2300
Nightfall encompasses the land and sky is clear except for a clear bright half moon that beams from the heavens. We can see the stars clearly in the dark unclouded sky. The snow has stop, I stand freezing in my turret hatch as I observe the wood's edge. The temperature has dropped further and a freezing wind stings my eyes and face making my cheeks and nose bright red. There is now a series of deep three to four foot fighting holes that now form our perimeter. The belief is that the creatures cannot carry off men from such deep holes. Men with machine guns and rifles now occupy these fighting holes that are spaced evenly at about ten feet apart. Two to three men per hole.
We sent a few men to investigate the M4 Trouble Maker and they found the loader and port gunner unconscious. The patrol pulled the two out of the wreckage, both of them pretty scratched up but mostly ok. Also a patrol went to go recover the two german bodies or more what was left of them. The loader just stares out and mumbles to himself, we think he has lost it. Personally, I don't blame him. Also a patrol went to go recover there bodies of those killed this morning or more what was left of them. Our number of men of both nationalities is forty two and four tanks. We have set up shifts where men can rotate from watching the line to staying in the tents. Several tents have been set up in the middle of our defensive circle and provide a brief respite from the elements. The tents are heated by small gas cooking stoves. The tents are segregated, to the right are American and the left is German. No one tries to cross the unseen boundary. In the middle is the largest tent which is the command post, where the Major and Capitan Davis meet regularly and bridge the national divide.
Us tankers don't get to have the luxury of staying in the tents for the common consensus believe that our vehicles provide interior heat. How wrong are they! Our home away from home provides no insulation from the elements and the cold metal freezes us. Turney sleeps on the turret floor wrap in a blanket. I see him shiver from time to time. Daunte is asleep with a blanket in the drivers seat and snores loudly. Me, and Lucky are on watch. Sammy is out talking to his friends in the fighting hole dug in front of us. Lucky sits in his gunners seat, a blanket thrown over him and munches on a chocolate bar from his K rations. Army chocolate bars are so hard that it feels like they will break your teeth. Lucky looks up to me and asks," You think they are still out there boss?" I, who has felt like I am being watched this whole time, reply. "I believe they are." " So do you think we can kill them?" He asks. I reply uncertainly, "I don't know, they took a lot of lead and didn't seemed fazed."
Just then Sammy walks up and jumps up on top the hull, another man trails behind them. "Hey boss, listen to this." he says, I look to him inquisitively. He continues, " Johnson from Baker squad speaks german and overheard the Krauts. They are saying these woods are haunted and those things are protectors of the forest. You believe that?" I shake my head at the superstition. Lucky pops his head up out from below my hatch. His head barely sticks up above it and says," Naw man, they got to be some kind of animal. Ones I've never seen before." Suddenly Daunte speaks from below us, "They sound like werewolves sah." "What?" I reply. He repeats, "Werewolves sah, my momma use to read me stories bout them sah." I dismiss the notion of thought that we are being attacked by fairytail creatures, they must be some kind of wild animal. Lucky drops back into his seat, "Thats ridiculous, those are bedtime stories that they read to children." Suddenly Turney butts in rising from his light slumber, " Maybe he's right, I remember hearing stories about them. But I never believed it til now." I stand there astonished that these men could believe these superstitious legends. Lucky rebuttals, "Well I believe that they are wild animals."
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Our talks are suddenly interrupted by the second man behind Sammy. "Hey uh sarge can I uh sleep on the uh engine." the man says. I nod and he scurries up the tank and comes to rest, blanket in hand, and wraps himself up on top of the engine compartment.
It is so cold out here that my hands feel like they will freeze to the metal. But unfortunately I have to keep my watch. Sammy pops open his hatch and jumps in to his seat. The entire tank rocks on its suspension. Sammy says," Its cold as fuck out there." I agree and decide maybe it wouldn't hurt to drop down and close the hatch for a few. After all the guys in the hole in front of us are keeping watch and it would be nice to feel my face again. The wind blows with an icy cold breeze that is sure to give exposed fingers and faces frostbite. I made my decision and am about to close the hatch.
Sudden movement catches my eye at the forrest edge, then another. I strain to peer into the dark, all I can make out are bushes and trees but swear I saw something. I kick Lucky's shoulder and before he can utter a word, I say," Lucky eyes open." He drops his K rations and peers into the gun sight. "I don't see anything." He responds. "Well I saw something dammit." I say frustratedly. Lucky, still glued to the gun sight, inputs his two cents," You know Boss, this place is really giving me the creeps." "I second that." Turney adds in. "Third that." Sammy chimes in. This place has the Devil written all over it sah." Daunte adds finally. Good to know that we all don't like it here. Damn! There it is again. I swear I am seeing things move.
The moon still beams overhead and is our only source of illumination that only dimly lights the snowy clearing. I really wish we had waited for those shipments of flashlights now. Just then a shadow flies past the tank. What the hell was that? Suddenly screams fill the night sky. Gunfire erupts from behind us. I turn to look and at that second, I watch a flare shoot high in to the sky and burst in the heavens. Its luminousity burns brilliantly and shines down upon us illuminating the clearing. Then I see the creatures, several of them slashing in to the tents and pulling men out. How did they get past us?! I see one creature standing upright with a man in his jaws. The man screams and violently shoots his weapon but to no avail. The beast drops to all fours and makes a dash through snow, prey in hand, and speeds to the tree line. The captured mans terrified screaming fades as he is carried further and further into the woods.
I am about to issue orders, when suddenly a soon as the their attack started, the beast suddenly disperse. They bolt for the tree line, trailing them are red and green tracers and the sound of intense gunfire drowns out the screams of the wounded and dying. I get on the 50 cal. and it steadily hammers away as I try to lead one of the creatures. My red tracers trail behind it for it moves at a speed I have never seen before. I shout down the hatch, " Fire! Fire!" Lucky asks dramatically," Where?" "Anywhere!" I shout back. Turney interrupts us, "HE loaded!" I hear the whirring of the turret as Lucky lines a shot. And with a deafening boom, the tank rocks. A yellow shell flies and explodes in front of the retreating creatures. The explosion sends a geyser of earth skyward and knocks the monster to the ground. The beast yelps in pain and I see something that I have never seen any animal do before. Another wolf like creature emerges from the tree line and drags away its injured, like one would drag a fallen comrade, in to the concealing safety of the woods. I sit shocked for I have never seen any animal display such level of intelligence to retrieve another injured member of its own species. These are not just normal animals, these things are something else. And the fact that they managed to infiltrate our defensive parameter, I am terrified for those things can raid us without our knowing. The gunfire fades away and the screams and moans of the injured return. Just then Capitan Davis comes about shouting, "Keep your eyes open dammit, if it moves shoot it." I stand stiff in my turret and watch for anything. Our flare burns out and darkness returns. Soldiers of both nationalities go about aiding the wounded. What the hell kinda of mess did we get ourselves into?