Gallipoli

Attack {short story by Emilae Cevikkan}

There was a long creek as our boat collided against  the ruggard shore of Gallipoli, water softly laps around it. The first gun is fired above from the steep hills, bullets begin rain down.

“Attack!” The signal is flared.
I leap of my boat and tredge through thick water beneath me the sky's black as night, the stars barley shining above. My feet crunch against the sand as I head into battle. I look ahead in a panic, not sure where to go. I look at the cliff above me and run towards it. The world rushes past me. From up above Turkish soilders  shoot, hollering aggressive orders at each other.

Men scream around me, they begin to drop like flies as their bodies collide brutally with bullets, falling on the sand. Horror engulfs me. I stare at the babarious scene. pushing forwards, struggling to run along the sand, dodging bullets that are sent to end my life. I breathe in and out heavily and extract my gun. I clench it, feeling the cool metal against my skin.

I hit the edge of the cliff. It appears as a hill, the terrain around it is thick. I head up the hill, I'm barely 50 meters high before my muscles begin to tire. They feel as if they were going to fall off. As I push through the terrain branches tear and scrape against my skin.

Dawn looms.
The light slowly begins to break through the clouds, my surroundings are now visible.There is a rustle in the bush that draws my attention.
BANG!!
A bullet is shot, aimed at me. A wave of fear chokes my throat.

“Who is there?" yells an Australian soldier.

I see a young boy, in the Australian army uniform,pointing a gun at me,my ears begin to ring from the shot of the gun. As the soilder talks I instantly recognise his voice. It's Peter, my comrade, he is the baby of the group, only fourteen.
Relief rushes over me.

"Peter! Peter! it’s me! Flynn" I shout.

I turn around and look him straight in eyes. His eyes are hostile, but once he recognises me they soften. He sighs and immediately lowers his gun. Just as he lowers his gun a Turkish soldier lunges out from of the bushes beside us. I could feel the anger he channeled at us as he clenched his gun and fired a bullet. Letting out thunder like bang. As the Turkish soldier flees, Peter  hunches up and clutches his stomach in agony. He collapses to the ground, blood starts to pour, spilling along the soil. Small bullet holes peek out of peter’s clothes.

“P..P..Peter!”  I scream at him trying to get the words out.
I bend down and desperately try to stop the bleeding.
My hands fumble as I rip cloth to bandage the deep wound.
Peter struggles to breathe, he cries out in pain. His breath  becomes slower and slower. He heaves gasping for air.
His mouth begins to form words.

“I want my Mum! MUM! MUM!” Peter sobs.
I cradle his head and wipe tears from his eyes.

“I don't want to die! Flynn I'm scared, I'm so scared…I don't want to die” he begins to howl.

“Shhhh shhhh it will be okay….”  I whisper softly.

Tears fill the at the edge of my eye, but I would be strong I will not cry yet.

“I want my Mum and Brother, I want to hug them and say I love them Flynn! tell them I love them, please!”

Peter begins to cry again, his eyes widened with fear. He starts to shake violently, his breathing became faint.

“Peter don't leave me! Not now! Not yet!”

As I cradled innocent little Peter in my arms, he breathed his last breath.  
He lay with his eyes wide, full of fear, as if he was not at peace.
Still completely motionless. I sit in shock, it sinks in, Peter's dead,  he is gone, young peter, my mate; was gone.

I let out a pained cry and begin to brawl, holding Peters limp, lifeless body as the battle rages on around me. The soilders continued to fight. Man after man lay down their life. Soon the bullets fired closer amd closer towards me. The battle continued to rage on becoming more dangerous.

In  loving memory of the brave Anzac heroes, lest we forget.