I walk on the fields of this deserted wasteland. What used to be a fertile farmland, brimming with life and culture, has now been rendered to charred stone. Bodies lie across the fields of No Man's Land, shredded and torn by the machine guns of the trenches. I reflected back on the few hours before all of this, recounting the few moments before the artillery guns striked the earth with mighty, relentless blows.

I was in a trench with a Lewis machine gun. We were fortifying our defenses, as we just received news of the Germans using a reckless but powerful tactic to overwhelm our defenses. Our commanders called it the Kaiser's fist, because every strike seemed like a giant punch barreling through our trenches. I finished loading my weapon, awaiting their suicidal charge.

After what seemed like an eternity, we heard the battle cry of the Elite German army, followed by loud footsteps. I clumsily put my heavy gun on the dirt outside the trench and begun firing away, suppressing the German horde in hopes that they could not reach the first trench. A futile effort. The Germans captured the first trench and slaughtered all the soldiers left in there. I was in the third trench, and it was only a matter of time until they reached me. I reloaded my gun again, anticipating another charge.

The Germans mounted another offensive, determined to purge the trenches and claim more yards of land for the Central Powers. They came in hundreds, unlike any charge I've ever seen before. We managed to mow down the first two waves of the Kaiser's horde. Dead bodies lie the ground between the trenches, with destroyed barb wire and fragments of landmines lying among them.

There was only silence now. No screaming, no whirr of Maxim guns getting ready, no footsteps except for my allies over at the second trench. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down. It was a bad idea though, because there was a lot of hot dust in the air due to constant artillery and mortar barrages. I loaded my now empty Lewis gun and reminded my platoon in my trench to reload their weapons and prepare for another wave.

Suddenly, two Sergeants hopped into my trench. The sound of the boots landing on the undergrowth and the clank of guns and bayonets clashing with each other took me off guard.

"Alright men! We have received orders to counter attack these blasted Germans! When the landships pass over your trench, climb out of your filthy mudhole you call a trench, march into the battlefield and slaughter every single one of these sodding cowards!" The two sergeants ordered. They tried to put on a serious, nasty demeanor. However, I could see they were shaking nervously and their voice stretched and coarse from constant shouting. They quickly climbed out of the trench with deft hands and marched towards the second trench, being careful not to get shot by any watching German snipers.

The sputter of engines could be heard. The landships were coming. An army of steel, the battalion of death. We knew it was our ticket to ending this war. The landship drove over us like a giant, unyielding boar. It was time to attack. We climbed out of our trench with our lanky arms. Even though we were light due to our malnourished bodies, we still found it hard to climb over the trench. We charged, reflecting the same animalistic fury the Germans showed when attempting to murder us all.

Out on the fields, we could also see Germans marching out of their trench. They had specialised soldiers now, with the Flame Trooper armor and flamethrower and their own tanks. They were moving fortresses, able to mow down an entire army if well-placed and ready. We rushed towards each other. The clash of Titans was about to begin.

It was a gruesome battle. We battled for hours, where day became night, and the darkness looms over the battlefield. Normally this would mean that everyone would retreat, but with the rage of war boiling in our veins, we refused to retreat until every single one of us were blown to bits. There were wooden carcasses of what used to be trees on the dirt, welded to the ground by its roots. The ground was burning, licking anything in its path with dancing flames. War truly is hell.

I can still remember vividly, the rows upon rows of Germans opening fire on us. Our landships attempted to smash through them, but some well-placed howitzers managed to destroy three quarters of the steel battalion before we could punch a hole in their defenses. I witnessed all my comrades dying by the bullet barrage, while the bullets only grazed my skin. An enemy German soldier charged at me with a shovel and knocked me down before I could react. The ruthless soldier that knocked me down was about to bash my skull in with his rusted shovel when we all heard whistling sounds. We looked up, knowing that impending doom is near. Up in the sky, we saw a barrage of artillery bombs from both the German and the Allied sides about to storm the Earth, ravaging everything in its path.

I thought I would have died, but I woke up among the dead, charred bodies on the ground. Everything was on fire, like a Hell on Earth. Everyone around me was gone in a single fell swoop. My comrades always told me I had the luck of the devil, never getting infections from wounds and having near misses with Death itself. Yes, it truly was the luck of the devil. Lucky enough to wake up in a barren wasteland, witnessing the corpses of human friends and the mistakes and sins of the politicians and monarchies back home.

I saw a dim light slowly moving along the dirt. I turned back, and saw the Sun, signalling the dawn of a new day. The dawn of a new beginning. When I was a child, I've always thought that the Sun was fuelled by mankind's hopes and dreams. On this day, it was so bright, caressing the wounded earth and bringing light and salvation to the corpses that have died by their fellow man's convictions. With this light, I felt like I had a new objective. I took a Luger and some ammunition. I scavenged for some rations that were left untouched in the bodies. Lightly armed and shown a new hope, I made my journey back home.

Don't worry Mom, I'm coming home soon.

And thats about it! I hope you all enjoy this short stories. Please leave a review, I want to learn more about writing so I can make better stories.