My Dearest Blue

Dreams

Harry's POV....
Her Silky Smooth Skin Graced by Her Soft Jet Black Hair hanging over her shoulder. Sweet ivory skin and her brightest of blue eyes. I've never seen the beauty of Spain up close before. Holding her up against my chest. As she slept peacefully. Running my fingers through her long black hair. Admiring her beauty as she slept. I can't wait to see you again my dear. I whispered in her ear. As she woke up and smiled. Sofia, I said out loud. Not knowing I had fallen asleep or how long I was asleep. Forgetting the fact that I've had a habit of sleep talking. As bombs rattled the tent. And planes overhead, I was still trying to distract myself from all this chaos and carnage around me. It had been years it felt like since I last saw her. Had she forgotten about me?, or met another man?. I've only known her for so long since the war had progressed. I had thought to myself as I laid in my bunk starting at the top of the tent. Watching it rattle as more bombs hit.
"Still thinking about your missus?" Said a new recruit by the name of William"
I looked over at him.
Can't sleep. I said
He dresses down into his boxers and gets comfortable in his lower bunk.
"Yeah, all this war stuff is getting to me man" "I miss my mum and my three sisters" " I didn't want to go to war actually." I hid under the table and begged my mum not to let me leave. But, because i'm black I didn't have a choice,"it scars me to this day because I saw what it did to my father" "drove him mad and took his own life" "I didn't want that to happen to me" "but now here I am"
You and I both. I answered.
"How long have you been here?"
I looked over at him.
What do you mean?.
"Like how long have you been at war?"
Can't remember. But it's been years.
"Can't imagine being here for as long as you have."
"Hate to ask so many questions?, but how old are you?"
Twenty-Seven, I joined when I was Twenty Three, that's when the war broke out. Feels like it's coming to an end though. You won't be here for long though
He chuckled.
"You're one of the older fellows" "I thought you were much younger"
They draft new recruits all the time. How old are you?
"I'm sixteen,"
I sighed to the fact that there's more sixteen year olds being drafted into a war that's going to damage them for the rest of their lives. He could tell I was irritated by how quiet it got.
"Is there something wrong?" He asked a bit confused as to why I had gotten angry.
No. Just don't agree with sixteen year olds being sent out to a war they shouldn't fight. My dad was fifteen when he joined the Great War. Almost died. Has his ear drum got blown out. Seen his friends get shot at and blown up. As for me? I can't say I've seen much worse. Seen my bird get kidnapped and nearly raped by nazis. As for you lot?, you should be at home enjoying life. Not being shot at seeing your friends get blown up.
"It's not like I have much of a life at home either?"
"Here it's not any different with the name calling" "You're the first white guy that's actually acknowledged me and not spat in my face, stolen my food or pissed on my uniform."
I learned to treat others with respect regardless of the colour of their skin. You shouldn't let those pricks bully you because you're black. Stand up for yourself.
"You're right" "easier said than done though am I right?" He said.
Yeah.
"Sorry to bother you mate" "what's your name by the way?" He asked before lights out.
Harry. I said.
"Cool, I had a friend named Harry" he said
As we both went to bed.
Unlucky for me, I was kept up all night by restless thoughts of the fact that I'm slowly yet  surely turning into my dad. I don't know what's gotten into me. And why I got angry at a sixteen year old kid for nothing. Disappointment maybe?. Why are they sending kids off to war when it should be me?. Well people my age. So we're not ruining future generations because we sent them to their own deaths overseas. I was the scared kid at his age. It's understandable. Nobody his age wants to be sent away far from home in a foreign land where you'll get shot at. As for the race thing. I've seen it happen to a few colleagues. But even I myself can't even stick up for them until everyone's gone to bed and I've saved them a plate and apologise for that behaviour. Even my family is a bit judgmental and not very fond of them. But am I breaking those norms of marrying a Spaniard?. There are times when I think that my family might judge Sofia because of her background and where she comes from as a whole. Because you can hear it in her voice that she's not English or American. But I'm not sure how it feels to marry a black English. That's one thing that would get us both killed back home. As I thought to myself. All hours of the night. Curious as to what it's like to be in that young lad's shoes. Having to deal with people not liking you because of your skin tone.
When at the moment lost in a train of thought. An alarm sounded. Waking up the entire camp
The sergeant yelling at everyone to "Move Move Move!" "We're Under attack!!"
All hopping out of our bunks and suiting up.
Keeping an eye on the young fellow as we moved swiftly to the trucks to safety. I saw one of the soldiers trip and kick William into to mud. Calling him a "stupid n*gger."
As a few around him laughed and hurried to the van. I helped him up and hurried with him to the van after it filled up. Loading up our rifles and keeping an eye out for any sign of the enemy.
As we were driven out of the camp.
I watched him struggling to reload it. Clear sign that he was new or poorly trained for obvious reasons. Taking the gun out of his hands and swiftly reloading it. Then handing it back to him. I could feel the judgment just by helping the young fellow.
As he had thanked me. Out of the corner of my eye I couldn't say anything to him.
With all the snickering and them chatting shit amongst each other. Was a clear sign that I put a target on my back. One of the lads named Thomas decides to sit across from me.
Eyeing me down like I'm some sort of threat.
"Do you know that fellow?" He said as if it were a problem.
No. I don't know him at all actually?. Why does that concern you?.
He and a few lads chuckled.
"I dunno, lads like you don't help out monkeys" "You sure you're straight Bruv?"
I don't think my sexuality has anything to do with helping out a kid who doesn't know what he's doing.
He laughs and stands up and walks over towards me. Keeping his stance as we hit a few bumps and sharp turns.
He holds his rifle near my crotch, watching him
"You seem pretty hard to me" he said trying to examine it. Making me uncomfortable. He stops and turns around. Then hits William in the face with the back of his rifle. I reacted by helping him as everyone else glared and moved away. He was panicking and covered in blood. Grabbing the medical supplies from my sack. I disinfected the wound and wrapped the gauze bandage around the wounded part of his face. Reloading and handing him back his rifle. Then getting up to turn back at Thomas by punching him in the face. THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR, I yelled in his face. As he got up and fought back. Forgetting that we were still in a moving vehicle. As we rolled back on to each other. Being shoved around by other colleagues. I punched him repeatedly against the wall of the van until he was out cold. I spat on him. As we had came to a quick halt. Gravity throwing me forward. Hitting the window. The sergeant then opens the door, sees me and drags me out of the van and orders me to follow him to his jeep. Looking back at William, hoping he'd be fine once I'd get back.
We were at another base. A temporary one. As he had dragged me to his makeshift office tent. He orders me to sit down. As he pulls out a sheet of paper from a file cabinet. He pulls out the folder with my name on it and drops it on the table infront of me.
And says "you're done. Get out of my army and off this fucking continent" he said.
You're not kicking me out because I was defending one of YOUR MEN!.
"PUTTING YOUR HANDS ON YOUR OWN COLLEAGUES IS NOT DEFENCE DICKHEAD!"he yelled.
There were witnesses!.
One of your bastard men hit one of your soldiers with the back of his fucking rifle!. And you're kicking me out?. I said as I was fuming with anger and disbelief.
"What is a white man like you defending a black!" "That makes you just as guilty as he is!" " You monkey sympathiser!" He yelled
I stood up to face him.
He's a fucking child that you dragged into this war. I will not let any of my colleagues treat him any less of a soldier because of his FUCKING COLOUR!. As I had screamed in his face.
"Get off my fucking base and go back to England!. You don't belong in this fucking army!" He sneered. As I snatched the file from him ripped it to shreds Infront of him.
England needs me more than you. I said storming out of the tent. And pulling out a cigarette then lighting it.
Whilst I was in the middle of a smoke. I tensed up by the sound of approaching footsteps. As he had frightened me by coming up unannounced.
"Just wanna say thanks for defending me back there mate."
No problem. I said.
want a cigarette? I offered
"Sure" he said as he grabbed one and lit it.
Reflecting about getting kicked out of the military as we had a smoke together.
"You really got kicked out?" He said.
I nodded.
"For what exactly?"
Beating up Thomas. You saw the whole thing, I'm sure you remember.
"That guy is a prick. I heard he sleeps with the village women anyway. That's why he's got a disease" 
I chuckled lightly.
"You seem like a cool guy. A bit old, but cool to hang out with"
Not sure if that was a compliment?.
He chuckles
"It was"
You alright though? I asked.
How's your face?. I said as he had been helped by the nurses earlier
"Yeah I'm fine. It still stings" "But I'll manage"
"How old are you by the way?."
27.
"That's cool, how long have you been in the war?"
Too long. I answered back.
"I've only been in a month. I heard it's almost over though?"
I looked at him with a disbelieving smile.
I said that too when I joined. Soon turned into to four years mate. I said as the commanding officer peeped out of his tent and made his way towards me.
"I told you to get out of my fucking army and off this base-" he said as he was shot throw the side of his skull. As both of us got down and reloaded our guns and ran. Thomas and a few other lads putting on their uniforms and checking to see what had happened before bullets had begun flying. We were being ambushed. But from where?. I thought as I shot back in the direction bullets were coming from.
Everyone in the camp were shooting at the nazis in hiding. Quickly pulling out a small mirror that I kept from Sofia's purse. And using it to scope out where they were shooting from. As I noticed men in make shift hide outs in the trees. Shooting down any man in their path. From what I could see as far as the small mirror could show me. Without getting caught. Was that they were zigzagged in every other tree. As I saw some of our men killing some of the camouflaged nazis hiding in the trees. Some climbing up the trees and beating them out of their hideouts. While the nazis were distracted, myself and Will kept ourselves hidden and went after any nazis trying to escape. Especially going after the ones hiding in the bushes. Shooting down the fewer ones left hiding in the trees. I saw William climbing up a tree to help one of our men being strangled by the grey. Noticing from the corner of my eye one of his conrads was aiming at William's head. Loading my rifle, I shot him before he got the chance to end the young boy's life. The sound of my rifle being fired had startled him as he held on to the tree. Thinking he was going to fall.
KEEP GOING! I yelled as I kept watch for any more of them. As he did so and snuck onto the make shift hide out. He grabbed the man from behind and slit his neck. And helped the soldier from the tree. I heard some rustling between the trees as the bombing began to start. Shaking the ground. The sound of trucks and foreigners yelling and shooting at anything in their direction. I signalled Will and the other lad to get down and stay in the hideout. While I hid and kept cover inside of a cave small enough to hide me. Reloading my rifle as quickly and quietly as possible.
There were more of them rolling by. The ground beginning to rumble and shake by the weight of tanks rolling through. Hearing one of them stop and fire. Hearing men screaming in agony. The explosion causing a fire. I could hear the sound of gunshots and the flames beginning to spread. Crawling out of my cave as the flames began to grow. Noticing William and the lad were making their way down the tree as quickly as they could. Seeing that the tree they were in had already began to start burning higher. I knew I couldn't save them.
"Just go Harry we'll be fine!" William yelled as they both climbed away from the flames as much as they could before the burning limbs came crashing. I could feel the heat from my boots as they began to melt. Covering my face from the smoke. I didn't want to leave them. But I had to save my own life as well. Or at least try to. By the time I had made it far enough. The entire forest was engulfed in flames. Night began to fall. And I could feel the smoke blocking my lungs. Until I came to a cliff with the ocean off in the distance.
As I looked at the drop then the oncoming flames behind me. Hoping I'd at least see her face again. Backing up so I could give myself a safe fall as I had ran and jumped from the cliff. Plummeting beneath the icy waters below. I swam up for air and watched the burning forest from a distance as I swam away from it. Whilst bombs and planes still overheard. Keeping as low as I possibly could. Being pulled with the current. Swimming further and further as the smoke began to block out the sunset. I swam until I couldn't anymore.
Without realising I had somehow found rest on a severed wing from a spitfire. I was woken up by fishermen who assisted me into their small boat.
They kept asking me if I was German. Which I wasn't. Part of me was afraid that I had been captured by the Italians. Which is what these men were. Which caught me off guard.
Anglais! Je Suis Anglais! I said as they interrogated me for not answering them quick enough.
"You must be lost then!. What the hell are you doing in the middle of the ocean!" Said the fisherman
There was a fire and I had jumped off a cliff to escape it. I said as I began to cough up the rest of the water that made it into my lungs after nearly drowning at one point on my journey.
Where am I?.
"you're off the coast of Majorca" said the other fisherman.
"You can stay with us until you find your way back to your army"
But aren't you?
"The enemy?" "No" "we're not part of it" "We have our own problems to deal with" they said.
Well I don't know where or how I'm going to get back to my camp?. The hell is Majorca!
I asked confused
They both chuckled.
"Spain, if it's easier for you to remember" said one of the fishermen. Since they clearly must've thought I was clueless. I was delirious and exhausted.
You're not gonna kill me in my sleep are you?. I asked as we made it to the dock.
They chuckled.
"We would've done it already" said the other fisherman. As the other looked over at him with an admiring glance. Which threw me off a little
Maybe they're friends?, perhaps brothers?. Until we were greeted by a tall beautiful woman with caramel brown skin and dark wavy hair with honey brown eyes that glimmered in the sunlight. It was the early hours as the sun began to rise. She gives the fisherman a kiss and welcomes us inside. Which made it awkward for his friend who moved past trying to appear hidden from her.
The fisherman and his wife go into the kitchen. As I entered and set my bag and coat in a chair next to their bookshelf.
She looks over at me with curiosity then proceeds to ask her husband
"Who's this soldier you brought with?" She said
"An Englishman I found while at sea, I thought he had crashed since he was holding on to a severed wing" said the fisherman
"You sure he's not a spy? And pretending to be English?" She said
He shook his head. As I went into the living room and sat on the couch. Since I wasn't sure where to sit in some stranger's house.
As I heard the stairs creaking behind me, as it appeared to be a young child. Most likely their daughter as the eldest ran down behind her little sister and grabbed her and brought her back upstairs. Scolding her quietly. He must've heard his daughters quarrelling in whispers
"Sofia y Morena?" He said as he called them. As they both crept down the stairs avoiding any eye contact with me. As they ran to their dad and hugged him
I remember those days when my sister and I used to do that. Before our dad went off to war. It fucked him up immensely. And seeing this fisherman and his daughters embracing each other as a happy family regardless of the war going outside their doorstep. I wish I could've had that moment of peace with my own family.
I rose up from the couch and interrupted them
Where's your restroom? I asked. As the wife pointed in the direction of it. As I could tell she was a bit cautious of my identity. Since I'm a stranger in her home. I thanked her and went up the stairs to relieve myself. Washing my hands as I had finished. Looking at myself in the mirror. Obviously haven't been able to shave in ages. I looked like I had walked out of a cave. I haven't showered since I left France. But I guess while I'm here for the meantime I could use one. As the hot water drenched my skin. As the water beneath my feet turned black by the amount of dirt and soot I've collected upon myself unfortunately. I cleaned myself as much as I possibly could. Then hopped out for a quick shaving of my beard that I grew. Using somebody else's shower and shaving cream without asking. Was probably one of the meanest things I've done, Besides killing people.
I heard a light knock on the door. Which appeared to be his wife.
"Here's some fresh towels to dry yourself off with." "And next time ask before using the shower " she said. Avoiding any eye contact.
As I thanked her and dried myself off.
I came downstairs after I changed into some nightwear that I've had since boot camp. His wife had set up a bed for me in an extra room across the hall from them. I set my bag and overcoat down at the edge of the bed. Closing my eyes as I had gotten comfortable laying down. Having been injured, shot at and laying in a cot for four years of my life. I haven't laid in a nice comfortable bed since before the war broke out. My dad wanted me off in this war. To prove how much of a man I was to him. Since the Great War left him traumatised. I didn't hear til recently he's had a stroke. My mum sent me a letter before I stormed off base for defending that kid named William.
She said he's been doing well since the stroke. But she's worried about his health. As for my sister? She must be doing well since my mum didn't mention her in the letter. Which I thought was rare
As I drifted off to sleep. I could still hear the couple talking amongst themselves. It was nice to hear what a happily married family looked like at a distance. Since I've hadn't had a sense of normalcy in years.