Read Aloud the Text Content

This audio was created by Woord's Text to Speech service by content creators from all around the world.

Text Content or SSML code:

The Brothers Lost At War Crash! Bang! Here we go again. I face my brother to make sure he’s ready for this. My brother is all I have left in this. All my mates have gone. Dead. If I cannot protect my baby brother then I haven’t got anything, I would have failed him. I would have failed our poor mother. He means everything to me, he is my world. I let out a sigh of relief as he reassuringly pats my shoulder. Knowing he is good, we prepare to fight, stumbling amongst the hundreds of other frightened men in this deep, damp trench. My brother and I grab our guns, line up with the other soldiers along the side of the muddy walls lined with rough, splintering wood and with the order, “READY! AIM!”, we aim our weapons into no-mans-land. My body hunched over the wet wall, clothed in a torn uniform trying desperately to cling to my filthy body, with the fear of being shot in the head, I clench my teeth shut tight. In this moment I deeply regret ever signing up for this, all hell has broken loose and us men are left in the middle of it all trying desperately to pick up the tiny pieces of our humanity, and the humanity of what’s left of the human race. We are scared out of our minds but prepared for almost anything. I think of a simpler time, a better time, when all was well. “Pass me a beer would ya?” One brother asked the other as they lay on the soft green grass of the wildlife park floor, staring up at the bright blue sky full of dancing clouds, laughing about nothing in particular. Just enjoying the simplicity of life. Living in the moment. Enjoying a nicely prepared lunch, wrapped with love by the younger brother's wife. They hear kookaburras laughing their heads off in the tall, old gum trees behind them. The older brother rips a corner off of his ham and cheese sandwich and throws it over to the birds. They swoop down and fight over the small piece of bread as if their lives depended on it. The brothers laughed at the kookaburras and mocked them for fussing over something so minuscule before laying back down. After a while of just laying and staring up at the sky that looks like it has swallowed many white fluffy clouds throughout the day, the two sit up and chatter amongst each other, whilst they are doing this, they notice a small white dog wandering over to them, like a marshmallow with legs. The two brothers find delight in this encounter, patting and greeting the mutt, like old friends reunited at last. “We best be moving or the Mrs will go mad!” The younger of the two said as they stood up and began walking at a slow steady pace towards the long black road. “Gas! Gas! Quick boys!” We hear someone call out and we quickly fumble, stumble and shuffle trying desperately to put on our masks. I get mine on just in the nick of time, but before I can be relieved, I must know that my brother is safe. I don’t know what I will do if anything were to ever happen to him. I turn to where I saw him last but I cannot see him. ‘Oh God, where has this boy gone?’ I mumble under my breath. I search around for him in a panic, distraught and dreading seeing him in ill health. With my feet moving as fast as lightning, I rush around the muddy trench, slipping and sliding to the ground. I get a face full of thick mud as I hit the ground. When I look up I see my brother. He doesn’t look too good. His mask… it’s… it’s gone. I see him gasping for air, drowning. He desperately calls for help. I cannot bear seeing my baby brother struggling so hard to do something as simple as breathe. In a panic I take off my own mask. The mustard gas hits me like a brick. In between gasps for breath, I manage to put my own mask onto my brother's head. But alas, I fear it is too late. I fear his war has been lost and soon mine will be also. As I lay next to my brother's lifeless body, struggling to breathe myself, I try to listen to his breathing, for any sign, to see if I managed to save him. As my hope fades a tear rolls down my cheek and I realise I have failed him. I didn’t save him. I should’ve done better, been better. My poor mother, I hate myself for letting her down. What she will do when she finds out. As I feel my life fading, I tell myself it won’t be long now and I can see my beloved baby brother again.