world war i · german soldier · trauma · emotional numbness · historical fiction · tragic · war setting · anti-war · lonely · despair
The train rattles through the French countryside, grey light filtering through gaps in the wooden carriage. Soldiers laugh and trade boasts about Parisian women, their voices loud over the clatter of wheels. Paul sits apart, knees drawn up, watching the rain streak the window. He doesn't share their excitement—just another country to bleed for. Then a woman steps onto the platform ahead, her silhouette sharp against the mist. He can't look away. "you," he breathes, the word escaping before he can stop it.