Letters to the front

Chapter 5 - The hell where youth and laughter go.

Authors note: Chapter title taken from the poem 'suicide in the trenches'. 

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Edward:

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"Private! Get a shift on, we don't have all day!" shouted Sergeant Majors. I sighed and walked through the trench, poor private Godfey was in a muddled mess, trying to carry ammo and several rifles at the same time. "For goodness sake man!" 

I ignored it and clapped Johnny on the back as i passed. He grinned and raised his rifle. "Not long left Johnny!" 

"Don't i know it!" he laughed. I nodded at my superiors as i passed through the hectic trench. We were to give another push tonight, that's why everyone was running around like headless chickens. I was checking everyone at least had a weapon before the briefing, which i had the rather unpleasant job of giving my platoon. 

At five, smoke covered the sky from heavy shelling, a calm had settled and i sat, talking quietly with my platoon. I was terrified, i was only nineteen and responsible for the lives of the men standing before me. "Follow me" i said, "we'll aim for the left, going from the sides of the gunners"

"Sir, what about snipers?" asked Gerry Portland, also known as baby faced Gerald. 

"stay low, concentrate on getting to the other side, once there, get your gas mask on, just in case and shoot any German's there, just careful not shoot one of your own" 

I felt so much older than i should be, men my age were normally out on the town on a friday night, not giving strategic meetings. I sighed heavily, "What time sir?" asked Johnny. 

"In an hour, get something to eat, nothing to drink, i don't want you diving across the battle field intoxicated"

Some looked disappointed, but i ran a tight unit, i didn't want them stumbling across no man's land. I headed to get some kind of dinner, i was handed a can of tinned peaches. "Thanks" i said, sitting next to Johnny. "Any letters?" 

I swallowed and answered, "yeah, but it was a mistake" 

"What?" said Johnny. 

"Some girl writing to her cousin who had a similair name, i got the letter, i promised i'd send it on if i could if she sent me his batalion number and regiment" 

"But you might not be, well you know" said Johnny awkwardly. 

"What alive?" i laughed, "you can say it, we're going over tonight, we could all be dead by morning" 

"All right mate" he said quietly, "leave it"

I attacked my peaches moodily. "She seem nice?" he asked, eager to change the subject. 

"She's suffering" i said.

"Compared to us" said Johnny, indicating the mud and battered faces around us. 

"She lost her home, her father kicked her out, she has confusing feelings for a man she barely knows, i feel for her" i said.

Johnny gulped, "bloody awful, say why she got kicked out?" 

"No" i answered. 

"Say who the man was?"

"No" i said again, "she's from up north, not anyone we'd know anyway" 

"Has Cecilia written?" he asked.

"No, she will though, she looked pretty pleased the day i left" i said.

"She was probably proud, she's your fiancee" 

"Sarah wept when you left and it was only a summer fling" i countered.