The Life Of A German Soldier

A Few Soldiers

"Stop. Don't do it yet." I said.

The sound of rustling leaves a couple feet away made me jump. I focused on the sound for a while until I heard whispers of a couple men, Russian soldiers. 

"Pick up the 42!" I ordered Ralph silently.

"Why?" he asked.

"No time to answer that, just pick it up now!" I ordered him again. 

Ralph threw the Mg-42 back on his shoulder and we ran back to the barracks, trying not to let the Russians know we were here. When we got there, I decided to go to the small hill that was behind the barracks. It had lots of tall grass that would be good for camouflage. The lights in the camp were no longer on but the moon shone brightly on us.

"Give me the gun." I ordered Ralph.

He handed it over to me and I loaded it again, in case if Ivan would ever get close. That was the moment I saw the four Soviet soldiers come out of the bushes and trees we were just in. Me and Ralph got down lower. My index finger laid on the trigger, my hand started to shake.

I watched the Russians look through all of the barracks and around the base. Through the barrack's windows, I saw one of them look at Kurt's body and searched through his pockets. Ralph was about to say something, but I stopped him again.

"They're coming out and see one soldier is......." I said

I stopped my sentence and fired. The soldiers took cover in front of one of the barracks. Two tried to shoot their rifles but they missed a good amount. There was a bullet that hit the ground about a foot away from my shoulder. I then had a clear target on one of the soldiers. I shot one in the lower abdomen and he fell to the ground, screaming in pain. I hit him again and killed him instantly.

"One down, three to go!" Ralph yelled over the machine gun fire.

"You could help me you know?"

"I don't know how to kill though!" Ralph yelled again.

"Its easy, you just aim and pull the trigger!" I yelled back.

I looked around the barracks for a rifle Ralph could use.  It was too dark to see anything, even in the bright moonlight. Then I quickly searched my pockets and found my Luger P08 pistol and 3 throwing knifes.

"Go down and get them from behind! They are only expecting it from up here! When they are taking cover behind the barrack, make sure they don't see you!" I ordered

"But....." Ralph said nervously.

"Just go! I'm giving you an order so do it!"

Ralph quickly got up and ran down the hill and headed for the opposite side of the barrack. The shiny metal on the pistol reflected in the moonlight. Ralph was already  there and I saw him slowly raise his arm, with the pistol in hand. Four shots were fired. Then there we two more. Ralph yelled.

"I got them!"

Then there was one more that was fired, not from Ralph. That second I noticed that Ralph was on the ground screaming and was holding his hand, over his heart, like Kurt. I quickly ran over to him, screaming his name. I ran so fast down that hill, I scrapped my knee on the pavement that was around the barracks. I ignored that for now. I already noticed that Ralph was losing good amounts blood already. Blood kept coming, right where his heart was. I took my jacket off and held it against the bullet wound. I pressed on it and Ralph screamed in pain. I looked to the left, where the dead bodies of Russian soldiers lay, one of them was holding a pistol up to me, begging to shoot it. I looked down at the ground and found the pistol, there was one last bullet in it. I quickly aimed it at the the soldier's head and shot him, square in the forehead. I threw the pistol back down and looked at Ralph. He was crying and he was trying to tell me something. He rested his head gently back on the ground. He slowly closed his eyes. I could not feel his heavy breath on my face anymore. He laid there in silence. Even though I barely knew him, I cried and my tears landed on his face and uniform.

I pounded my fist on the ground and raised my head up to the sky and closed my eyes. I tried to relax but I kept crying. I rested my head on Ralph's still chest and closed my eyes. I was in that position for awhile until I settled down. I decided to carry Ralph's body back into the barrack and to lay him right next to Kurt's body.