Surreal

Chapter 6 | War Is Coming

Mum stands silently at the table end, endlessly kneading the large pile of bread dough. Her shoulders arch up and down with each punch, and every so often she'll wipe her forehead with the back of her hand to remove strands of loose hair.

I feel a twang of guilt; I never have offered my help to her. My valid excuse has always been: with no boy around to do the chores, there isn't much time for me to do both, with dad gone working everyday.

My feet shuffle over the wooden floor, tip-toeing up behind mum's turned back. I cover my mouth to stifle a laugh, and before I give myself away, I grab her shoulders.

"Boo!" I yell into her ear.

"Katherine!" she nearly hisses, snapping around to face me, "What's the matter with you?"

"I just wanted to tell you I'm going to visit James again," I smile innocently, trying to shrug off her scare.

"Again? You just saw him a couple days ago!" she exclaims as she turns back to the dough, "Ever thought of helping me?"

"The last time I helped you, I burned everything. Please mum, I told him I'd come this afternoon."

"Alright! Alright, go."

"Than-"

"And Kathy," she interrupts, grabbing my wrist, "Please put these daisies in your room. They're stinking up my kitchen and they'll take your father's nose off!"

I laugh, "Yes, mum."

•••

Gail nickers attentively as I dismount, landing with a squash in the freshly moistened ground. She nudges my shoulder with her nose, her chestnut fur tipped with a minty mist. I smile sympathetically at her; I hate leaving her alone in the rain.

Again, she nickers as I begin to approach James' house, so I turn and smile at her, letting her know I will be back. My boots splash through the small puddles that spot the stone walkway, and a steady mist moistens my hair and gets in my eyelashes.

Raising a hand, I am about to pound my fist into the door, but a sturdy voice stops me. Not James' voice, and most certainly not his mothers. I take a quick guess and assume it's his father.

"You just need to be ready, son. They'll need you out there."

"And I will be proud to go. I just hope that isn't what it comes to."

That was James.

"Maybe it won't, Herald. The Germans are stubborn fools but do you think they'd wage a war?" A softer voice asks; his mother.

"I can't say, Cecilia. But it's the obvious choice. You would be quite naive to think otherwise."

War? War. Dear Lord. The obvious choice? I don't understand, why would we be at war in the first place? What have we done to the Germans?

Their conversation slowly fades away, until I can no longer hear those horrible words. My breaths hitch in my throat, my hands
flies to my chest.

"War..." I whisper, a crack in my voice stating my fright. I want to bang against the door, to barge in his house and demand an explanation.

Instead, my feet take me around, away from James and back to Gail. The puddles under my feet are no longer of any importance, the rain in my hair and eyes spiking no interest.

Before I make it halfway to Gail, the door behind me creaks open, and a worried voice breaks through the wet air.

"Katherine?"

I snap around, my body shaking furiously.

"James..." I mumble as he stretches his arms open to me. Immediately I run to them, my tears invisible in the rain.

"Oh, Katherine," he soothes, stroking my hair as soon as his arms are wrapped protectively around me. "What's the matter?"

"I wanted to see you," I explain quietly, "But before I knocked, I heard your father."

His stroking hands freeze on my head, and I tense at his movement.

"Are we going to...to war, James?"

He sighs deeply. "Father seems to think it may come to that, but we can never know."

"What will happen?"

Again, he sighs. "I don't know.

--

Like I said, war is coming. And for Katherine and James, that's scary. What do you think will happen?

I bet you all are wondering, and have been wondering since chapter one; if she's finished with the darn book, then why not post it all at once?! Well, number one, I like to keep you guys on your toes. Number two, I want this to last as long as I can drag it out! If you're feeling impatient with the long waits, tell me to update sooner. It will be done.

- 〽️️️️iddleAsgard, at your service.