The gracious trees gently swayed with the breeze the sneaked through land, the grass slowly pointed the way of the wind, like a corporal pointing the way to battle. The everlasting blue sky made us feel safe and secure, they made us feel no harm could come to us. The wonderful flowers stood up tall and moved to the smallest gust of air, their stance was like that of a soldiers, ready for battle. My children frolicked through the gentle grass and circle the enchanting tree that stands atop the grassy hill, with the smaller trees below. They shout with glee and a run with happiness guiding them through the land. My wife and I walk slower behind, admiring the children's happiness, our hands together, never to be separated like a tree to its leaves throughout all seasons. Eventually we arrive atop the hill and sit with our backs to the smooth, brown bark, the children still playing within the majestic grass. We look to the leaves above us and see the suns light slowly simmer through the gaps in the leaves. Me and my wife slowly look back to each other, her eyes glistening in the natural light, she smiles her beautiful smile, then we kiss...
I open my eyes again, my hands grasping the long killing machine in front of me, its hind stuck into the muddy, disease ridden, ground, my head is down, looking at the hind of the weapon as it becomes more and more wet and muddy every second it spends in the ground, i watch as the bugs and maggots move around the weapon, as if it is a danger to them. Other men are squeezing past, attempting to move to a more safer place, other men sit down like me, listening to the calls of orders and occasionally, the blood curdling scream of another man to fall. The sky is grey and the clouds are black, like they are about to burst with rain and add more to the already wet floors. Bang! Off goes another, but closer this time.
Markus turns to me, "heh, thats another one, whats that now, seven in the last ten minuets", "yeah.." I sigh back, while my eyes are still fixated on the hind of my hellish weapon, "look, i know its tough, but it'll be over by christmas, trust me" Markus said as he attempted to comfort me with his cold hand that was stained with the mud from what they called our only safe place, and the blood of the fallen enemies he has taken the lives of. I wish i could believe him that it would be over by christmas, but the forces on the other side of the wasteland showed no sign of defeat, and no signs of surrender.
This place was like a nightmare, as if hell itself has manifested its image to earth, all we heard was the ear piercing explosions of the small, life threatening capsules. The bang of the long killing machine, scouting out its next victim, and its then its sharp, metal tooth would pierce through the air and spill the blood of the innocent men it found. We heard the men crying out in pain and their final breaths being breathed, their calls of orders and demands, thats all we heard, day in, day out.