The Winners

In 1918, soldier Otto Breier returned home from the battlefield. He once had a brother, but he had died from a rifle shot to the head. When Otto arrived home, he was met with a heartbreaking sight—his mother lay lifeless on the sofa, a cup of tea still in her hand. He wanted to cry, but he was the only one left in his family. Shaken, Otto called the police. The next day, he had to attend his mother's funeral. That morning, his friend approached him. "Hey, Otto, how are you? I need to tell you something." "What is it?" Otto asked. His friend explained that the bullet that killed his mother came from a Mauser C96 pistol. But the most disturbing part was that this gun had once belonged to him. "What are you talking about?" Otto asked, confused. "My Mauser… it was stolen after I finished my military service." Otto was in shock. Someone had used his friend’s stolen gun to kill his mother. He said goodbye to his friend as he had to leave for a military event. Otto was a tank driver, and the next day, he had to perform in a military demonstration. When the event began, Otto and his comrades drove an A7V tank, though it was unloaded. As the show went on, Otto’s mind kept drifting back to his mother’s murder. His commander had recently acquired a new Mauser C96, and it had "KS" engraved on it—the same initials as his friend Klaus Seger. Otto suddenly remembered that detail and started to put the pieces together. Could Klaus’ stolen gun be the murder weapon? After the event, Otto went to the military prison to question an enemy soldier. "Hello. Tell me, did you steal my friend’s gun?" "No," the prisoner replied. "Then how did you escape?" "I didn’t escape with a Mauser. I escaped with a knife." Otto thought for a moment. If the prisoner didn’t have the gun, then who did? Diego Ambrona Cruz 22.05.2012 Later that evening, Otto sat on his couch, deep in thought. Then it hit him—the commander. "I’m going to investigate this case!" Just then, a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. It was the postman, delivering a letter from his commander. The letter said that the commander had important information that could help find his mother’s murderer. Otto hesitated. Could he be trusted? He decided to go—but he brought his Mauser C96 with him, just in case. When Otto arrived at the commander’s home, he was stunned—the commander was lying on the floor, seemingly dead. Otto’s instincts told him something wasn’t right. Suddenly, the commander sprang up and stabbed Otto in the leg with a knife! Otto screamed in pain. The commander laughed. "Hahaha! You’re such a fool! You really thought I was dead? I stole your friend’s Mauser and used it to kill your mother!" "Why?! Why would you do this?" Otto gasped. "For the inheritance!" the commander sneered. With that, he locked the door and left, heading straight for the courthouse to claim the inheritance. But when he arrived, the police were waiting for him. Inside the courtroom sat Otto, Klaus, and the officers. "You are the murderer," the police said. The commander refused to admit it. Then, a voice interrupted. "Wait, Otto." Otto turned, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Who are you?" he asked. "I am your brother, Matthias. I survived." Otto was speechless. "Matthias… but you… you were shot in the head!" Matthias nodded. "I was shot—twice. I lost an eye and some teeth, but I survived. The commander tried to kill me too." "Arrest this man!" Matthias shouted. "He will never see the sun again." The police arrested the commander, sentencing him to fifteen years in prison. Otto and Matthias, now reunited, lived together, using their mother’s inheritance to rebuild their lives. They finally found peace and happiness.

Author: Diego Ambrona Cruz