed by the explosion of a grenade, I ran to him as he laid on the ground, he turned and revealed his face, burnt and bloody his eyes look that of a man who had been to hell and back, this I thought was the true horror of war, this I thought would be the final moments of my life, it was then I heard Bill saying my name, I turned to look at him, I’ll never forget what he said to me; “Don’t let this war change you, stay the man you are because this war isn’t worth it my friend.”

I was awoken by Sargent Collins “Shepard! Shepard!” “Yes Sargent.” It was then I heard the gun shots, screaming and shouting. The Germans were advancing quickly. My rifle in hand, I climbed out of the trench, once out of the trench I laid down, saw one of the Germans and took aim, I hesitated as I pulled the trigger then the bullet burst out of the barrel, it sliced, cracked and tore through the wind and smoke not stopping until it hit its German target, I watched as the bullet entered the German and he fell to the ground lifeless and limp, like the life had been sucked out of him by the hole the bullet made, the bullet I shot through the rifle I had resting in my hands. It happened so quickly but it was like my mind slowed it down, I couldn’t help but feel guilty, I thought to my self, what if he was like me? A man who wanted nothing more