Stefan collapsed to the floor in agony, begging for the pain to stop. It was as though a blade of fire had pierced his heart and was engulfing him in flame. It was impossible to breathe...
The Pole coughed vicioucly and opened one wary eye slowly. He had no idea where he was but the sea of woodlands before him at least implied that he was in some kind of forest. His plane had crashed whilst flying overhead Western France following a violent dog-fight from a couple of Gerries. Stefan had won his skirmish but his comrades hadn't been so lucky. Nor, it seemed, had his plane.
It was a pathetic form of its past glory. Its entire form had been destroyed, burnt to a crisp. Tears pricked Stefan's eyes but he swore he would not cry. Not now.
Stefan was conscious of voices nearby. Without thinking, he darted behind the plane wreck and shivered in fear and cold. The pilot tightened his grip on his faithful gun and swallowed deeply in a bid to calm himself. He would get out of this alive. He had to.