A Promise To Fulfill

Into the Gates of Hell

August 4, 1941
Minsk, Belarus

I arrived later that evening and was sent to the barracks. When I entered, some men were glancing at me. I got used to that feeling already, but this time, it felt different. It felt like my old crew was around me. I kept looking left and right because I thought I could feel their presence. Maybe they were, maybe they weren't. I just didn't know if I was even thinking straight or if I was starting to see things that weren't there. When I got to my bed, I saw Magnus sitting there and waving at me. I rubbed my eyes and looked again. Of course, he wasn't there. But I still felt their presence around me, especially Magnus'. 

I sat on my bed and put my things underneath it. I just sat there quietly, trying to forget about what happened in Smolensk, even if it was impossible. If I had forgotten it, then I would not be talking about it. Although, I still wished I could forget about it. But as I continued to quietly sit on my bed, a person approached me and asked, "Emily, are you okay?". 

I looked around and saw a familiar face. "Ja, I am fine," I responded softly. I gave him that "I don't know who you are" expression. He clearly understood it and asked if I know who he was. I told him that I don't know who he was, but looked familiar to me. 

He chuckled a bit and said, "Panzer 734. Remember?" It was there when I realized that he was the commander of that tank. He was the one I warned him about the Anti-tank weapon.  "Oh!" I responded. He extended his arm to shake my hand. I shook his hand and he put his other hand on my back. 

"I'm sorry for what happened back in Smolensk. I wish I saw the threat sooner." He said. 

At that moment, I had a flashback to when my tank got shot by the anti-tank weapon. I started to tremble a bit and the tank commander noticed it. He started to rub my back to comfort me, which helped a bit. 

"It's okay... it's not your fault..." I said weakly. "If you ever need anything. A friend to talk to. Just let me know." He told me as he continues to comfort me. 

"I will, vielen dank," I responded comfortably.

He then left my bed and went to his. I grabbed my bag and reached into it to get the picture I had of me with my crew. I pulled it out of the bag and took a good look at it. It was just the five of us smiling while sitting on our tank. I shed a tear and hugged the picture tightly. I still wished that they were by my side. "If only I saw it sooner... or reacted quicker..." I thought to myself. I had to face it, they are no longer with me. And now, I have to look after a new crew. They would be all I have left and I had to be strong. 

I put the picture back into my bag and headed to the bathroom. I just wanted to wash my face after a long day of traveling. When I looked at the mirror, I saw Magnus on the reflection. "Magnus?" I said as I looked back. He wasn't there, I was just seeing things again. I could do nothing but frown once more. I left the bathroom, went back to my bed, and slept. 

Somewhere in the middle of the night, I had a bad dream. I was back in Smolensk, and my tank just got shot. I was about to leave, and all I could hear was Magnus screaming in pain. "Emily! Please don't leave me!" He repeatedly shouted as he continues to scream in pain. I did nothing but run away from the tank. The tank exploded and I heard him scream one last time. A Russian soldier then ran towards me and pinned me to the ground. His bayonet was hovering over my chest and I held it firmly, trying not to get stabbed. But the blade kept coming closer as my grip weakened. "Time to die." The soldier said as he stabbed me through the chest. 

I woke up panting and sweating. I looked around to only realize that it was just a dream. But that dream felt very real. I sat on the bed, wiping off my sweat and trying to catch my breath. "It's going to be rough without him..." I said quietly. I decided to shrug it off and went back to bed. Thankfully, the rest of the night was uneventful.