Raining Needles

The sky was shrouded with clouds. Everyone thought there was going to be a storm. I sat on a bunk of a bed underneath a small dugout that connected to long systems of trenches. Although it was cloudy, the sky was clear. Clear of planes. There hadn't been a single shot from the enemy's side past No Man's Land for days. Many had started to suspect they retreated, but that seemed too good to be true.

I had my Lee–Enfield by my side, but I sat there just thinking. I wanted to go home, but of course that wasn't possible. I had a duty to serve, even though I didn't want to, not anymore. All of my school friends who signed up with me have all died in combat, due to simple avoidable mistakes. Honestly I'm lucky I've made it this far.

My leg slowly started to fall asleep and I decided to get up and walk around. I exited the dugout and walked down the trenches, making sure to keep my head below the top. People sat against the walls of the trenches, some sat against sand bags. Many had injuries, bandages around their heads, bandages around their hands. A lot had opened wounds that went untreated. Many were also sickly with the influenza, trench foot, typhoid, and many more. I tired to avoid those people, or as many as I could definitely tell had it.

Suddenly I heard roaring coming from the sky. Everyone turned their heads to the sky. There were two planes. They were pretty far away, but everyone watched.

"Who are they?" Someone asked.

"Germans." Another responded.

The planes were heading this way. People started to get up, heading for the dugouts in case this was an attack. A lot of people started moving in fact. People pushed and shoved others and some fell, including me. The planes got closer and closer, the roaring of the engines getting louder and louder. People ran for the dugouts, some ran the opposite way to a dugout on the other side.

"GET TO COVER!" Someone yelled.

I tried to get up but I was just pushed down again. Eventually both planes flew across the trenches and away. Everyone who was running suddenly stopped and looked at the planes fly by, realizing they hadn't attacked.

THUMP!

There was a loud noise that sounded like something hitting the ground.

THUMP! THUMP!

Suddenly people started dropping to the floor. For a second no one moved, and just stared at the ones who had died.

"FLECHETTES!" Someone cried. "RUN!"

Panic ensued as needles fell from the sky like rain, killing anyone in their path. I decided to push my way into the crowd and try to get to the dugout. I ran, pushing anyone out of the way, but suddenly a flechette hit someone in front of me, which caused them to drop dead instantly. I couldn't slow down and stop in time, so I ended up falling over his corpse. People ran over me, and I got trampled by everyone else. Some dropped dead on top of me from being hit.

Suddenly I felt a piercing pain in my stomach. I cried out in pain and tried to push the dead corpses off of me. I felt another pain this time in my arm. A flechette hit my arm, fracturing my bone instantly. The wound looked like a bullet hole, but slightly smaller. I watched everyone run past me, no one was willing to help. Then I felt a needle hit me in a bad spot. My neck was hit. I started to bleed out quickly. My breathing became sparse, and tears ran down my face as I begged for help. But that help never arrived, and I was left to bleed out and perish.

What a bad day to take a walk.

Written by: HorrorsUnknown