by Daire Furlong
Darkness emerged from the horizon. What once was the light of the sun is now the sorrow of the moon. The bare ghostly trees swayed in the whispering wind. The dazzling stars invisible on this cloudy night. These are some of the many things you notice when you’re alone.
Sitting on my porch with a single tear flowing down my cheek, chills running down my spine as the wind whispered in my ear. Drops of rain trickled down the roof onto my head. However, no matter how cold or drenched I am, I am not going back to sleep. Every time I close my eyes I think of that memory, just that memory. It’s almost fifty years ago now. The nightmares started at the anniversary last week. So many details remind you. You just can’t help remembering the war.
The trenches were a horrible place to be. It was a damp, dark, claustrophobic pit seven feet below the ground, but it was better out there than in no mans land. Many brave soldiers climbed out there to fight for their country and never returned. I always dreaded the day that my name would be called out to go over. People sometimes went crazy down there when all that was on their mind was “When will it be my turn?” but I had my brother with me to keep me sane.
The day finally came. The big push. It was a rush, a blur when our names were called. We had five minutes to get ready. We grabbed our guns, our ammo and our helmets as if they would have protected us from the bombs. We lined up shoulder to shoulder. I glanced over to my brother and he looked at me as if to reassure me that everything was going to be okay, but his eyes showed that he was as scared as I was. “READY?” the sergeant shouted. We got into our positions. “You ready little brother?” my brother asked. “I’m scared Johnny,” I said with a shaky tone. ”Dan, I’m going to be by your side every step of the way, no matter what I’ll be there. Okay?” Johnny sorrowfully said. “I love you Johnny,” I announced with a single tear running down my face. Johnny smiled. “Go, go, go!!!” the sergeant ordered. This was it. The big push in no mans land.
It was a horrific sight; Soldiers dying, guns firing, bombs exploding dirt in to the grey sky. I was paralysed with fear, not knowing what to do. I saw my fellow soldiers running past me and plummeting to the ground in a pool of blood. I had half a mind to run back to the trenches like a scared child running to their parents. “No!” I shouted, “I came out here on a mission to fight for my country. I’ll either succeed or die trying!” I then bolted towards the enemy.
I found a target, about fifty feet away. I loaded my gun and aimed. I took a slow, hesitant breath and put my hand on the trigger. BANG! I suddenly felt a sharp, agonising pain in my leg. I was shot, he had gotten me first. I fell to the ground and in the blink of an eye my brother was by my side. “Dan? Dan are you al..” Bang! Johnny fell to the ground beside me. “I love you,” Johnny whispered in his last breath. The blood slowly poured down his face. “Johnny? Johnny!” I cried. This pain was so overpowering that I forgot about my leg. “I just can’t leave him here, I have to bury him,” I thought. It took me two hours to crawl my way back to the trenches, dragging his body behind me. The pain was unbearable but I made it.
As I sit in my wheelchair on the porch, I wonder if It was worth it. Were all those lives worth losing for a piece of land?
Darkness emerged from the horizon. What once was the light of the sun is now the sorrow of the moon. The bare ghostly trees swayed in the whispering wind. The dazzling stars invisible on this cloudy night. These are some of the many things you notice when you’re alone.
Sitting on my porch with a single tear flowing down my cheek, chills running down my spine as the wind whispered in my ear. Drops of rain trickled down the roof onto my head. However, no matter how cold or drenched I am, I am not going back to sleep. Every time I close my eyes I think of that memory, just that memory. It’s almost fifty years ago now. The nightmares started at the anniversary last week. So many details remind you. You just can’t help remembering the war.
The trenches were a horrible place to be. It was a damp, dark, claustrophobic pit seven feet below the ground, but it was better out there than in no mans land. Many brave soldiers climbed out there to fight for their country and never returned. I always dreaded the day that my name would be called out to go over. People sometimes went crazy down there when all that was on their mind was “When will it be my turn?” but I had my brother with me to keep me sane.
The day finally came. The big push. It was a rush, a blur when our names were called. We had five minutes to get ready. We grabbed our guns, our ammo and our helmets as if they would have protected us from the bombs. We lined up shoulder to shoulder. I glanced over to my brother and he looked at me as if to reassure me that everything was going to be okay, but his eyes showed that he was as scared as I was. “READY?” the sergeant shouted. We got into our positions. “You ready little brother?” my brother asked. “I’m scared Johnny,” I said with a shaky tone. ”Dan, I’m going to be by your side every step of the way, no matter what I’ll be there. Okay?” Johnny sorrowfully said. “I love you Johnny,” I announced with a single tear running down my face. Johnny smiled. “Go, go, go!!!” the sergeant ordered. This was it. The big push in no mans land.
It was a horrific sight; Soldiers dying, guns firing, bombs exploding dirt in to the grey sky. I was paralysed with fear, not knowing what to do. I saw my fellow soldiers running past me and plummeting to the ground in a pool of blood. I had half a mind to run back to the trenches like a scared child running to their parents. “No!” I shouted, “I came out here on a mission to fight for my country. I’ll either succeed or die trying!” I then bolted towards the enemy.
I found a target, about fifty feet away. I loaded my gun and aimed. I took a slow, hesitant breath and put my hand on the trigger. BANG! I suddenly felt a sharp, agonising pain in my leg. I was shot, he had gotten me first. I fell to the ground and in the blink of an eye my brother was by my side. “Dan? Dan are you al..” Bang! Johnny fell to the ground beside me. “I love you,” Johnny whispered in his last breath. The blood slowly poured down his face. “Johnny? Johnny!” I cried. This pain was so overpowering that I forgot about my leg. “I just can’t leave him here, I have to bury him,” I thought. It took me two hours to crawl my way back to the trenches, dragging his body behind me. The pain was unbearable but I made it.
As I sit in my wheelchair on the porch, I wonder if It was worth it. Were all those lives worth losing for a piece of land?
