Guns At Dawn

Chapter 1

The Beginning

Each minute the blood stained sand drew closer, the mouth of hell opening it"s jaws ready to pounce on each unsuspecting victim. Shots rang out from all directions. Vomit arose from within her stomach. She waited for the moment of destiny. Sweat slowly but surely dripped from her brow.
"Hell couldn"t be much better then this" Elrica told herself.
She felt them look at her. Staring. Wondering.
"Why is a women out here doing a man's job" Thinking to herself she answered; I am here to defend my country. To fight for freedom. To create a new and better future.
Her thoughts jolted to the sergeant screaming at them:
"Get out there and kill those pigs! Go go go!"
She ran towards the nearest blockade.
"Hey you!" Someone screamed; "I"ll cover you! MOVE!"
She ran struggling to dodge each bullet as it passed. The bunker fired, getting a direct hit. She fell onto the tainted sand. She screamed.
She slowly lost consciousness. In the distance she faintly heard someone, a man, calling to her. "Get up. Get up! Do you want to die here? Move it!"
She struggled, barely able to lift herself. "Come, you've been shot in the leg, get into that pit over there. I'll find you some help." Dazed and slightly confused she obeyed. Hoping this living hell would end soon.
The night slowly arrived, taking with it the blood shed of day. She layed still, hoping the pain would end. Yet, she hoped in vain. For tomorrow would be no different.
At dusk the man returned. "Hold still" he told her. "Here, take some morphine ... for the pain... There, good as new."
"Yeah right" She replied. "At this rate I"ll be dead before I kill anyone. What"s your name?”
"Jake. You?"
"Elrica."
"It"s a pleasure to meet you Elrica. Feeling any better?"
"Yes, thank you."
"No problem ma'm. Now if you excuse me I"ve got some Germans to kill."
"Thanks again."
The morphine took effect and Elrica slowly drifted into a deep sleep. She awoke a few hours later by gun fire and shouts. "Another day, another death." She told herself.
Checking her gun she wondered how much longer the war would go on. "Maybe I'll live through this after all."
Crawling towards the opening of the pit she looked at the dead that surrounded her. "For what cause did these men die? For what reasons are they laying here soaked in their own blood?"
Scanning the horizon she kept an eye out for Jake. "I wonder if he's alive."
Sighing she retreated back down the pit. The day turned to night. A quiet night. No animal would venture here. Or maybe, we all are the animals.