My Dear Enemy (Bucky Barnes fanfic)

Chapter 6

Leszno, Poland

"Mama, should I take the potatoes out?" Rose asked, looking at her mother.

"Yes, please." she replied.

The Dolinski family gathered around the make-shift table to prepare for dinner. Although they didn't have much, they managed to find food to eat every night. They sat down in their chairs and started to eat their meal. Rose's mother worked at a packaging factory near the village they lived in. She managed to steal some food to bring home to her family.

Rose's father was a butcher, and he brought home enough meat to keep the family from starving. Last, Rose's little brother, Alec, picked vegetables in their garden. The Dolinski's were well off compared to other people living in their village. Although they lived in a shack, they were wealthy enough because they had each other. They were a very close-knit family.

The village of Leszno, Poland was extremely poor. With a small population of about 400; people were close. Often, they shared resources because it was so difficult to find their own. Rose knew this all too well. She wore scrapped and tattered clothes that came from older women. They didn't exactly have department stores at every corner.

Sitting at the table, the family began to talk about their day. Rose's mother went first.

"A woman named Evelyn got fired at the factory. This was the only job she could get. I don't know how she is going to support her children. We have to help her." she said. The rest of the family agreed.

"Thank you for the chicken, Papa." her brother Alec said.

Her father smiled.

"Rose, what did you do today?" her father asked.

Rose was supposed to be learning today. The village has a woman named Elma who teaches all of the children arithmetic and English at her home. She is assigned to go every day, but today she skipped. She and her friend Rachel decided to go exploring along the creek near Elma's house. They sat on large rocks and drank sweet water from honeysuckle plants.

Of course, she couldn't tell her father this; or else he would be angry.

"I understand you went to school today?" her father asked.

"Yes, papa." She replied quickly.

"Well... what did you learn?" He asked, shoving a spoonful of corn into his mouth.

She panicked, thinking of any random topic.

"Politics." she answered, then looked back down at her meal.

"Interesting, I didn't know Elma taught politics." her mother replied.

"She doesn't." whispered her brother Alec, laughing.

Rose gave him a look - and he immediately understood. He chuckled to himself. Rose began to pick up her cup to drink some water, when the entire house started shaking. An excruciatingly loud sound arose from above their heads. It was some sort of plane that shook the whole village.

All of a sudden, the plane started to drop bombs. Her father led the family to the bathtub. They quickly climbed in, seeking shelter.

"What's happening? Who's bombing us?" Alec asked frantically.

"I don't know!" Replied their father.

They all sat in the bathtub for what seemed like eternity... shaking and terrified. They clung to each other- all four of them huddling together for safety.

Rose looked out of the window and saw her friend, Rachel, out in the open. She looked terrified and had no place to go.

"Mama! Rachel is out there! We have to get her inside!" Rose screamed.

"Rose! Don't you dare go out there!" her mother screamed back.

Everything was hectic. Bombs were falling down - exploding a handful of buildings at a time. She had to save Rachel. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she didn't.

Rose un-tangled herself from her family and ran a few yards away to get Rachel.

"Rachel! What are you doing! Come with me we'll get inside to shelter!" Rose screamed over the sound of explosions.

Rachel nodded, and followed Rose - who was running back home. The girls were a few feet away when a bomb landed on Rose's house, exploding it immediately. The girls were thrown back by the explosion.

Rose was in shock. Her family was inside. She had to get there, she had to help them. Her legs wouldn't move... she couldn't even breathe. The force of the explosion knocked the wind out of her.

"My family " was the only phrase leaving her lips and her mind before she blacked out.