[ WP ] A team of Allied paratroopers retreat into a forest and at night , their numbers begin to mysteriously dwindle .

part 1/4 
 To my dearest Caroline, 
 
 I'm writing this down in the event that I do not make it through the night and this letter makes it to you when ( or if ) my body is recovered. 
 
 The plan was simple, drop in Brandenburg, behind enemy lines, to do recon for an eventual push through to Berlin. The drop went as planned. However, a large gust of wind pushed me into the trees causing me to get stuck without any way of giving the rest of the squad my position. The trek though the forest, even though a 10 minute hike, felt as if a whole week in hell. To my suspicions I was alone, but it was then that I awoke something from deep in the woods that should not have been disturbed. It played in the shadows cast by the moon across the trees. It moved only when I did, echoing my footsteps. It could smell my fear, and it was feeding off of it. 
 
 As I emerged into the clearing where my rally point was my squad teased me with how pail I was. 
 `` Geese, Stone! You look like you just saw a ghost!'' Murphy pointed out. 
 `` Yeah, afraid of trees, John?'' Miller joked, not so funny now are you? 
 `` Need a drink, boy'o?'' Callahan, our medic, tried to calm me down a bit. too bad he's not here now. 
 `` I got a flagon of the good stuff, Stone'' Moreno was the squad drunk. Maj. Philips did n't much care for him, but he was good to me. 
 `` Hey, let me have a swig!'' The Rookie requested. 
 `` When you're older, kid'' Robertson was the word of reason, aside from Philips 
 `` Alright cut the chatter,'' Major Anthony G. Philips led our Kitchen-sink outfit of men into the cold of the night, `` and let's get to the task at hand. The nearest Nazi camp is about 8 clicks north of here so if we start moving now we can recon by dawn and get a good read on their morning routines.'' 
 
 It was here where we entered the realm of the beast. The first to go was Murphy, Cpl. Joesph H. Murphy, he lagged behind most of the group all the time. His excuse for this was he was just watching out for the rest of the squad, but we all knew it was because of him being overweight. Miller called it to our attention by calling out into the the darkness for him. 
 `` Murph! Hey, Murphy! Fatass!'' 
 `` Dammit, Miller!'' Robertson grabbed him by the collar and put his hand over his mouth, `` Keep your fucking trap shut! If the enemy finds us so help me good I'll put a bullet in you myself!'' 
 
 It was then where we heard the screams of Murphy followed by the a gut wrenching howl. Like a feral man-beast barking up at the moon in celebration of his first kill. It was enough to stop us cold in our tracks as none of us dared to move or make a sound. 
 
 `` What...'' Robertson spoke 
 ``... the fuck... `` Callahan muttered 
 ``... was that?'' Miller finished, moving Robertson's hand out of the way. 
 Moreno looked at his flask, `` this is good shit.'' and put it away. 
 `` Alright men keep alert,'' Philips warned, `` looks like there's company in this woods.'' 
 
 The further we moved into the brush the more my suspicions from my earlier trek manifested into something far more disturbing. If I had figured it out sooner I could have saved the lives of my entire squad, and even maybe my own. We stopped for a breather, and so Miller could get the rocks out of his boots. 
 `` How many more miles you think we still got, Sir?'' The Rookie asked.
