Man at War – Excerpt No. 2

“A quarter passed midnight,” Murphy whispered. “Corporal, take a peek over the lip of the crater.”

The man of nineteen years grabbed his helmet and weapon before moving closer to the edge of the crater. He first popped his head over the crest for a few seconds to confirm if a sniper was on alert. Delay too long and he would end up taking a bullet to the head.

While the shallow dish-shaped helmet with a narrow brim might have deflected the shot, it was better to be safe than sorry. It was said that they were working on an improved variant. I’ll believe it when I see it.

a cinematic photo of a WWI British Army Lance Corporal in No Man's Land, peeking cautiously over the edge of a war-torn crater while wearing his distinctive Brodie helmet, its metallic surface reflecting faint moonlight, with a mix of fear and determination etched on his dirty, exhausted face, set against a dark, ominous night sky with flashes of artillery fire illuminating the horizon, the scene is dramatized through the use of deep shadows and muted earthy tones, with the camerawork capturing the intensity of the moment in a gritty, realistic photography style.

Disclaimer: This novel is an work in progress and readers may encounter grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Please view this a draft and not a published work.