For a long time when I was younger I wondered what the worst thing in the world was. Spiders? Scorpions? Snakes maybe? Now I know. Death. Death and war and fighting. My name is Charles Nottingham, but my Друзья call me Charlie. I was a soldier, during the 1914 war, along with my brother, Will. I have experienced the horrors of seeing those Ты Любовь and care for die, like Собаки on a battlefield. I have seen friends, family and even enemies slaughtered on the banks of the Somme river, in France, where I was stationed. They called it ‘The Great War’ because it was the biggest and most horrible war of the time. And trust me, it was. I learnt that the enemy German soldiers aren’t heartless murderers as we are taught, but they are just like us Englishmen. They have been thrust into a world with blood and death and fighting, and are forced to kill us. Forced to slaughter us like animals. It started when my brother Will and I were packed off to war on July the twenty eighth 1914, to the Somme River. We were only eighteen and nineteen at the time. I, for one, was too young to understand how serious things were, too young to understand that I would be killing people. Ending peoples lives. Sure, Ты might think: No big deal, just shooting a couple soldiers, nothing serious. And so did I, at the time. But it isn’t like that. It isn’t like that at all. The first few days at the Somme were horrendous, but only pale signs of what would come next. It was raining hard, and everything was muddy. And what’s more, we had to dig our trenches in the pouring rain, up to our waists in mud. It went everywhere. Into our boots, our hats, our hair. Imagine, not washing your hair for about four years. That’s how long the war lasted. But I didn’t know that then. I thought it would all be over by Christmas. Boy, was I wrong.
When the trenches were finally finished I was resting, praying that gunshots would not be heard soon, praying that the Germans would not attack yet, when a young man, slightly older than me, walked in. “Who are you?” I asked, sitting up on my dry mud bed. “Sorry to disturb you, I’m James,” he said, shaking my hand, “But Ты can call me Jimmy. I’m your trench mate.” He had a strong Irish accent, and if he was Irish that meant that he had come to fight optionally. That’s a hero. Fighting a war that is not your own. Dying in the place of others for another country. We talked for a while about living conditions, and I made a thirty минута speech complaining about the weather, the food, the officers and the living conditions. I got so down that for a moment I wondered if the war would go on forever, but then Jimmy reached over and patted my back. “Don’t worry, mate, it’ll all be over by Рождество time.” Oh, how I wished he was right. That was when I heard the first gunshot. The shot that triggered the beginning of one of the deadliest battles in history. The war had begun.
The Germans had started attacking, and within moments I heard еще shots and the shouts of the soldiers. I heard cries of pain and screams of anger. Jimmy and I locked eyes. I couldn’t believe that this was happening. I heard an officer shouting for all the soldiers to go over the top. To get out into the battle field. I saw Will in the trench Далее to me load his gun. I followed suit, and prepared myself for my first taste of war. As I climbed out of the trench I had my first glimpse. The most horrible sight I had ever seen at the time. It was only a few минуты in and there were already injured and dead men from both sides, lying blood splattered on the battlefield. еще men dropped like flies around me. I saw Will огонь off a shot that felled a German soldier and left him limp and lifeless on the ground. His first kill. Soon I would do the same. Another German, a blonde haired boy probably even younger than me, was running around, and I saw him aim falteringly at Jimmy, who was beside me. My gun was in my hand and before I had time to think I pulled the trigger. The bullet seemed to me to travel in slow motion until it connected with the boy’s hip. I saw him scream in pain and drop to the floor. I ran up to him, suddenly horrified at what I had done. He was breathing heavily, and then I realised. This boy was just like me. Forced into a place he didn’t want to be, forced into doing things he didn’t want to do. I watched him suffer, but I couldn’t undo what I had already done. Suddenly his body went limp. His chest stopped moving and his eyes drooped closed. First blood.
I killed many men after that. I managed to avoid any serious injuries, apart from a bullet grazing my leg. Jimmy was less lucky. He had a bullet go clean through his shoulder, but thankfully didn’t lose much blood. He was my only friend in this strange, hostile place – apart from Will of course. The rations got worse and worse and men were dying all around me. If it weren’t for the murder of that Austrian arch-duke that triggered the war we would all be at Главная just then. With our families. Then came the worst день of my life. The день I Остаться в живых Will. It was June the twenty seventh, 1916, and it was just like any other day. The bloody battlefield for us again, день after day. I started worrying about when it would be that I, too, would meet my fate on that cursed ground. But there was something much worse in store for me that day. I turned to check on Jimmy and turned my back from Will for a few moments. When I turned back he had been hit in the chest by a German bullet. The most blood I have ever seen in my life. I ripped off his рубашка and put pressure on his wound, but nothing would stop the constant flow. I told him he would live. He knew that he wouldn’t. He slumped back, motionless. Jimmy and I had to drag his lifeless form into the trench, where I knelt beside him and wept. I wept until the break of day, mourning for the brother I had loved so much.
Eventually Armistice день came on the eleventh of November 1918. A truce was signed between the British and the Germans and the fighting finally stopped. The war was over. As I think over it now I realise that the lesson I learnt from all my loss and suffering was that everyone has to experience it and the best thing that we can do is help each other through it. I had felt so sorry for myself, losing Will like I did. I didn’t care that half of England had Остаться в живых someone like that as well. I learned that I had it fairly easy in that war. I also learned that the generals and commanding officers teach Ты some horrible things about the enemy. That every one of them is heartless, that every one of them murders for pleasure. But they don’t. Most of them are just like us. We don’t want to fight. We don’t want to kill. Nor do they. Maybe if everyone could learn that lesson, this really could be the war to end all wars.
When the trenches were finally finished I was resting, praying that gunshots would not be heard soon, praying that the Germans would not attack yet, when a young man, slightly older than me, walked in. “Who are you?” I asked, sitting up on my dry mud bed. “Sorry to disturb you, I’m James,” he said, shaking my hand, “But Ты can call me Jimmy. I’m your trench mate.” He had a strong Irish accent, and if he was Irish that meant that he had come to fight optionally. That’s a hero. Fighting a war that is not your own. Dying in the place of others for another country. We talked for a while about living conditions, and I made a thirty минута speech complaining about the weather, the food, the officers and the living conditions. I got so down that for a moment I wondered if the war would go on forever, but then Jimmy reached over and patted my back. “Don’t worry, mate, it’ll all be over by Рождество time.” Oh, how I wished he was right. That was when I heard the first gunshot. The shot that triggered the beginning of one of the deadliest battles in history. The war had begun.
The Germans had started attacking, and within moments I heard еще shots and the shouts of the soldiers. I heard cries of pain and screams of anger. Jimmy and I locked eyes. I couldn’t believe that this was happening. I heard an officer shouting for all the soldiers to go over the top. To get out into the battle field. I saw Will in the trench Далее to me load his gun. I followed suit, and prepared myself for my first taste of war. As I climbed out of the trench I had my first glimpse. The most horrible sight I had ever seen at the time. It was only a few минуты in and there were already injured and dead men from both sides, lying blood splattered on the battlefield. еще men dropped like flies around me. I saw Will огонь off a shot that felled a German soldier and left him limp and lifeless on the ground. His first kill. Soon I would do the same. Another German, a blonde haired boy probably even younger than me, was running around, and I saw him aim falteringly at Jimmy, who was beside me. My gun was in my hand and before I had time to think I pulled the trigger. The bullet seemed to me to travel in slow motion until it connected with the boy’s hip. I saw him scream in pain and drop to the floor. I ran up to him, suddenly horrified at what I had done. He was breathing heavily, and then I realised. This boy was just like me. Forced into a place he didn’t want to be, forced into doing things he didn’t want to do. I watched him suffer, but I couldn’t undo what I had already done. Suddenly his body went limp. His chest stopped moving and his eyes drooped closed. First blood.
I killed many men after that. I managed to avoid any serious injuries, apart from a bullet grazing my leg. Jimmy was less lucky. He had a bullet go clean through his shoulder, but thankfully didn’t lose much blood. He was my only friend in this strange, hostile place – apart from Will of course. The rations got worse and worse and men were dying all around me. If it weren’t for the murder of that Austrian arch-duke that triggered the war we would all be at Главная just then. With our families. Then came the worst день of my life. The день I Остаться в живых Will. It was June the twenty seventh, 1916, and it was just like any other day. The bloody battlefield for us again, день after day. I started worrying about when it would be that I, too, would meet my fate on that cursed ground. But there was something much worse in store for me that day. I turned to check on Jimmy and turned my back from Will for a few moments. When I turned back he had been hit in the chest by a German bullet. The most blood I have ever seen in my life. I ripped off his рубашка and put pressure on his wound, but nothing would stop the constant flow. I told him he would live. He knew that he wouldn’t. He slumped back, motionless. Jimmy and I had to drag his lifeless form into the trench, where I knelt beside him and wept. I wept until the break of day, mourning for the brother I had loved so much.
Eventually Armistice день came on the eleventh of November 1918. A truce was signed between the British and the Germans and the fighting finally stopped. The war was over. As I think over it now I realise that the lesson I learnt from all my loss and suffering was that everyone has to experience it and the best thing that we can do is help each other through it. I had felt so sorry for myself, losing Will like I did. I didn’t care that half of England had Остаться в живых someone like that as well. I learned that I had it fairly easy in that war. I also learned that the generals and commanding officers teach Ты some horrible things about the enemy. That every one of them is heartless, that every one of them murders for pleasure. But they don’t. Most of them are just like us. We don’t want to fight. We don’t want to kill. Nor do they. Maybe if everyone could learn that lesson, this really could be the war to end all wars.
"Oh my gawd! Lauren, Ты like Jack?!" сказал(-а) Koshi. I blushed and replied,"... Yeah, so what?" she gave me a puzzled look, and then she caught up with my Вопрос of curiosity and rolled her eyes and said, "So what? Do Ты even know the reason why it's a problem?" I shrug and say, "No," her face starts to get red like a cherry. I пересекать, крест my arms, and shifted my weight on my left leg. "Why? Is it a problem if I like Jack?" Koshi looked down and looked at me like I should've heard."He wasn't a good boyfriend." I raised my eyebrows.What? Why hasn't anybody told me that Koshi and Jack were going out? Why? "Oh.My.GAWD!"
On a foggy день ,
Following the light ,
Running far away .
There was a little car ,
Driven by two children ,
Made out of plastic and gum ,
With a fake license number .
And the car was the product
Of one’s imagination,
It was the guide through the forest
Of his life’s interpretation.
And the forest was dark
And hunted by Волки ,
Full of tears and pain
And of smiles went to vain.
And this kid was an orphan,
Slowly rushing through life ,
Searching for his mother ,
Waiting to be held tight.
He is Остаться в живых and scared ,
Yet unstoppable ,
Cause all his life he’s spent
Walking through that forest.
We ain’t all lucky and rich
или have families.
The truth is we only have ourselves,
To make our own journies.
This orphan’s an example
For those who don’t know ,
That that forest is the rode
We all have to go on .