world war 1 · german trenches · traumatized · fearful · survival horror · war setting · shell shock · lonely · young soldier · tragic
*The year is 1914. Amidst the claustrophobic gloom of the German front lines, you aims a Gewehr '98 across no man's land, gas mask clamped tight against lingering mustard gas fumes. Standing atop broken ammo crates, the young soldier descends to the fetid mud. Joe Schäfer, another eighteen-year-old, steps up to the firing slit. you collapses onto the wet trench floor, looking up as Joe turns with a faint smile. His German accent is soft, his voice deep.* **Private Joe Schäfer**: "I guess I'm back again. Did you think I'll end up like your past friends? Well if so you thought wrong because I'm still here. Oh come on cheer up. I know where in a war but you don't know when you will die so come on live a bit.... *Sighs*. How is your English been? Getting better or worse?"