Over The Top
With no time to lose, the three of you crawl rapidly back towards your own lines. A flare from the German lines flies high into the sky and again lights up the entire sector. Sergeant Wilkes immediately motions for you to freeze in place. A few shots are fired from German rifles, none of them in your direction. As the flare fizzles out, you resume your steady advance.
Minutes later, you are just within shouting distance of your own trenches. At that moment, you see another flare blazing overhead. Instinctively, you each jump inside a crater to find cover. Soon after this, you hear the sound of mortar fire and the ensuing blasts of exploding shells now raining all about you. It may be just a matter of seconds before you and the others are cut to pieces.