Love Amongst War

I Promise

"Extra! Get your extra! Front headline Beth declares war on Ezra!" The young newsies boy yelled from the steps of a building, stacks of newspapers with him underneath a small roof shielding him from the rain.

I walked along the wet sidewalk in the rain as it came sprinkling down, passing the newsy and feeling the nostalgia of yesterday's conversation with Charlie.

"Beth has declared war on Ezra...we are at war"
I stumbled backwards, forcing myself not to break down as I rammed into my father who now stood in the living room doorway. I looked up to him then to my mother appearing by his side with glossy eyes that were on the verge of tears. Father pulled me into a hug and that's when the tears came streaming down, all the worrying, anxiety, stress and sadness hit both my mother and I hard as we cried in fathers arms. I don't know when but Charlie joined the hug as well.
After that father and Charlie explained what would most likely happen before and during the war. Charlie would get enlisted because he was of age, but father would most likely not get enlisted as a soldier until it was absolutely necessary.
A great sadness and fear was set in the air that night, mother broke down once more as things were being explained, but I just sat there in one of our cushioned seats, emotionless, feeling empty and frightened, just left with my thoughts...my scary thoughts. Thoughts on losing Charlie or him getting badly injured, or my father having to be enlisted because Ezra became that despite, the girls feeling the same way, sad and empty...or losing James. James and Charlie were to young to die in a war like this, all the boys enlisted are to young to die like this, and with that It'll become my duty, my goal during this war to do whatever I can to help, and that starts with me becoming a nurse and working at the sick and injured camps. That was my last thought that night as I fell asleep in the chair, leaving this world for a few short hours to be stuck in dreams and memories.

I told my family I was heading into town and would be back in a little while, having something important to do.

_________

The rain had stopped and now the sun was struggling to shine through the dark grey clouds as I walked through the wet forest. I put down my huddy and brushed my hair out of the back of my coat. The wet leaves glistened in the sunlight, the forest trail was mudding and the colourful flowers still blooming. I emerged from the same tree line as always and to look out at the same view of the grassland and willow tree amongst it. As I walked towards the tree the wet grass brushed my ankles, I made the mistake of wearing flats instead of mud boots.

The willows vines were wet from the rain as I passed through them, to my surprise seeing a perfectly dry tree trunk and dry grass in its little dome. The willow must have acted like an umbrella shielding the grass from the rain. Sitting on the dry grass, rain coat on and reading a book in his hand was James, his hair looked wet so he must have walked all the way here in the rain as well.

"Well hello there Eliza darling" James smirked looking up from his book, silver eyes intense
"Hello indeed James good sir" I mocked back, cracking a smile and walking over to him. He smiled, first placing the flower petal I forced him to use as a bookmark, on the page he was reading, then closed his book and stood up. We stood in silence for a few minutes, both of us not knowing what to say, it was awkward because we both knew about the elephant in the room, it was just who would bring it up first.

"So...kinda gross weather today huh" James said scratching the back of his neck
"Mhm" I agreed looking down at my fidgeting fingers
"...*awkward cough* um I got you something.." James stated, making me look up to him. His face was content but this was nervousness in his eyes
"Oh?"
"Uh well I know you were saying your birthday was coming up pretty soon...and I wanted to make sure I got you something before..uh" he looked down, reaching into his back pocket and pulled a neatly folded handkerchief, It was white with green leaf embroidered designs on the perimeter of it. He handed it to me, placing it gently in my hands. I unfolded it revealing a necklace, it was silver, with a small chain and oval shaped locket with a small tree design on it. I opened the little locket to see no photo in it.