trenches

You are a British soldier. The Great War has been going on for long enough for you to lose your initial hopes. You often look back to the summer of 1914, right before everything started. No one really knew what was happening, yet everyone knew that a single spark would blow everything up. The assasination of the Archduke and Duchess of Austria in Sarajevo pretty much served as a declaration of war, and suddenly, the majority of Europe was involved int the greatest war the world had ever seen. You remember the day you and your brother and cousins enlisted. Your family was proud, and they cheered on you as you got in the train and left. It was supposed to be an easy win. [[Next]]

It's 1916. The British and the French army have settle near the river Somme. The disaster of Verdun brought the Germans closer to victory and forced the British army to launch an offensive ahead of schedule. But this is a new type of war. The new artillery and machine guns have put an end to open field battles, and created a war of trenches. You've spent long days in the trenches. Most of the times, everything is quiet. Some times you can't even stand straight, or raise your voice at night. The majority of the days, nothing happens in what you call "No Man's Land." But you all now that behind that dead stretch of land, a German soldier stands behind a machine gun, waiting for you to poke your head out. [[Next|Continuation]]

Your battalion has been sent to the first line for six days. You have been going back and forth for the last two years and have seen all type of horrors. In your last permit, you didn't even go home, as you thought you couldn't let your sisters see you like this. You write to them every week, tho. You are one of the three original members left of the battalion. You've seen most of your mates die. The luckiest ones were sent home sick or seriously injured. The other two remaining soldiers are [[Captain Roberts]] and [[Tim]]. You follow them through the tunnels. You've never been in this [[trench]] before, however, they all look basically the same.

Captain Harry Roberts is your direct superior. You have been under his orders since day one, and admire his courage and leadership. You have rarely seen him rest, and he is a great strategist. He enlisted long before the war started, motivated by his patriotism and love for England. Now, not much of that love remains, but he has a very strong sense of duty. He oftens drinks. He says often says that alcohol is the only thing keeping him from running away every time he hears a gun. It was him who suggested that you didn't go home during your last permit. [[Back|Continuation]]

Timmy and you enlisted together and have been together ever since. He got married just before the war. He lost one of his brothers, John, a few months ago. John was in the same battalion as you two. You have seen Timmy break down throughout the years. In the early days of the war, he would have been sent home due to mental inestability. But the situation is too fragile now, and almost no one is dismissed because of mental problems, as it would mean sending the great majority of men home. [[Back|Continuation]]

{(set: $day to 1) (set: $drinks to 0) (set: $hours to 1) (set: $write to 0) (set: $keep to 0) (set: $read to 0) (set: $post to 0) (set: $duty to 0) (set: $outside to 0)}

You are now used to the claustrophobic underground tunnels that connect the different lines of trenches. You walk behind Roberts, almost in complete dark. The sound of your steps echoes on the walls. In the distance, you can hear the sound of grenades and machines guns. It is before 8 a.m. when you get to the first line. Inside the trench, all you see is just a few feet on either side. The walls are made of sandbags, wood, wires and mud. Soldier lean on the walls, facing the enemy's trenches and holding their weapons. It is awfully quiet. You know that most of the time nothing happens. You know how they are feeling: they are relieved your batallion got there. [[Next|Description of trenches]]

Roberts turns to you. "You and Timmy come with me. Sam, Charlie and George will do the first guard. We'll relieve you at 10. Oliver and Jacob, [[morning chores]]. You follow Roberts and Jimmy through one of the tunnels that leads to the dugout where you and your mates will be sleeping. Roberts picks the "bed" closest to the entrance. You and Jimmy pick beds next to each other. With a knife, you carve a stick in one of the wooden pole. It is your way of keeping track of time: 1 stick = 1 day. [[Next|Day]]

Morning chores are routinary. Every day, with the first rays of sun, both sides fired shells and machine guns towards the enemy. Sandbags often had to be fixed and refill, and debris had to be cleaned up. [[Back|Description of trenches]]

You take your boots off. It is the only time of the day your feet get a break from those thick and painful shoes. (set: $hours to it + 1) The dugout is slightly illuminated by three candles. You get under the blankets and take a quick nap. [[Back]]

(if: $day is 1)[Next to the dugout where you sleep, there is a small entrance to a tunnel that leads to a second dugout. The kitchen doesn't really look like a kitchen. It is bit more illuminated than other rooms, but not too much, and it is definitely not clean. Charlie (the cook) and Arthur (the servant) are usually there.] Charlie and Arthur sit in two big wooden boxes that probably contain some sort of rotten food. It's been ages since you had real meat. Charlie often announces his creation as if they were very elaborated dishes, but they mostly consisted of hard bread, potatoes and other vegetables, and, if you're lucky, ham or beef. And a lot of beer and tee Charlie nods when he sees you, and Arthur stands up, ready to obey any orders. "Do you want some rum?" asks Charlie. You could [[grab the bottle Charlie is offering you]] or [[decline it and just sit down with them]]. (set: $hours to it + 1)

You leave the dugout and go back to the exterior alleys of the trench. The sound of war is louder here. It is probably one of the most dangerous places here, but it is the only open space. You walk hunched over. Althought the walls are taller than you, you have internalized the fear that your head will peek out and be seen and shot by the Germans. As you walk around, you see a group of three other soldiers that have decided to do the same thing as you. You stop by them. They offer you a cigarette. [[You take it]] (set: $hours to it + 1) (set: $outside to it +1)

(if: $post is 1)[You sit down in the wooden table next to the bed and light up a candle. You have gotten used to reading and doing all your tasks with almost no light. You always carry your letters with you. You could [[reread some of the letters]] or [[write]] a letter.] (else:)[You sit down in the wooden table next to the bed and light up a candle. You could [[reread some of the letters]] or [[write]] a letter.] (set: $hours to it+1) (set: $post to it+1)

(set: $read to it +1) You know some of the letters by heart. Some times you think that they are the only thing that make you keep going. (if: $read is 1)[Captain Roberts sits next to you. "New mail came in today, mate." He leaves a pile of envelopes on the table. You go through it, looking for a letter addressed to you, but something catches your attention. There is a letter for Timmy, from John, his deceased brother. Roberts see you looking at it. "It probably got lost in mail." "This will break him," you say. Timmy went crazy when he found out about his death. After all these years, the same way soldiers had become used to rats and cockroaches prowling their bed and food, many men became oblivious to death. But Timmy couldn't handle his brother lost. One night, you saw him leave the dug out and decided to follow him. You found him outside, with a gun in his mouth. Sobbing. You were just in time to stop him. You didn't tell anyone. "There's nothing we can do." Captain Roberts stands up and leaves you alone. You know that hiding the letter is a crime that could get you in real trouble. You wonder if you should [[do it]] or [[not]].] (else:)[ Although you know that new mail won't be coming in for a while, you like to go through your all post. Timmy's mom's letter haunts you. [[Back]]]

What you write now won't be mailed until you get relieved from the front line, and then, it won't reach your family in weeks. However, that doesn't stop you from writing. It helps you feel closer to your family. (set: $write to it +1) (if: $write is 1)[You decide to write a letter to your sister.] (if: $write is 2)[You write a letter to your mom.] (if: $write is 3)[You write a letter to Angela, your neighbor. She is your same age and has been writing you letters religiouly since the war started.] (if: $write is 4)[You write a letter to your dad, who lost a leg in 1915 and has been home since then.] (if: $write >4)[You wrote four letters in the last couple days. Captain Roberts mocks you, and says that you might want to slow down or you'll run out of paper. You can't tell if he's joking or not, so you decide to [[reread|reread some of the letters]] some of your old letters instead.] [[Back]]

(if: $hours < 3)[You have some free time before you have to go on duty. You could. Go to the dugout that serves as [[kitchen]] [[Get some air]] [[Go through your post]] [[Try to get some rest]]] (else:)[3 hours have gone by. It is time you go on [[duty]]]

(if: $day is 1)[(goto:"duty day 1")] (if: $day is 2)[(goto:"duty day 2")] (if: $day is 3)[(goto:"duty day 3")] (set: $duty to it +1)

(set: $day to it + 1) It is a new day, but it looks just like the previous one. (display: "Day")

It is a new day. You draw one more stick in the wooden pole: 4 in total. Captain Roberts calls you. "I have just met with Major Gordon. The offensive planned for next week has been brough forward. We have to carry it out now." "Why is that, sir?" "The Germans captured a spy last night. We have to act before they get any information. We need ten men, and some one to command them. Tonight." [[Volunteer to go on mission]] [[You decide not to volunteer]]

"I'll do it, sir," you say. Roberts looks at you and nods. You have lost all your patriotism and faith in your country, but you respect and admire your captain, and his approval makes you feel slightly better. Your mission is to rescue the captured spy. Ideally, you'll rescue him and come back to your trench. if that's not possible, you have to kill him, as he knows important information that could compromise England. [[Next|Mission]]

"It's going to be Jimmy leading them," says Roberts. Your heart drops to the ground, but you won't sing up for a mission that will probably get you killed. Two years ago, men would have fought each other to command a mission like that, but not anymore. [[Next|Siguiente]]

To be defined

You only have resist for two more days, and your batallion will be relieved, but things are not looking good. Charlie, the cook, has suffering a strig fever for the last two days. Everyone noticed how sick he was, but no one dare to say anything. He spend the entire night in bed, too week to stand up, and this morning, he was sent to the nursery. You have also started to feel bad. You have a terrible headache, and your entire body shakes. When you think it can't get worse than that, the vomiting starts, making you feel even weaker. You are finally sent to the nursery too. You are inmediately diagnosed with cholera, a contagious disease. You probably got it from Charlie, after sharing the same bottle of alcohol several times. You are kept in the nursery several days. You've almost died from dehydration. When you start to recover, the poor conditions of the nursery makes you get an infectious disease that ends up affecting the wound you have in your left foot. The only thing the doctors can do to save your life is to amputate your left foot. After that, you are sent home, back with your family, but the horrors of war will never stop chasing you. THE END.

To be defined

(if: $outside is 1)[Cigarettes and alcohol are the only goods that abound in the trenches. At the beginning, your family send you your favorite cigars, and you kept them as a treasure. But as time went by, everything started tasting the same. "The German //Minnies// did no damage this morning," says one of the soldiers. "I bet our shells got a few //Boches//." "I heard some good screaming," says another one. "You still have that spare helmet?" "Yeah. Do you want to mess with the Boches a bit?" You know what they mean. It is a common practice to held a helmet up with a stick and see if the enemy sniper can shot it. Just the thought of it makes you shiver. [[You decide to continue walking around]] [[You stay and play]]] (else:)[(goto: "soldiers2")]

{(if: $outside is 2)["You'll be here until Friday, won't you?" asks one of the soldiers. You nod. "There are rummors that one spies got captured. I bet there'll be a rescue mision soon, man." You know that if that's true, your batallion will be in charge of it. That's terrifying. The conversation goes on, but you're not listening anymore.] (if: $outside>2)[You listen to the other soliders' conversation, but you don't really participate. You are tired from the meaningless conversations. It feels surreal to be talking about girls, football or rugby when there are bullets flying over your head.]} You finish your cigar and go back to the [[dugout|Back]].

You nod your head as a farewell and keep walking. You despise those games, and know that any misstep could get you kill. But you don't blame the other soldiers for playing. You all have spent two years surrounded by guns, shells and blood. There is not much humanity left in any of you. You finish your cigar and go back to the [[dugout|Back]].

One of the soldiers puts the helment on a stick and holds it up. Two second later, a bullet goes trough it. Two seconds. That's the time it I'd take you to get killed if you miss a single step. "That was slow. I would've shot three bouches in that time!" says one of the soldiers. The men laugh around you. You know it's their way of copying with war. But it is terrifying. You finish your cigar and go back to the [[dugout|Back]].

You take a sip directly from the bottle. the first time you did that, two years ago, the drink burned your throat and made you cough. That doesn't happen anymore. [[Next|Rat]] (set: $drinks to it +1)

"It is too early in the morning," you say, although you are now more than used to drinking rum. [[Next|Rat]]

"Bloody rats" murmurs Arthurs, and points to a rat gnawing a piece of food in the corner of the room. Charlie doesn't even turn around. Rats aren't the worst thing one could find in the trenches...Germans would be worse. "They eat like men." You could [[let the rat live]] or [[shot it]].

Charlie takes his gun out and points at the rat. "Just leave it alone, mate. We've taken too many lives already," you say. After talking to Charlie and Arthur for a bit, you decide to go [[back|Back]].

You take your gun out and point at the rat. Your pulse doesn't tremble when you pull the trigger. This is your easiest kill. After talking to Charlie and Arthur for a bit, you decide to go back. [[Next|Back]]

It is midnight. At Roberts' sing, you open fire against the enemy line. It doesn't take them long to reply. No Man's Land is only illuminated by the explosions of light caused by the bombs and machine guns. The noise is defeaning. You watch Timmy and ten more soldiers climb out of the trench and crawl on the ground. The open fire is just a distraction. You watch them until they get lost in the dark. if everything goes well, it shouldn't take them more than a few minutes. Suddenly, a shell explodes a few meters in front of you, and you are ejected backwards. A loud beep rumbles in your ears as you [[lose consciousness]].

When you wake up, you are back in the dugout. Charlie lies next to you, with his eyes closed, but he is breathing. You are alright. All your limbs are in place, and you are able to stand up. Your left foot hurts, as you have an open cut in your ankle, but that's all. You see Captain Roberts sitting dow in the table. "What happened? Where's Timmy?" "The captured spy was rescued. He swears he hasn't talked," he answers. "But only three of our men made it back. I'm sorry." His words hurt like a bullet, but you have been shot like this before. "What do we do now?" "Two more days to go, mate. Two more days." [[Next|Finales]]

(if: $drinks > 1)[(goto: "sent home")] (else:) [(goto:"end of 6 days")]

At midnight, your army opens fire against the Germans. This is just a distraction so that you and your team can crawl through the death land and reach the enemy's trench. You can [[go first]] or [[cover the rear]]

You are the first one to climb out of the trench, followed by the rest of the soldiers. You sprint across No Man's Land, shells exploding around you. You can barely see anything, and the only lights comes from the machine guns. The noise is defeaning. A bomb explodes right behind you, and you are ejected forward. Your entire body hurts, but you stand up. Some of your men have been killed. You continue running. You're getting closer to the enemie's trench, and they can see you now. They start shooting at you. You shoot back. Is a massacre. [[Conclusion]]

You are the last one to climb out of the trench. You follow the other soldiers and run across No Man's Land, shells exploding around you. You can barely see anything, as the only light comes from the machine guns and the explosions. The noise is defeaning. A shell explodes right where you are. You die immmediately.

You wake up. Everything is dark, you don't know where you are. The first thing you notice is that you cannot hear any explosions or guns. You try to move, but your body feels heavy. Someone turns a light on. As your eyes get used to the light, you realised you are not in the trenches. It looks like a hospital. A nurse approaches you. She treats you with a lot of respect, and informs you that you are back in England. She says that it will take you a few months to recover fromt he injuries caused by the bomb and bullets. You got three bullets in you, and suffered severe burns on your left arm, but you will recover from it. You don't remember much of the night of the attack. A few days after you woke up, you receive a letter from Captain Roberts wishing you a speedy recovery, and letting you know that the spy was rescued. In fact, it was you that carried him back to the trench, and you'll probably receive a medal. THE END

You make sure no one is watching and put the letter in your pocket. You won't keep it forever, you tell yourself. You just have to wait for the right moment. You go through the mail again until you find a letter addressed to you. You're surprised to see it is from your Timmy's mom. She tells you that she is concerned about the last letter Timmy send her. Mothers, you say to yourself, even with a war going on, it was a letter what concerned her. She ends the letter telling you that she has already lost two of her three sons, and her husband, and begs you to protect him. (set: $hours to it +1) (set: $keep to 1) You finish reading the letter. [[Back]].

You go through the mail again until you find a letter addressed to you. You're surprised to see it is from your Timmy's mom. She tells you that she is concerned about the last letter Timmy send her. Mothers, you say to yourself, even with a war going on, it was a letter what concerned her. She ends the letter telling you that she has already lost two of her three sons, and her husband, and begs you to protect him. (set: $hours to it +1) You finish reading the letter. [[Back]].

{(if: $day > 1)[You draw one more stick in the wooden pole. Now there are $day sticks, which means that $day days have gone by. You have some free time before you have to go on duty. You could] (if: $day is 1)[You have some free time before you have to go on duty. You could] (if: $day is 4)[(goto: "attack")] } (set: $hours to 0) Go to the dugout that serves as [[kitchen]] [[Get some air]] [[Go through your post]] [[Try to get some rest]]

Captain Roberts, Timmy and you go on duty. <img src="https://victoriaasuar.neocities.org/trenchesimage1.jpg"> You spend the next hour hours lying on mud, holding your weapon against your shoulder, and pointing to an enemy you cannot see. From time to time, you hear a shell explode, followed by screams. Then everything is quiet again. Awfully quiet. Timmy is right next to you. He's shivering. His entire body has been shaking violently for the past hour. You tried to pretend you couldn't notice it, but it's getting worse. "It's okay, mate" you say. "We'll be done soon." "It won't end. We won't see it end." "We'll be okay, mate, and we'll be back with our families." You immediately regret saying that. "I don't want them to see me like this." Suddenly, a shell explodes a few meters in front of you. Instinctively, Timmy throws himself to you and you both fall to the ground. "It's okay, it's okay Timmy." Although the shell didn't hit you, you cannot stop thinkng about how Timmy first reaction was to protect you. One hour later, you're sent to do chores until they finally call for supper. You are extremly tired when you finally get some time to rest. [[Sleep]]

You spend the next hour hours lying on mud, holding your weapon against your shoulder, and pointing to an enemy you cannot see. From time to time, you hear a shell explode, followed by screams. Then everything is quiet again. Awfully quiet. One hour later, you're sent to do chores until they finally call for supper. You are extremly tired when you finally get some time to rest. [[Sleep]]

TRENCHES <img src="https://victoriaasuar.neocities.org/trenchesimage.jpg"> [[Play|Start]]