Man at War – Excerpt No. 6

Murphy spotted a fresh crater, and lunged himself at the three men. Roy and the wounded Private were pushed into the crater, but O’Reilly broke free and stood there with wild glassy eyes.

From Murphy’s perspective the Private must have been standing there for an eternity. Instead of the time needed for him to take a deep breath needed to order the man to get down. I never got the chance.

The artillery round struck nearby, enveloping them with a shockwave followed by a wall of dust and debris. He never knew what hit him.

The lad’s uniform quickly turned crimson, and he dropped dead six feet away from safety. I tried to reach for his body, but the snipers forced me back.

a cinematic photo of a British private wearing a Brodie helmet, traditional Scottish kilts, and holding a rifle, stands at the edge of a massive crater in no man's land, facing the camera with a determined expression, his facial features etched with a mix of fear and courage, his skin smeared with dirt and sweat, a large explosion erupts behind him, with towering flames and billowing smoke, the private's eyes are fixed intently on the camera, his kilt torn and tattered, his rifle at the ready, the explosion's shockwave distorts the air, with debris and shrapnel scattered everywhere, the photography style is gritty and realistic, with a muted color palette, focusing on earthy tones, and a shallow depth of field, blurring the background, emphasizing the private's heroic stance.

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.