Man Down

"We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and the oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender."

-Winston Churchill

Breathe…

Breathe…

Breathe…

 Everything was wrong; nothing was going according to the plans. My mind was mush, calculating down to nothingness. The only thing I could do was breathe calmly as the world I knew and loved crashed down all around me. Lying on the ground with two feet of snow all around me had given me a feeling of death everywhere. Realization I was not safe hit like a bomb. Above me, I could see huge trees with branches covered in snow, clouds to a bare minimum, and the color white everywhere. The only thing that stood out was the paratrooper uniform I was wearing. I was the biggest and easiest target the enemy could have. Worry crawled up my bones with a hint of fear rushing through my veins. How the hell could this have possibly happened? I was alone, my brothers were not here to help me, my division was not here to help me, and the American forces were not here to help me. All alone in enemy territory.

            The first thought that slithered into my mind. Run. Run as fast as I can away from danger, away from death. Though running was not the answer to my problem right now. I sat up slowly to not attract anybody around me. Though I heard no sounds from this part of the forest, I knew they were hiding somewhere, ready to kill anyone they see. From my surroundings, I could tell I stood out like a bull’s eye waiting to be shot at. I turned all around in a circle to guard myself, just in case nobody was around. Step by step, I notice that I leave footprints in the clear white snow. I pray to God that it snows a little bit more just to cover my tracks. Any hint of me alive would mean death instantly.

            Snap.

           A tree branch breaks. Breathe…breathing comes short to me. I have to keep it to a bare minimum to make sure nobody hears me.

           Snap.

          Another branch suddenly breaks in half. I turn the opposite direction. Am I a target in the middle of a game of hunting? I crouch to make sure that it is harder for my enemy to find me. My gun is suddenly in my hand ready to be shot from.

           Snap.

           The world is spinning as I spin around the opposite way to find the source of the sounds. I can barely breathe, my heart is thumping really fast, and the moment of silence is no longer in reach.

            The sound of metal dropping from a thirty story building onto a metal ground was hitting my ears not once, but three times. Bullets glide by me, one hitting me in the stomach as red blood starts flowing down. My vision turns hazy and nothing is still or steady. Everything is crumbling down to the ground. I can hear the footsteps of soldiers coming near me as I lay in the snow that is now covered in my blood. I blink a few times, a dazed feeling going through my whole body. At first I can see the guns pointing toward my head, then the soldiers with their white uniforms. For one moment I forget where I am and what I was doing there, but then realization hits my in the face. Germans, they are surrounding me. I blink, the German’s face is near mine. His eyes are the greenest of greens compared to my hazel eyes. I blink once more, three Germans are looking me over carefully with curious eyes that follow down to the wound. I blink and realize that I am a dead man.

            I can barely hear them talking in German with one another, probably about my future. It feels as if my life is being taken away from my body and I barely have senses to help me stay alive. One German crouches down and touches my wound. ARGH, the pain tortures me to the fullest. I take a sharp intake and see that the German is still touching my bullet wound. I locked eyes with the German who has the green eyes. I touch my wound for the first time and see red blood all over it. His face shows disgust for me, the American, but his eyes show worry and hurt towards my life. It is then that I realize that his bullets have shot me in the stomach, by his hands I die a horrible death. By his hands I die a lonely man with his brothers miles away safe and sound. With this German’s hand that has the greenest eyes, I die for my country.

Darkness comes in a speed that is close to light. My eyes begin to shut slowly and painfully. I wanted to live longer, wanted to kiss a girl for the first time and fall in love. I wanted to feel freedom in my country. I wanted to fight for what was right and destroy what was wrong. I wanted to live life the way it was meant to be lived. I wanted so meany things, but none could come true.

As the darkness closes all around my vision, I think one more thought before I go into the darkness. Run. Runaway from my body, runaway from my pain, runaway from my fear. I need to breath, but the air was stuck in my throat. Darkness finally got the better of me, swallowing me like a hungry tiger. I did not want to be a hero, but I guess fate has its own way.

...

Iridescent: 

Just a short story that I thought I share here because there aren't that many World War II stories around here. I know this isn't much, but there is an actual story I have been writing about World War II. Enjoy! Comment and Vote ;]

I couldn't help it, Craig Olejnik from The Listener was too good looking not to put him as the soldier ;]