Something terrible in the trench

A cold wind howled across the trench scarred plains of Greymarsh; the fury of it's noise was not drowned by the thousands of shells and bullets constantly falling across the lines drawn there; Aerolight fighters zipped and twirled in the skies above the battle, zooming and twisting around the Kaisers zeppelin fleet, the chatter and report of machine guns echoed across the freezing air and the dull thump of an exploding hydrogen cell would sometimes reach the trench line where Obergefreiter Kurd Friedel watched the night air with fogged breath through his binoculars, The bang and hiss of flares launching made him jump, and it cast light over the dark battlefield; he scanned while the light flickered, for the few precious moments it would be there; And there he spotted what he was looking for, the scope of a Nassarian marksmen. Kurd went chill; The marksmen was watching him. Kurd ducked back into the trench, his heart was racing, He looked to his half asleep watch partner, Rupprecht;
"Sniper.. sniper!" Kurd said, Rupprecht jolted and looked around,
"Where Kurd?" he asked, Rupprecht reached into his canvas bag and withdrew a map of the battle lines; "Just put your finger on it and we'll relay it to our sharpshooters! Oh I bet we'll get a medal for this one!"
They both grinned, Medals were what they were after. Thier relentless hunger for medals after all was what had landed the both of them here in this mud filled trench.
Kurd secured his helmet and peered back up, HISSS! another flare launched, Kurd saw no sign of the marksman across the lines, Kurd scanned left and right, watching the twinkling light the flare threw off..watching..Then he spotted the scope again and then the flash of the guns muzzle.Before he had time to react the round hit his helmet, it clanked off loudly and the impact blew Kurd backwards into the mud, his vision went out for a second and when it cleared he could see white dots dancing, Rupprecht shouted and scrabbled over to his friend;
"I'm alright! I'm alright.I found the bastard!" Kurd shakily stated, "Give me that map."
Rupprecht helped Kurd into a sitting position against the wall, he took Kurds helmet off and examined it, "Ja, you are always so lucky. You should be dead now my friend!" he dropped the helmet into Kurds lap, It was badly dented, but the round had been a direct hit. Kurd should have been dead. Rupprecht fished the map out and Kurd looked at it, it was filled with many grids and diagrams of where both the trenches were; lines and names had been crossed out, a unfortunate reminder of how the Kaisers forces were on the losing side. He pointed to the grid where the marksmen had been; exactly where; a month earlier, Kurd had been as well. The savage Nassarians were in his trench. He tapped the grid with his muddy fingers, "There, he was there!"
Rupprecht Orth nodded and and ran off to tell the Major, Kurd watched as he ran around the corner and out of sight. Monuments passed, Rupprecht did not return. Kurd heard boots splashing the mud; he glanced around and spotted a tall well built solider in the metal plated armor of the Reich. The soldier stopped right above him, faceless and devoid of humanity behind the gas mask he wore. He stared at Kurd.
"What do you want?" Kurd asked, "Are you here to give me my medal?"


Rupprecht's running slowed as he passed through the trench lines, finding them empty as if everyone had abandoned thier posts, he came to a stop; had they all gone over?
The roar of an engine from an aerolite fighter making a low buzz over the trench made Rupprecht jump, it's guns chattered into the distance. But all reports from this trench had stopped. Rupprecht looked around, he heard boots splashing in the mud from behind him. Two friendly uniformed troopers approached, "Oh if your not a sight for sore eyes, where in the devil has everyone gone?" Rupprecht asked, The soldiers did not reply. They drew closer and closer, bearing in on Rupprecht. As they came closer Rupprecht saw they were both under the cover of a gasmask, devoid of identity, but there was no mistaking that dent in the helmet the second one wore. "Kurd? What are you doing? Where's everyone gone?"
Kurd chittered a terrible sound.