(no subject)
"the clouds were orange islands against the ink-black sky; fires reflected there on the hung vapour, and sent huge columns of their own darkness into the air to meet them. the planes wheeled, like birds of carrion over the burning town. sometimes a searchlight would pick one out, and a few black puffs of smoke would darken the sky around the plane still further, but it seemed that otherwise the town was defenceless. occasionally shells shrieked overhead; twice explosions nearby made me duck for cover as debris - dusty bricks, shards of stone - fell pattering and thumping around me.
i wandered for hours. towards dawn, as i was returning to my dormitory through this unending nightmare, i found myself behind two old people, a man and a woman. they were walking along the street, each supporting the other, when the man suddenly crumpled and fell, taking the old lady down with him. i tried to help them up but the old man was already dead. there had been no bombs or shells for several minutes, and though i thought i could hear distant crackling small-arms fire, none of it was near us. the woman, almost as thin and grey-looking as the old dead man, cried hopelessly, sobbing and moaning into the worn collar of the old man's coat, slowly shaking her head and repeating over and over some words i could not understand.
i did not think the shrivelled old could contain so many tears.
the dormitory was full of dead soldiers in grey uniforms when i returned. one bed was unoccupied. i lay down on it and woke up."
i wandered for hours. towards dawn, as i was returning to my dormitory through this unending nightmare, i found myself behind two old people, a man and a woman. they were walking along the street, each supporting the other, when the man suddenly crumpled and fell, taking the old lady down with him. i tried to help them up but the old man was already dead. there had been no bombs or shells for several minutes, and though i thought i could hear distant crackling small-arms fire, none of it was near us. the woman, almost as thin and grey-looking as the old dead man, cried hopelessly, sobbing and moaning into the worn collar of the old man's coat, slowly shaking her head and repeating over and over some words i could not understand.
i did not think the shrivelled old could contain so many tears.
the dormitory was full of dead soldiers in grey uniforms when i returned. one bed was unoccupied. i lay down on it and woke up."