Henry's eyes snapped open at the sound of an explosion and within seconds he was up and out of what was laughingly called a bed down here in the trenches.
"Take cover," came the urgent, and rather unnecessary, shout from outside of the bolthole as several more explosions rent what should have been a serene night. Henry grabbed a helmet and slipped it on. While staying low he slipped out and found an officer, just as the big guns started firing back in response.
"They're softening us up, it's a night charge," stated the officer matter-of-factly as well as quite loudly. Another explosion went off, this time rather closely, the shock of it dropping Henry to his knees. As he got back up and went to grab his rifle he noted just how quiet it had suddenly got.
Training set in at that moment and he stepped up onto the fire step, raising his rifle. The sounds of the machine gun nests going off confirmed his suspicions and he began to fire out into the no man's land. Only raising his head for a second to see where the rushing enemy was with each shot, but he only got three off before they reached the entanglement of barbed wire. He pulled back the bolt and pushed it forward again, firing one last shot before slipping into the bolthole with his rifle gripped in both his hands.
A loud thud sounded in front of Henry as a gray-clad soldier climbed over the sandbags and jumped into the trench. Henry quickly stabbed forward with the rifle, the bayonet sliding into the other soldier. Figuring with how far the bayonet slid, as well as how the man reacted, it was plain to see that the blade slid between two ribs. He slid the weapon out and waited.
The wait was not long before someone else landed and using quick wits drew up a pistol to fire into the bolt hole. Henry was quicker and his bayonet slid into man's wrist. The gray-clad figure let out a scream of pain and twisted his body, swinging his other arm towards Henry. Henry leaned back against the bolthole, the knife in the German's hand gliding flatly across his covered arm. He kicked outwards and slid out of the bolthole as the gray-clothed man fell back into the trench.
Crouching with his feet upon the trench board, Henry pulled back his bayonet and was just about to thrust it forward into the staggering German when there was the beginning of a loud blast as darkness claimed him.
Sliding. Henry felt his body sliding upon a rough floor. He opened his eyes and saw stalactites moving upon the roof above him. Oh no, wait, he was the one that was moving, that's right. He tried to move his arms and realized they were being held by someone. Someone pulling him. As he turned at his head to look towards the person dragging him, something hard came down on his left temple and blackness reclaimed him.
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