The Life of Oscar Otter: An Allegory of the Russian Revolution

Chapter 1

Some years later, just behind the front lines, there stood a young otter, just reaching adulthood. He stood in his tent and looked over his things, awaiting the order that could very possibly send him to his death. Oscar gazed down at the item in his hand, the family picture from so long ago, the glass cracked from when his father fell during that dreaded bloody Sunday. He looked down at it one last time and a tear rolled down his face, the potential consequences of his actions finally becoming evident. Hurriedly, he wiped his face and set the picture down; the last thing he needed was to appear weak.

Straightening up, he looked at himself in the small mirror his tent mate had brought with him and surveyed his appearance. One thing could be said for sure; he had looked better. There was a time long ago when his fur was thick and shiny and he always had a smile on his face.

Now he could see some grey coming through his fur, despite having just reached adulthood, and he had a drawn expression on his face. Sighing, he straightened his uniform and put on his hat. All this waiting was beginning to wear on him, and his nerves were starting to get to him. How much waiting could he take? Would it really be all that horrible to run now? Just as these doubts began circling around in his head, the alarm sounded, signaling the start of the battle.

"EVERYBODY UP AND OUT!" their commander bellowed, somehow loud enough to be heard over the wailing siren.

Oscar rushed from his tent, grabbing his rifle on the way and making his way with all his fellow soldiers towards the battle grounds. As he looked around, he realized that he's one of the lucky ones: most of his comrades didn't even have a gun. How were they supposed to fight when they didn't even have proper weaponry? His hopes begin to fade. 'There is no way we will make it out,' Oscar thought. 'What we have in man power, they make up for in skill and ammunition.' Oscar, on the verge of losing all hope, saw something that picked them back up again: the Tiger. There he was, standing in all his glory.

"Troops!" the Tiger addressed the soldiers in his deep commanding voice, "Do not lose heart! I am here with you! We will win this war! And gain more land for our beautiful country! FOR RUSSIA!" He finished, his voice gaining more power and volume until he was practically yelling by the end.

"FOR RUSSIA!!" All the soldiers chorused in response. With that short speech, the Tiger managed to pick up the hopes of not only Oscar, but all the troops that had been feeling down.

From there they charged, the other side coming closer all the while. The Tiger stood back, directing his troops while they ran towards their doom. Oscar ran forward with the rest of them, toward the enemy soldiers approaching from the other side. As they approached they let out another cry, this one unintelligible as the two armies clashed together.

The next few hours of fighting were a blur for Oscar- flashes of color from the different uniforms were the only way to tell which side was which once the two sides met. The air was filled with the shouts of the soldiers as well as the bangs and smoke from the guns as they fired. Along with the noise of the weaponry came cries of pain, as soldiers from both sides collapsed onto the ground, either in pain or because they just couldn't go on any farther. Oscar hardly noticed any of it. He had a mission and he would do anything in his power to achieve it. He fought and fought, pressing forward, shooting his gun as he watched friend after friend fall at his side.

Oscar, filled with adrenaline, fought for hours all the way to the end, when the Tiger called for a retreat. Obeying the command, he retreated with the few Russian troops still standing. Finally being out of immediate danger he got an opportunity to see what had happened. Part of him wished that he didn't get that chance.

Bodies, everywhere, just like that day. That dreaded day when everything changed for him and his family. A great emptiness invaded him, and he fell to his knees facing his fallen allies. Half of their forces were gone, strewn across the battlefield like fall leaves in the park. Some may have still been alive, but the battle was a loss in anyone's eyes. Oscar retreated further into the camp and settled back into his tent, trying not to think of the horrible events that just took place. He knew that he had to go back out there when the Tiger gave the all clear to collect the bodies, but at the moment, he just wanted to forget all of it.