And just like that, something inside him snapped.
The storm raged on, intermittently illuminating the broken twisted landscape with blue streaks flashing beneath the pitch black sky of this moonless night. The roll of thunder seemed to drown out the gunfire in the distance, however nothing could remove the distant cries of the dying and the yell of those still locked in combat, it sounded like hell itself opened its gaping maw and released the dammed and demons alike. The weather was constant cold and wet, it had been for so long most had given up seeing the sun beyond a fleeting glimpse from behind heavy and dark storm clouds.
The ground was muck and mess, one was lucky to find a solid foothold that did not end with the consumption of their boot being sucked in blood and viscera, spilt ichor was everywhere tinting the muddy water with dark crimson bleached bones picked dry by circling birds scattered the area. bodies frozen with death’s grimace tatter the land.
And amongst all this wreck and ruin there remained a small forward command post, Defiantly lurching out of the mud and twisted landscape solid, reinforced, and with some small paint flecks clinging onto the structure in desperation
From this forward command center all was quiet for a change, the rain pelted down on the roof almost becoming hypnotic Christof who was now in charge of this sector not because of any military accommodations but simply because he outlived everyone that was stationed prior. He had seen his fair share of brass picked off always coming in and promising that under their watch the men would finally go home. None, not one lived up to that promise and any who did go home were either in a body bag or in spirit, since all that could be found of their remains would not even fill a small canister. Christof was different he made no promises he knew the score, and the men seemed to respect him for that. he always told it how it was and always tried to lead by example, not hiding in a bunker somewhere. not that it mattered to all that came before, hiding did not help them.
“Sir, Sir” the young private called out to him, Christof used all of his willower to snap out of his meandering thoughts. “Sir did you hear the report. the eastern block has fallen again and we are taking heavy losses”, There was little he could do. they didn’t have the resources to stop it. he would have to devise a plan on how to take it back. This back and forth had been happening for some time now. the truth was this war a global war was locked in a stalemate for so long, loosing a bit of ground here only to take it back 3 months or so from now just for it to happen again.
He turned to face the youngster and replied in a almost leisurely manner. “calm yourself Rueben, there is nothing we can do. and to fall back will just allow them to double their efforts and take even more land. to send people from else-ware would jeopardize those positions, put simply we are spread too thin we have no reinforcements and all of our units are exhausted.” Rubens face when pale at thought of all those people dyeing for essentially nothing with no one to come to their aid and no way to retreat. Christof saw the cogs desperately spinning in Rubens head. he had been there before trying to figure out an answer to an impossible question he gave space for Ruben to retort as he knew it would come. the seconds that sped by gained in weight and eventually Ruben looked back at Christof with a fire in his eye “What if w….” the sentence was cut short as a hot spray flicked across Christof’s face. His ears rang in pain as he looked down at what was left of Ruben. How many of these near children had Christof seen sent to war to fight and die. how many had died right in front of him? How long had this damn war been raging and how much longer did it intend to continue. this war had become generational and most everyone forgot why it was started all that remained was not to loose any more land and resources.
And then suddenly a insatiable rage started to overcome him, dark thoughts turned to whispers, a foreign feeling tickled the back of Christof’s mind nebulous and without form. something that mocked his fears, ~and what can you do about it?~, ~you are just one man~, ~you no longer have the power of youth on your side~. These taunts welled up inside like never before. the dam he had been holding his emotions back with ad broken, and just like that something inside him snapped.
Christof Howled out like some sort of crazed animal with the blood of Ruben still warm on his face he ran out into the battle field with just his side arm an like a well trained athlete with speed and strength he had no business at his age possessing running directly into the muddy and twisted land tanged with the ruin of war machines and barbed wire dead bodies that where left to rot by both sides. The rain pelted relentlessly down on him slowing washing away the sticky red mess that was stuck to his face.
And then it started, total pandemonium as the enemies war machine jumped to life. explosions going off left and right; tracers from automatic weapons scattering across the battlefield desperately trying to line up their pray. pulling his side arm up he could see with the ease and grace of an eagle as he gently squeezed the trigger his shots landed on those that were manning the heavy artillery wasting no ammunition. he pushed further into no mans land. He was a man that had lost all semblance of sanity as he pushed forward. Screaming like a man possessed he continued taking the heads of his enemies and then the inevitable happened the pulled his trigger once again for a click and nothing more to come of it. his side arm that was spitting death for the last few moments that felt like eternity had finally run out of bullets. he tossed it an as he was ripping a star picket that was keeping some broken barbed wire in place out of the earth he was hit with 4 shots to the side. that should have been his life over as there was a gaping wound where his left rib cage should have been. as if not even registering the brutality of what has happened to him he pulled free the picket and continued on to enemy’s front lines he ignored their screams as he split people in two with the improvised weapon. and that is when the central block fell completely”
“Telling the children ghost stories again Falgar” the young man said from the simple door way of the simple clay and wooden hut. Falgar retorted back “I tell the truth Laderith, not all the world is as peaceful as here. and you would do well to listen to my warnings”. “Yeah, Yeah Falgar, you forget you taught me when I was that age too. how long have we be learning about these things now?”