The Cuckoo's Song

Chapter Twenty-Five

The woods were deathly quiet, the snow falling softly to the ground. Abe surveyed the area, wringing his hands together and blowing warm breath into them to save them from the frost. Everyone seemed to be in their foxholes; all was as it should be.

When out of nowhere, a cry cut through the silence.

Abe pulled his gun up, crouching low as he listened. The cry for help came again. It was a woman. What was a woman doing in the woods by Bastogne? He rose to his feet again, listening intently. He recognised the scream.

"Anna?" he called out, his heart hammering in his chest. He began to stride in her direction, his pace picking up as she cried out again and again for someone to help her. "Baby, I'm comin'!" he yelled, running at full pelt towards the voice.

But he couldn't see her.

It was growing louder, as if she was close, and yet she was nowhere in sight. "Anna?" he called frantically.

"My sister!" she cried out. "Somebody... please!"

"Baby I'm here!" he shouted. "Why can't you hear me!"

"Please! I need help!"

"Anna-" he began again when the tree ahead of him burst into fire and smoke.

All around him, artillery began to rain down, Abe not taking cover. He had to find Anna and Elli. Where were they?

"Baby, please?!" he called out, another tree beside him exploding so that he had to cover his face. Now Anna's calls for help were getting lost amongst the other screams. "Baby?!" He couldn't hear her any more, his men crying out for him instead. They were all around him now, running towards him as he stood, stuck to the ground beneath him. "Take cover!" he ordered, unable to do so himself. Then he heard something hurtling towards him, engulfing him in flames and destruction...

*

Abe sat bolt upright, sweat dripping down him. He was breathing heavily, his hand clutched to his chest. He could still hear the gun fire around him, trees crashing to the ground and men crying out in agony. It already felt like a life time ago. In reality, it was less than six months.

But why was Anna there? That was new.

He brought his knees to his chest, burying his face in his hands and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He hadn't been plagued by these dreams in so many months... not since he'd shared a bed with Anna. His head throbbed, Abe massaging his temples in an attempt to ease it. He knew it was futile.

Sam opened his eyes groggily, looking at him from the opposite cot bed. When he saw Abe's expression, he sat up too. "You okay there, bud?"

"Yeah," managed Abe throatily. "I'm fine."

Sam swung his legs out of bed, Abe doing the same. Sam surveyed him.

Abe's eyes latched onto his. "Knock it off."

"The headaches back?" Sam asked gently.

Abe sighed heavily. "Yeah."

"And the dreams?"

Abe nodded.

"What happened this time?"

"It don't matter-"

"It certainly does!" insisted Sam. "Abe it kills me to see you like this again."

"Same as before," Abe murmured.

"The Bulge?"

"Yeah, only this time, Anna was there."

"What?"