The night can be deadly. Especially pitch-black nights like tonight, not a single star shone on him, even the moon, seemed to be hiding from them. Roland blinked a few times, trying to see through the emptiness.
             ¡°Alright there ______, don¡¯t want you falling asleep already. We have a long night ahead.¡± The voice seem to be somewhere to his right. He casually shrugged, and moved his rifle to a more comfortable spot. He knew no one could possibly fall asleep in this terrible weather.
             ¡°Come on you lazy brats, get a move on.¡± Even in a whisper, the NCOs voice was cold and harsh. Everyone knew where to go and what to do. Tonight was carefully prepared and rehearsed. The plan was to creep as close to the enemy front line as possible, listening for sounds that might provide clues to their activities and looking for any weakness the other side shows.
             ¡°Remember, if any sight of light, just freeze.¡± The message was quick and clear. Roland looked around him, he could see someone to his left creeping very much like a mouse. He would of laughed at the sight if the situation wasn¡¯t so serious at that time.
             In the last few weeks of fear, death and suffering, Roland had managed to keep himself alive. The smell and sight of blood was what he remembered the most here. The days seem to be repeating over and over again, the only difference is the increasing number of dieing soldiers. He has seen much these days, the soldiers die, not only from wound but also from hunger, from illness. The trenches were filled with dead bodies, rats busily darting here and there. Disease filled the air. Roland can¡¯t help but feel very soon it would be his body, lying there slowly rotting¡­ unnoticed, uncared, and unnamed.
             The war had turned this nearly 20-year-old boy into a man. Roland was harsh, stubborn and didn¡¯t like to talk much now days. He wasn¡¯t always like that, he was once young¡­ he once lov...