Far away from home

A short story about world war 2.

When the second great war was raging in Europe, a group of young soldiers was crawling, caught in the crossfire. Bullets gave them no escape, and if one as much as raised his head, the head would go down very next second with blood spitting out of it. One soldier afraid for his life started remembering all that waited home, his old mother and father, his young love, his own future. And the tears rolled down his cheek as he wished that he was still there, laying next to his love, but alas war gives no such pleasures, and he must earn that right. Suddenly a dark sky flashed. An enemy bomber was roaring its engines over the battlefield, and the group of poorly trained recruits knew that it was time for fight or flight, and none of them had more strength left for combat. As they saw the bomber open its belly, spitting out hundreds of angry bombs, they finally stood up. In front of them was a machine gun nest, to their side a group of mean commandos, and behind bombs were dropping. They all ran towards an empty side as bombs and bullets were chasing them, none of them catching, but a blast wave did knock them down. Gunfire was still going on, and as an aftermath of a strong explosion radiated in one young soldier's head, his vision blurry, his hearing nonexistent, only the beats of his heart were heard. He looked up and saw his friend emerging from a crater, he offered him his hand, and as he took it, he saw a bullet hole appearing on his friend's chest, with his last words being: "SAVE YOURSELF!". Our young soldier did not look back, but shortly after he realized that he is the sole survivor of his group. He felt sorry for his friend that gave his life for him, but now he needed to earn that, so he just kept running and running and running. "Why must one fall so other could rise?" Were his thoughts as he ren, then he felt a sharp stab in his back, and he looked down. There was just one huge hole near to his heart, and it was bleeding and bleeding as our soldier took what he thought are going to be his last steps thinking: "Or is there no such thing as a right sacrifice". Then he fell facedown in the mud.  Life flashed before his eyes, once more remembering all that waited home, then he fell asleep.

But he did wake up after all, and there were no sounds, no explosions being heard, and far in front of him, he saw a group of soldiers marching. He stood up, wiped the dirt from his uniform, and picked up his rifle, he went to join them with pride illuminating his face. "I am doing this for the ones at home". And together with them, he marched into eternity.