The eighth platoon

(A story by Alvaro, inspired by Ken Follett) :)

Dear Ann:

I’m still alive!. I’ve been travelling throw France. I’m in the eighth platoon of infantry of the British Army, the high captain call us, the platoon of Miner street.

We’re in Somme, near the oriental border of France with the French Army fighting against the German Army.

It’s ten o`clock p.m., I’m with Tom and Albert, I share the tent with them. They’re sleeping now, but I’m thinking of you. I remembered the first time that I saw you in the baker’s shop. So much time since then... you were very pretty, five minutes then I would know that in the future you would marry with me. Two days before started the war, I asked you with a engadged ring. We married in the old church near your home with other four couples, all of the mans were being sent ahead (to the war). A new law for the goverment, helped for the families that had mans in the Army with a salary for the wifes and his sons.

I couldn’t write before because there’s no time to lose in war. The other day was very hard, we missed twenty three soldiers in the last riot. It’s frustrating to think, that we can’t stop with this slaughter. We had eaten all the food, and we didn’t have provisions. So we needed to sort out this problem, some soldiers were died of starvation. Two Days later, we saw a new shipment of food. For the godness sake!!

Three days ago, after the end of the battle against the German Army, the captain deal out a bottle of ron, we drank a few couples, the alcohol heat our stomachs, but one hour after I had a hard headche, and I felt sleep... Suddenly, I heard a high sound and the floor was shaking, they were attacking us. Bombs, shotguns.... I woke up in a second, took my gun and I went out to watch what was happening... the captain was shouting, we didn’t have bullets and nobody wanted to asked for them, so I went to the tent and asked to the high command:

     -Sir, we don’t have bullets for our shotguns since two days day ago. How can we fight?.

The captain looked at my, in this moment I felt that I wanted that the earth ate me, finally he heated me in my mouth and a thoot was thrown. My mouth was full of blood, but anyway, I was conscious. Not bad at all!

Two hours later we were in a trench shooted with our guns hand grenades and all the material, one hour later, we were in silence, nobody were moving. We thought, well, we had won the battle. The captain came with us in his horse, and he said that I platoon of soldiers had been fleeing out the battle field. They had violated the honor code. Ten minutes later, we saw that platoon, the captain shouted:

-          shooted them!!!.

The platoon were scared, they didn’t know what was happening, and I thought:

-          Why I must shoot to my compatriots, they’re like me, British!! This captain is crazy!.

I pointed the sight of my shootgun to my captain and shooted tree times, the last one in the middle of his brain. He felt down to his horse and he was dead. I said:

  -     Nobody knows what has happen here!

All the platoons acclaimed me.

I hope the end of the war is coming up. Anyways, nobody knows what is happen in the world, and why God want this to us.

I miss you so much, and I supose that you and your familly finds you well.

Kisses, Billy.