Over The Top
You look over to Sergeant Wilkes to find out what you should do. To your surprise, the Sergeant takes out a hand grenade, pulls the pin out, then looks over to you with an impassive face. If that’s the way it’s going to be, you decide, then so be it.
You and George take out your own grenades and together, lob them over the wire entanglement and straight into the German trench. Each explosion causes the earth to tremble and men to shriek in terror. The three of you also fire your rifles blindly towards the enemy. The retaliation, however, is swift and decisive.
A German stick grenade lands beside Sergeant Wilkes and explodes, killing him instantly while German machine-gun fire riddles George’s body with bullets. You try to return fire but your stand is both futile and hopeless. Out of the darkness, two other grenades land nearby and the last thing you will feel is the searing blast of their explosion.