ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔯𝔩𝔬𝔱𝔱𝔢 𝔖𝔲𝔩𝔩𝔦𝔳𝔞𝔫 ¤ 𝔇𝔬𝔠𝔱𝔬𝔯 𝔚𝔥𝔬

Chapter 21

Author's note:

Grab tissues everyone!

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"Timothy, are you sure you still want to do this?" Charlotte asked.

"I'm sure, Lottie" Timothy replied.

It was the 10th August, six days after England had declared war on Germany. Timothy signed up the second he could, obviously lying about his age.

"You still have Doctor's money, right?" Timothy asked.

Charlotte opened her bag, showing him the wallet, "It's never left my side. Don't forget that you have until October 17th to keep your promise"

"Well, I'm sure you'll be able to, we're not too far from London now" Timothy replied.

The pair were silent for a moment, when the train whistles went off. Charlotte remembered the ones she heard that day she first arrived in Farringham. Maybe she'd be able to find her mother in London?

"Come back in one piece, alright?" Charlotte said, tears falling free.

I promise, Lottie" Timothy said. He kissed Charlotte's forehead, "I love you" and ran to catch the train, leaving Charlotte on the platform, wiping away her tears.

"I love you too!" she yelled after him.

Charlotte stood with all the other women who were waving goodbye to their loved ones. As the train began to move, Timothy stuck his head out, waving goodbye to Charlotte.

Charlotte suddenly began to run alongside the train, catching up to the window Timothy was at. When she did, Timothy leaned down and locked his lips with her own, before the train split them apart, having picked up the speed.

"Remember me that way!" Charlotte called out to Timothy.

He nodded, before climbing back into the carriage. Charlotte stood there, on the platform, for the next five minutes, watching the smoke from the train get thinner and thinner.

'Please come back...' she thought. 'I can't loose anyone else'

///

One month and two weeks passed. It was now nearing the end of September and slowly reaching October. 

Charlotte was cleaning some dishes in the kitchen when she heard something. 

It sounded like an alarm. Before Charlotte could call up the stairs and ask Mr Ridley what was going on, he appeared in the kitchen, looking very worried.

"Charlotte, get into the basement, I'll be down there in a moment" Mr Ridley said, fear present in his voice.

"Mr Ridley, what's going on?" Charlotte asked as she was about to descend down the stairs.

"Charlotte, don't worry!" Mr Ridley said. "Get into the basement and I'll be down there with you soon"

Charlotte nodded and ran down the stairs. Mr Ridley's home was the only house in the town that had a basement, which Charlotte was unsure about. She ran into the corner, where a table was and sat under it, hugging her legs.

A loud boom went off, scaring Charlotte and making her scream and cover her ears. Another two booms went off, with whistling noises coming seconds before. Charlotte screamed more and more, covering her ears.

She wished Timothy was with her.

///

"I found one!" a male's voice came from above.

Charlotte's eyes opened slowly to find a man dressed in firefighter uniform above her, shoving the rubble away from her so he could help climb out.

"What happened?" Charlotte asked.

"The town got bombed" the fireman explained. "You are the first young woman we've found. Others have been some older women and two little boys with their father"

Charlotte quickly grabbed the fireman's wrist, "Did you find a man named Ridley? Harrison Ridley?"

The fireman seemed to recognise that name, but his eyes showed sorrow and pity. Pity for Charlotte.

"I'm very sorry, dear" the fireman said. 

///

Charlotte had never been to a funeral before, but she hoped to never attend one ever again.

There were so many people who attended Mr Ridley's funeral, but she knew no one there. She also felt very uncomfortable in her black dress and shoes, constantly scratching her neck where the dress started; the fabric was very irritating. 

She never let go of her sketching pad; the one thing Charlotte treasured most, and here she was, attending the funeral of someone she treasured so much. The man who let her have Saturdays off. The man who taught her lessons and improved her knowledge. The man who cared for her.

The man she saw as a father.

Charlotte held onto what was in her left pocket too. The Doctor's wallet. It still had all of the money inside it.

That evening, Charlotte packed her remaining things. She couldn't stay here, and she'd never been so close to London since she was little. 

This was her chance. Plus, Timothy promised she'd be a suffragette by her birthday, which was in a few weeks.

"London, here comes Charlotte Sullivan" she whispered as she made her way to the train station.

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Author's Note:

EEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm sorry! I did warn everyone, saying we'd loose some people. I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Don't kill me!

Anyway, to lighten everyone's mood a little, I shall give you a small teaser:

An old friend returns into Charlotte's life....