I do not own Hetalia okay? I am hoping to finish this story here soon, so be ready for more updates. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!
July 27th 1918
(from the diary of Ivan Braginsky)
I am getting so tired of this all. Most every day it is the same thing, artillery shelling, no man's land, driving like a maniac but at the same time trying to to hurt the soliders in the back, it's exhausting. Mentally draining. I hear so many commanders say "This offensive will break those Germans." Makes me wonder how long they have been saying that. Matvey has been writing me, as Katyusha thought it would help him cope if he helped me understand what it was like for him and they were saying that back when he was first sent in a few years ago. They're starting to bring out armored fighting vehichles. They look like ramps with steam shovel tracks on them covered in metal but they say this will help end it. One can only pray so.
My lieutenant told me and Ernest to draw up our wills just in case something were to happen and he is implying that a new battle will begin soon. Sounding like it will be that grand final push that forces the Germans to surrender. I am hoping it is just administrative duty that plauges the army. I hear so many of the soliders say that if not for "the brass" as they called it, they might have won the war already. We sometimes get injured soliders from the other side and while I have been called vile names for it by some of the injured Americans, (and I understand why) they say a lot of the same things, from at least what I can pick out, my German isn't that good. But the looks on their faces of battle fatigue look the same no matter what you speak.
I hold the family portarit Fredka sent to me close to my heart. I honestly don't know if I could keep pushing on if not for them. We got out of Russia before it got too bad. I hear so much about the Revolution that took the Tsar and his family captive from what comes in the lines. I know that the higher ups want to censor bad things, but rumors spread faster than the flu in the trenches. I cannot tell you how many of my fellow drivers have been put on sick leave because of it. Some have died from if you can believe it, that flu. Some of the more religious types in the ranks claim it is the end of days, but I do not think that. This is just what war has become. No more of those grand Napolenoic charges. Nothing but lead that this thrown down range while men fight for inches.
I hope this really is a sign the war will end soon. I have been from my family far too long. Seeing Fredka in dreams, on the rare chance I do get enough sleep to dream, is not enough. I miss his smile, his energy, his optimism. I do worry how this is affecting that though. Fredka is a man that goes from one side to another. It's all sunshine and rainbows or it is the end of the world and depending on if that unpleasant emotion lands on sad or angry means a lot. If he broke his favorite bat on the oak tree in his yard when Matvey joined up and was so morose he could hardly eat like usual for a week, I would hate to see what happens if something were to happen to me. I can trust that he wouldn't hurt his family over this, but I worry about him. I just want to have him like I did before and tell him it's okay and I am fine. But I don't know. I just don't know.
So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Get ready for some bittersweet parts for a while. This is set in World War 1 era after all. If you want to learn more about the era, I suggest The Great War with Indy Niedell on Youtube as that is a very informative channel and I use it a lot for referneces. And All Quiet on the Western Front is what I draw a lot of from for personal persepctive. Anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,
otherrealmwriter
aka
Realm.