*****No man's land, Perspective of Private James Weber, CEF.*****

I cursed as I stumbled and ran through the muddy fields of Flanders. All around me the rest of the Canadian first division charged as German mortars and machineguns rained death around us. Keep moving. Breath. Ignore the screams and the dead. I Look to my right. George, my younger brother is just behind me. He looks just as terrified and tired as I am, and the long months of bombardment and fear have thinned his previously cherubic features. Marching away, we'd been posterboys for the perfect soldier of the british empire, Tall, Fit, brown hair and bluegreen eyes sparkling. Now George looked pale and sickly, his eyes full of fear and sorrow.

"Come on, georgie! Jerry won't wait forever!" I laugh, Ignoring the burning pit of dread in my stomach and the bullets and shrapnel whizzing by my head.

"Dammit Jimmy, If I had my say they'd wait for us until after I've had my coffee" He grumbled, giving me a wavering smile. Nodding, we left the shellhole and continued on our way, wading through the muck towards german lines..

*****A few hundred yards away, perspective of: Helmut Gottfried, German 4th Army *****

"Dad! Tommies on the left!" shouted my brave son, pointing out another group of charging brits. They were close enough I could see their faces. A few o them were as young as my boy...I pushed this thought away and pulled the trigger on my maxim, letting a burst of machinegun fire scythe through them. Thankfully, the noise around us drowned out their screams. My son, Johannes, was unbuttoning his trousers.

"Johannes! What in the hell are you doing!" I shouted over the din,

"We're out of water! I'm going to piss in the water jacket to keep the gun cool!" he shouted back. I shook my head. He was right, but he still should be in cover. I should have been paying attention though, because a pair of tommies jumped into our position rifles pointed right at us. I looked at Johannes and Franz, the other man on our team. both had their hands raised. I sighed and did the same.

"we surrender!" I said in english. they'd caught us fair and square, and I was not going to get my son killed in this fucking war if I could help it. The brits looked surprised by this, but before I could speak again they raised their heads and shouted.

"COVER! IT'S A WHIZ-BANG!"

*****Private James Weber POV

I pulled Georgie down as a burst of machinegun fire cut down most of the platoon. Fuckin' jerrie bastards had the whole of menin road covered. But if we turned back now, they'd shoot us. I couldn't do that to mom and dad, and I couldn't let George down. So I pressed on, gritting my teeth I vaulted over a mound of dirt and continued my charge, George right behind me. I kept expecting the gun ahead of us to fire, sending death chattering at us, ripping us to shreds. It never did, and as I jumped into the gun position I saw why. A young german was trying to refill the water bag by pissing in it, a task he quickly abandoned upon seeing us. He raised his hands, which let his trousers drop. It would be funny if not for the circumstances. Georgie and I raised our rifles at the surprised Germans, who raised their hands.

"we surrender" one said in almost perfect english. Before we could move however, a sound like tearing paper or fabric filled the air. An artillery shell was inbound. Georgie and I shouted at the same time, diving for cover.

"COVER! IT'S A WHIZ-BANG!" There was fire, pain, and then.... nothing....

Author's Note

Start of a little side project that has been kicking around in my head for a minute. not gonna be updated regularly (story of my life) and I'll still be working on the other two stories sporadically.