Panic

~1~

I screamed, matching the pitch of the siren that was wailing relentlessly. I ran forward toward the building burning in front of my eyes. Orange and yellow flames licked up the building, turning the wood to a charcoal grey.

I ran forward, trying to scramble through the debris of the bombed street. Someone was running behind me, trying to catch up. A beam snapped beneath my weight and I tripped forward, landing on my face. As I pushed myself up again I could feel blood trickling from a cut in my forehead.

I began to run forward again, desperate to get to my mum, but strong arms wrapped around my waist.
"Rosa, no! It's too late, you'll just get yourself killed." I kicked and squealed, trying to break the grasp of my brother's arms.

Slowly my energy drained and I started sobbing. Everything that had happened in the past weeks came flooding out. I knew I had had to stay strong then, I couldn't have my mum worrying about me as well as my father, but now she was in that burning wreck I had nothing left to cling on to.

My brother hugged me tightly. "Shh now, come on we need to get undercover." I let him carry me away from the wreck that had once been a street, and buried my head in his shoulder to hide the new wave of grief that washed over me.

***

My hands shook, spilling the cup of tea I had been handed over my fingers, scalding them. I barely even noticed. Looking round at the other pale, grief stricken faces, I knew I wasn't the only one who had lost someone in today's round of air raids. The Germans were coming and they weren't being quiet about it.

I knew what was coming next but there's still no way to prepare for it. After all, if just a month ago you were a normal family, going to work and school, and now there was only you and your brother, wouldn't you be terrified to hear the news of him joining the fight?

"Rosa," he sat down next to me, his dark curly hair hidden beneath a metal helmet. "The Germans are coming, and we need to hold them off as long as possible. There are over 400,000 people out on those beaches - almost all of the British army, and the government are viewing their evacuation more importantly than air raids. They've asked me to help out. I promise I will come back for you, I will never leave you here alone." He clasped his hands over mine and I felt a surprising sense of comfort. "No matter how bad it gets, I will find a way to keep you safe." He kissed my forehead lightly and ran his hands through my hair.

My voice was hoarse, my throat clogged with dust from the fallen buildings. "What am I supposed to do? Sit here and wait to hear you've died!?" His face remained plain, only his eyes showing the struggle going on in his mind. "Come on Gibson! You can't speak a word of English, even if you can understand it! You know what those British call us: frogs! If there's any need of loosing a few soldiers, you'll be top of the list!" I could feel the tears washing down my face again. They used to have real meaning behind them, I would only cry if I was extremely upset, but now they fell down my face as frequently as the rain in winter. I knew whatever I said was fruitless. If he tried to run away from the army, he would be shot. At least being on the beaches would give him a chance.

"Rosa, I know that this is the greatest risk of my life, but this may be my only chance of getting you on a boat to England, where it is still safe! I promise promise promise, that if anything happens to me I'll make sure someone finds you." He hugged me so tightly I couldn't breath, or I wonder if that was just the dust again. I buried my head into his shoulder.
"We'll make it out. I know we will."