𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭. It was never meant to end this way, but how was it ever supposed to not when they were everywhere? Germans popping out from spaces he had never expected them to hide in the first place.
It was too dark in the old barn. It stunk of rotting, dead cows, their mouldy leftovers a horrible sight, and those stinking flies kept on hitting his face.
The memories still haunt him, of dead flesh and evil shadows, those he cannot chase away. The same moment that repeats before his opened eyes, no matter how often he grasps your still hand, sitting on the side of your bed.
He saw it before anyone else did, but it didn't change anything about the outcome. Zuss was still too slow. Everyone was. A Kraut emerges from the darkness of a tool cabinet, armed with nothing but a simple piece of sturdy wood.
He still sees it, as he turns toward you—, watching you stride past the corner of the cabin, focused ahead, unknowing. The way the man's arms lift and his heart drops ten stories deep. Fear shoots through his body and his mouth falls open to call out, but it's too late. Before the warning has a chance to reach you, you're already struck down, with such firmness one might think the Kraut was attempting to take out a grizzly bear.
His hands shake. The board hits you hard, the Kraut's knuckles white from how firm he grips it. A cracking sound— to this day he is unsure where it came from. By God, did he hope it was merely the wood splitting.
Adrenaline rushes through his veins, him and the boys rush forwards to your aid. Your head flings the same direction of the hit, face wiped clean of all emotions.
No pain, no fear. Nothing.
You fall forwards limply. There is not enough consciousness in your body to catch yourself.
From one moment to the other, you're just gone. Daniels tackles the attacker to the floor. Zuss is too caught up trying to catch you to care about the Kraut. He lunges forward, hands stretched out to reach you. He grabs ahold of you in the verzy last moment, preventing you from crashing face first onto the straw covered floorboards. You land against his chest, then your legs give out.
Zussman lowers you all the way to the ground, holding you tight. He grabs your face, trying to get you to look at him.
The others crowd around him immediately, calling for medical aid.
