Corbin

We'll Survive?

"Sorry we couldn't offer much more," Silver Fox put a hand on my shoulder, "Breakfast is at 7 o'clock and dinner is at 6 o'clock. You'll have to find lunch for yourselves, though there's often leftovers somewhere."

"Thank you," I bowed my head slightly in Fox's direction, "we really appreciate it."

With that, Silver Fox left and Winter and I found ourselves very, very alone. I sighed and placed our suitcases down before sitting on one of the beds and unbuttoning my coat. Winter's head popped up, the cookies still uneaten in her hands.

"How long are we going to be here?"

"I don't know," I admitted and shrugged the coat off completely before holding her so that her eyes met mine.

She looked hesitantly around the room, taking in the bare walls and the creaky floorboards, "It's scary here."

"It might not be so bad little Cub. Milly seems lovely and I'm sure we can find a way to make this place our home. We'll survive, won't we?" I asked and swept Winter's fringe out of her eyes.

"Promise?" Winter asked, her blue eyes searching mine.

"As sure as the sun will rise," I smiled and hugged her close.

I was right of course... about the sun rising that is... but things didn't get better like I'd hoped they would. I had expected that mine and Winter's disappearance would put an end to my tricky situation, but I was wrong. Only a week later Silver Fox got wind of the news that England would be joining the war and there would once more be a call to arms for all males my age. The fear of it all stalked up on me in my dreams at night but, of course, I still didn't mention it to Winter – I didn't want to worry her.

So we fell into routine instead. Every morning I would wake around 5:30am and would go and help Silver Fox with his morning round of the farm – cows needed milking, eggs collecting, feed distributing all round. Then at 6:45am I would wake Winter and we would wash ourselves up before breakfast. At 7am on the dot Milly would ring the bell and we'd head downstairs and have breakfast with herself, her husband Pete and Fox. After that we'd help clear up and then we'd head upstairs once more, and I'd run school for Winter. After school was finished we'd head out for lunch and once we were back we'd help Milly clean the house. With chores done, I'd go with Silver Fox to the countryside markets to get meat and veggies for dinner while Winter brushed the cows and fed the sheep under the watchful eye of Pete. Finally we would have dinner and spend some time together until bed. It wasn't exactly an exciting routine... but it was safe.

"Josh," an urgent voice called to me through my sleep, "Joshua get up!"

I peeled my eyes open to see the panic stricken face of Silver Fox standing over my bed.

"What's wrong?" I asked, concerned in an instant that Winter was in trouble.

"It's here," Silver Fox replied and pulled me to my feet, "It's here Josh and we've got to go."

It had been three months since Winter and I had left our home country but I still knew immediately what Fox was referring to. In my urgency, I rushed to wake Winter and when she struggled to wake up fully, I simply picked her up and took her with me. I had gone through what would happen a million times or more ready for if this day came but now it was here. As I ran after Silver Fox, Winter bouncing in my arms, I tried not to cry. How? How had the world come to this? England was supposed to be our escape. Our freedom from hell. Our safe place.

"Where are we going, Yosha?" Winter yelled, terror in her voice as the barn doors up ahead were pulled open hastily by Pete.

"Don't worry where we're going Cub. Just know that I'm with you, it's going to be okay," I said and looked into her deep blue eyes.

"I'm scared!" tears leaked from Winter's eyes and I felt a pang of guilt for not preparing her better.

"Just trust me, Winter. I love you, it's going to be okay."

I hauled myself and Winter into the barn and looked about for where Milly, Pete and Silver Fox had gathered in the corner.

"What's the plan?" I asked, my breath laboured from running.

"Find a bit of barn that ain't falling apart and tuck up safe, pack yourselves in with straw if you have to," Pete instructed.

"Really?" I asked, taken aback.

Fox looked at me with a grimace, "Sorry bud, we haven't had money for bunkers."

My concern was disrupted by a familiar sound overhead, a sound that just months ago had meant a chance of hope and safety. It was now a sound that made my very heart quiver. Clutching Winter tightly, I looked for any available spot to hunker down, then crawled on hands and knees until I found a cove in the corner of the barn's wooden framing. I squeezed myself deep into the crevice to the point that I was being stabbed by unfinished wood. As the sound of plane engines grew louder, I clasped Winter to my chest, whispering to her to shut her eyes tight and wait. Then I wrapped my arms around her even tighter still and tried to listen to anything that I might be able to hear going on between the constant propeller sounds. Try as I might, though, I could hear nothing else besides the deafening pounding of my own heart.

So instead, we waited there in utter uncertainty, and I dared not close my eyes.

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