A Bit of Free Fiction for The Holidays.
Dec. 22nd, 2008 09:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mmerriamThis story originally appeared in Harûah: Breath of Heaven both online and in print in December of 2006.
I remember it was cold and raining. The mud and water in the trenches had begun to freeze, and the war we had hoped would be over by now was only beginning. Our regiment was strung out in a trench line in a place called Flanders, and for several days previous we had contested bitterly with the German troops across the line in their own trenches. We would charge and gain a few yards and then they would charge us and take those yards back, and the both of us would leave men and boys dead and wasted by the score for a few inches of ground.
We had a spotter, I think his name was Macbee, who whispered to me. "Captain, I don’t know what Fritz is up to, but he's got lights all across his line." When I looked over the parapet sure enough there were little lights all down the German front. I got the binoculars out and took a closer look. You can imagine my surprise when I saw the German troops holding candles and lanterns, some even with small trees with candles in them as they waved to us by way of greeting.
I remember you could hear them singing, softly at first, but they gained strength as they went. Most of us didn’t understand the words, but every Tommie on the line knew the melody and before long, where we’d been killing each other before, we were both sides joined in a chorus of Silent Night
Come dawn on the twenty-fifth a couple of the boys held up a hand painted sign saying Merry Christmas, and in a few minutes the Germans put up a similar sign. That's when the strangest thing happen. A couple of our fellows climbed up over the parapet, and when no one took a shot at them they started walking out into that barren no-man's land we'd all been fighting over. A couple of Germans went over the top and walked out to meet our boys, and they stopped and shook hands and talked a bit. Well, one by one, soldiers on both sides put down their rifles and walked into that killing field to say hello and give a warm seasons greetings to their enemy.
The brass back at headquarters didn't care for it, but there really wasn't anything they could do. We spent the day, Brit and German both, in the middle of that field. We gave each other gifts, little things like chocolate or cigarettes. We traded rations and regimental badges and someone on the German side had captured some beer from the French which, though it was hardly fit to drink, was passed around with good cheer by all.
I met with the German Captain and we shook hands and showed each other pictures of our families back home. We promised then and there that after the war we would find each other and exchange stories and lies about all we'd done. As the day ended and the night began to fall, we all sang Silent Night, each in our own language, one more time, and then we each went back to our lines.
In the morning I looked over the top and saw the German Captain. He waved and we saluted each other, then climbed back down into our trenches. It was the last time I saw him. Soon the artillery started and we were back to the business of killing again.
I remember it was cold and raining. The mud and water in the trenches had begun to freeze, and the war we had hoped would be over by now was only beginning. Our regiment was strung out in a trench line in a place called Flanders, and for several days previous we had contested bitterly with the German troops across the line in their own trenches. We would charge and gain a few yards and then they would charge us and take those yards back, and the both of us would leave men and boys dead and wasted by the score for a few inches of ground.
We had a spotter, I think his name was Macbee, who whispered to me. "Captain, I don’t know what Fritz is up to, but he's got lights all across his line." When I looked over the parapet sure enough there were little lights all down the German front. I got the binoculars out and took a closer look. You can imagine my surprise when I saw the German troops holding candles and lanterns, some even with small trees with candles in them as they waved to us by way of greeting.
I remember you could hear them singing, softly at first, but they gained strength as they went. Most of us didn’t understand the words, but every Tommie on the line knew the melody and before long, where we’d been killing each other before, we were both sides joined in a chorus of Silent Night
Come dawn on the twenty-fifth a couple of the boys held up a hand painted sign saying Merry Christmas, and in a few minutes the Germans put up a similar sign. That's when the strangest thing happen. A couple of our fellows climbed up over the parapet, and when no one took a shot at them they started walking out into that barren no-man's land we'd all been fighting over. A couple of Germans went over the top and walked out to meet our boys, and they stopped and shook hands and talked a bit. Well, one by one, soldiers on both sides put down their rifles and walked into that killing field to say hello and give a warm seasons greetings to their enemy.
The brass back at headquarters didn't care for it, but there really wasn't anything they could do. We spent the day, Brit and German both, in the middle of that field. We gave each other gifts, little things like chocolate or cigarettes. We traded rations and regimental badges and someone on the German side had captured some beer from the French which, though it was hardly fit to drink, was passed around with good cheer by all.
I met with the German Captain and we shook hands and showed each other pictures of our families back home. We promised then and there that after the war we would find each other and exchange stories and lies about all we'd done. As the day ended and the night began to fall, we all sang Silent Night, each in our own language, one more time, and then we each went back to our lines.
In the morning I looked over the top and saw the German Captain. He waved and we saluted each other, then climbed back down into our trenches. It was the last time I saw him. Soon the artillery started and we were back to the business of killing again.
