speech

“I’m hit!” you scream, as your body collides with the shoreline.

The hail of incoming fire tears through the sand around you, there's nowhere to run. 

Your chest burns, your ears ring, and your eyes widen as you soak up the horrifying reality unfolding before you. 

Debris scattered across the landscape, obscuring its once calm, natural beauty, and masking it with a jagged war torn flesh.

The dunes stained red, the hillside a flurry of dust clouds and flashes.

The hum of incoming aircraft fill the air, plagued by the uncertainty of ally or foe

Your open wounds bleed away your hopes of survival, and drain your will to push on any further.

Your eyes close as you sink into your surroundings, becoming just another victim to brutal nature of war.

Its D-day. 

Your comrades are falling around you, left and right. 

Streams of metal whirl past your head.

Craters emerge up and down the beach as artillery hammers your surroundings over and over. 

You shoulder your weapon and prepare to charge forward, diving between twisted metal barricades and splintered wood, praying for there to be enough cover to aid your advance.

The satchel at your hip calls for you to push forward, its purpose is vital to the success of your platoons advance.

Exploding grenades shatter your path, smothering all your senses, your vision blurred by dust clouds, your ears numbed by the unexpected bang.

You scurry away into a nearby trench, and attempt to gather yourself. You have a job to do and a country to serve.

Beneath heavy suppressive fire, you rush forward into the brush, navigating your way up the hillside towards your target.

You reach the communication tower and begin to unpack your explosives, rushing to strap as much of the structure as possible. Your shaky hands fumble with the wires, the longer you take, the more you risk being spotted.

With the explosives in place, you trail a line or wire back into the bush, and prepare to detonate. Right before you flick the switch, a group of young soldiers appear next to the tower. Your eyes meet with theirs for a brief second, some of them show fear and innocence, some show anger and aggression. You hesitate, your next choice may impact your life forever...