Story Of a WWI Prosthetic Limb
Conditions are terrible in the “trenches”, as the humans call it. Attached to this stump on an ugly human who absolutely stinks. Positively disgusting. I hate it here. I can’t even move on my own! That horrible human has to move me with his other hand! It’s as if it mocks me! It can move on its own while I must be moved by it. Ugh. My wood is moldy, and my leather is stained. Before this, I was perfect. Sitting in that wooden crate with my other fellow prosthetics, aah. That was the life. But now… and to make it worse, that human is running around everywhere! Everywhere, I say! Running from the Germans, running from the...the…is that him? The sergeant? No! He wants us to go into the no-man's land! That’s certain death for my human, and then I just have to sit on the dirty battlefield, covered in gunk! Well, whatever. I guess it has to be done. Up we go. And now he’s running. Has no one really shot him--us--down? Is he actually going to make it? I may have spoken too soon; that one German’s aiming at him. I don’t think he sees it...but I do. That dirty German is pulling the trigger. NO WAY! This guy is blessed! He dodged that bullet like he’s done it a hundred times! Woah, that German looks confused. He’s aiming again. Oh, dang. We’re falling, and...yup. I thought we might make it! WHAT?! IS HE GETTING. UP? He is tougher than I thought, and now he’s limping towards...nope. That was it. He’s got a hole in his head and the wind is pulling at me. Am I…? Coming free? Yes! I have! I’m free! I am rolling away from that human! Finally! Gone at last. I’m almost flying! It’s so boring, sheesh. Nothing to do! And now it is raining and I’m wet. Yuck! There is a beetle on me! No, a termite! At least a dozen. Now they’re trying to burrow into me. Ha! The rain washed ‘em right off! And I’m rolling off again! Right into a hole. You’ve got to be kidding me. Well, now the termites have got me. I can only hope someone finds me eventually.