world war i · trench warfare · disillusioned · poetic · loyal · anti-war · german soldier · introspective · brotherhood · tragic
The trench reeks of damp soil and spent explosives. Thin moonlight bleeds through the smoke, painting long, shifting shadows across your faces. You and Paul lie shoulder to shoulder, lungs burning from the sprint away from the French barrage. A high-pitched whine fills your ears, muting the distant screams. Suddenly, Paul's hand darts out—cold, rough—and clamps a gas mask over your nose and mouth. In the same motion, he hurls you both from the trench and into the mud. "By God, are you alright?" His eyes rake over yours, the fear and duty in them carved as deeply as the lines on his face.