Tracers through the sky

The sun rays pierce the soldiers’ drowsy eyes as a new operation begins in a foreign city. Fear, terror and nervousness slither down the soldiers as they prepare. Hunger, thirst and fatigue overwhelm them as they are encouraged for a final push. One by one they climb into their tanks for their final effort. 

They roll out of their lines advancing forward. Fog encases their tanks. Light trickles away. The sound of engines roaring and the muddy ground croaking cover the battle. 

Soon, orders from the general crackle on the radio. 

огонь по желанию!

The misty air is replete with a barrage of bangs and colours. Tracers cram the air as shells of all sorts strike the abyss.

It is a party for the tank crews. Seeing the variety of shells and tracer colours boost their morale.

One final advance. They reach the end of the fog. The sun pierce their eyes once more. Buildings, fields and the daily hustle and bustle meet the soldiers' eyes.

Sirens wail, planes fly over and innocent people scream as the daily life turns into a firefly hellish swamp. Bombs hurdle into buildings, artillery shells land on streets and rockets scream into the city.

The tanks advance, forcing themselves through streets and passageways, knocking anything down in sight. Civilians run for their lives, building rubble gets dragged along, pets squeal at their owners and bodies collapse to the ground. 

The soldiers watch as their massacre unfolds. Mercy is nowhere to be found. Families watch in terror, children scream and cry while German soldiers fight for the sake of their city. The soldiers advance proudly and strong as they watch Berlin crumble. Enemy tanks fight back. Tracers fly at one another. It's no use as the allied forces advance forward to the centre. 

“никогда не останавливайся!”, the general says.

The city centre within sight, the outskirts crumbled and the axis moral is diminished. 

German soldiers climb out of the rubble with their hands up. German tank crews abandon their stations. German children and women hide nervously and terrified in bunkers. It felt like the last day of the earth. An apocalypse of enemies. The fall of their beloved Berlin.