War And Friends

• Lachlan Ceravolo, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2014

Walking through the vast, foreign forests of Germany, still depressed from what had just transpired. Remembering what had just happened as I trudge through the muddy plains looking for someone or something to show me there was point to continue walking. Trying to remember, to grasp what had just happened, the memories start flooding back.
“How much further?” Richard yells to me, both agitated by all the walking we’d done the past few days. I respond, annoyed “we'll get there when we get there!” neither of us wanted to be there, we were tired and sore and Richard’s complaining couldn't go on for much longer before I snapped. We were deep in enemy territory; we were both nervous as we snuck deeper into the enemy trenches. We were walking undisturbed for quite a while, this couldn't go on for much longer, there had to be enemies somewhere. Watching. Waiting somewhere we couldn't see them. Then all of a sudden a flash and I'm blinded. My instincts kicked in and I start to flail my arms around me before a blunt object hits me and darkness.
Someone was shouting at me in a language that, to me, was incoherent babble, but it must have been German. It was cold and wet, like it had rained recently and what was left was dripping through the cracks on the roof. Whatever I was lying on was harder than stone and too small for my size. Looking around I notice a barred window and a cell door to what looked like my prison cell. Just as I get my bearings a large, grotesque officer was leaning over me, finally speaking English he yells “get up!”, the man wore an army general’s uniform that didn't fit his large stature, he was at least two metres tall and was quite buff. It felt like I had been lying down for days, as my legs collapsed as I got up from my bed and I hit the floor with a thud, so he left me there and everything went black once more.
I was woken up by a loud explosion as the prison starts to shake and the cell door falls off its hinges and an escape route becomes clear to me. I run as quickly as I can to escape and find Richard on my way out. I grab him and keep running until I'm sure we were in the clear. We finally stop and lie down and try to figure out where we would go, but we had to stay there the night, Richard’s leg looked horrible and he had to sleep.
I woke up and Richard was awake, the life taken out of his once bright eyes. He looked in no condition to move. “I can’t go any further Dom, we both know that” Richard mumbles quietly. He groaned in pain. I knew what he was asking of me. He didn't want to be a burden. As his heart beat got softer and his eyes closed I whispered “I'm sorry” and walked away.