Dear Mother,
The date is April 9,1917, the time I do believe is 5:15 am which means I have a moment in which to try and write a letter to you as we are scheduled to storm Vimy Ridge at 5:28. The smell of blood is thick in the air, there is no escape from its horrid stench for as soon as you so much as poke your head up for even a small bit of air your head is in danger of getting sniped off. As well if you try and duck your head down you'll come face to face with one of our "pets".
I beg you not to ask what our pets are for at the moment they are too vile to mention. Day in day out all they do is eat my fallen comrades, vile horrid creatures that they are. I remember that rhyme Heidi would sing to drive me up the wall the one that went: Rats I hate rats, rats make me crazy, crazy I was crazy once they locked me in a little rubber room. And on it would go, Right now I do so wish they would lock me in a little rubber room it would be better than being here.
How is Heidi? I do so miss her; did she wait for me like we promised? Thu truly I do not believe I will leave this battle field alive and if I do I have no clue what kind of condition I'll be in maybe it would be best if she went on with out me. Thu I do love her with all my heart please pass that message on would you?
So many of us heard how glorious and wonderful war is, beside me is a 12- year-old boy; he enlisted as a 19 years old. For shame the officers know about it but they don't care the only time they care is when we win a victory. One of my fellow soldiers has come down with a strange illness known here as Trench Foot. His foot has grown almost twice as normal; soon very soon if it becomes gangrenous it will have to be amputated. Sometimes I wake in the night hearing his cries of pain, it nerves me to the bone.
I have made some friends here, there's the tall silent one who dreams of performing in the circus if he ever returns to Canada his name is Trowa, Trowa Barton. Most of the soldiers here are silent lost in their own thoughts, another friend of mine is a Chang Wufei, a Chinese. Some think other nationalities such as the Indians and the Chinese should not be allowed to enter the army but I say the more the merrier we're all dead anyways. There's another boy here with me, he's silent and seemingly uncaring he goes by the name Heero, Heero Yuy. How ironic eh? Having a name like that. He says its Japanese so go figure.
Some of us have been given nicknames, mine Mother? I fear you do not wish to know but I will tell you all the same. My comrades have taken to calling me Shinagami, a Japanese word for God of Death. Seems fitting I guess when all you see is death around you, you kind of need a nickname like that. Thinking back to Trowa it's hard to believe he wants to own his own circus, he says he's going to own it with his sister Catherine. He speaks of her none stop, how she disapproves of this war and his entering into it. I've had rather riveting talks with Heero over war and peace; he believes that some wars are needed so humanity can truly love peace. His wife believes that war is like an endless waltz the three beats of war, peace and revolution play endlessly or so she believes. I guess that's true look at Russia with their Tsars or so I believe they are called. The constant play of people versus people will it ever end mother or are we only pawns in a gigantic chess match? Wufei wonders what will happen to all the soldiers after the war, are we to be discarded? I think not, at least not in our hometown eh?
O when I get home all I want is to eat is one of you home cooked meals. All we get here is hard rations that barely pass for food. Hmm the battle starts soon, me and Heero are to be partners you see in this battle ever solider knows what it is they are to do, so if one of us gets knocked down there's another waiting to take his place. Well I hope to come home soon mother, I love you.
All my love Duo Maxwell or other wise known as Shinagami (Heero showed me how to write it in English)
Author's note: Heero Yuy returned to his wife soon after the war, helping her to volley for the woman's campaign for the right to vote. Chang Wufei also returned, marrying Sally Po and starting up his own business, the Hong Kong Restaurant. Trowa Barton was shot and deeply wounded in battle, he returned to Canada to help run the circus with his sister in the spring of 1920 he passed away.
Cause? The lead from the bullet that had been imbedded in his shoulder during the war had finally stopped his heart. And finally Duo Maxwell was shot and killed soon after the battle had ended. His friend Heero Yuy had returned to the battlefield that day to hear Duo's last words as he passed away. "Tell my mother I love her" upon which he gave Heero this letter. It seems that day Heero really was a Hero. Hmm this was written for my social class so I may write more and give a better account of what happened in the mean time review please.