The Frontier

• Danilo Seguin, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2018

Stumbling through the barren fields, eyes darting left to right, I suddenly heard the ear piercing shrill of an incoming mortar bomb. We all dived for cover, hoping we would be the lucky ones. As the
deafening sound started to subside I huddled into a ball terrified for what was to come. I heard rifles blast and explosions boom as I clung to what hope was left inside me. My body froze as I watched the mortar bomb hurtle toward me. It exploded, sending me flying out of the trench and down onto the hard rocky ground. My vision blurred as men rushed past me. I slid onto my feet and ran through the trench toward the forest. I looked ahead as another bomb hit the trench. The soldiers flew
through the air as we sprinted for the exit. We dashed into the forest, leaving the barren wasteland
behind. Terror powered my adrenalin and I ran as far as I could. Something seemed wrong but I
couldn’t put my finger on it. As I emerged into the clearing I came to a stop at our camp, or rather
the smoking crater left behind.
Germans stood waiting around every corner with tanks and artillery. We were done for. I was shoved into a truck with a few of my comrades and we were driven to a hidden concentration camp. When we got there I was horrified to see troops from the allies being beaten and held captive. We were walking through the halls when one of our men made an unexpected move. He spun swiftly and punched a guard in the face, making him stumble and fall. The rest of us looked at each other and nodded, we rebelled. We fought strong and hard, forcing our way through the halls until we emerged outside. We got in contact with another battalion of troops who stayed to fight. Using the trucks, we set off to battle.
War cries echoed through the sky as we charged into the western front. Rifles boomed through the barren field and mortar bombs launched through the air. I yanked my rifle off my back and fired viciously at the German troops. I pushed forward until I was hit. I collapsed in a heap, breathing heavy. I watched soldiers sprint, shouting as they crossed No Man’s Land. I closed my eyes as screams of pain echoed in my ears. Suddenly, a surge of vengeance ran through my veins. I remembered my comrades, my mates who had died fighting for this war. I would not let their death be in vain. I struggled to my feet and screamed a war cry as I ran into battle.
My comrades and I countered the German troops, we soon captured their trench! We all rested and patched up, rescuing any of our men still alive in No Man’s Land. Reinforcements arrived and pushed forward whilst we stayed. I looked ahead to the setting sun, wondering what would await me next.