The Bright Colours of Misery [COMPLETED]

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚁𝚃𝚈 𝙵𝙾𝚄𝚁 -strange goodbyes-

They hadn't met Alma. There had been too little time to organise anything and then all of sudden they were at the train station to say goodbye. It was loud, very loud. They heard everything from crying babies to full on sobbing adults mixed with whistles and departing trains, leaving on their rails like swift birds. Heidi had never been at the station much before, she had never realised how big it was compared to the size of their town, but then maybe it just felt much bigger and more ominous than it actually was.

She held Gisela's hand, standing right next to Frieda who held onto Manfred's. Trudy had put on her best coat, the one she rarely wore, Wilma had curled her hair elegantly and Alfred had actually combed his remaining hairs.

Frieda had huffed at them before leaving the house. She didn't like the idea of dressing up for this. 'This isn't a celebration' She had grumbled, her chin down.

Heidi had to agree on this, but she was still forced to wear a dress that she would never want to wear again. However, now that she was at the train station, she noticed that some families were treating this as a celebration, almost laughing, proud of their sons for going out and defending the motherland. It sent an uncomfortable shiver down her spine. What would they do if their son never came back? Would they cry? Celebrate him as a Hero? Was that what they were supposed to be doing? She turned around but then suddenly a loud whistle invaded her ears followed by a strong wind caused by a train arriving. When it stopped it made a strange sound, as if it were exhaling.

Heidi's grip on her little sister's hand tightened, her eyes were fixed on this grey tired train. Something told her this was the one Walter would leave with, accompanied by other young men in uniform.

However no one was jumping onto it yet. They still had some time. She had not looked at Walter much, maybe she couldn't bring herself to, but eventually I forced her too, because this might have been the last time she would ever see him.

He looked taller and stronger than usual, however his uniform didn't fit him. Not in the slightest.

Yet another whistle blew, and people started getting on the train, eight pairs of eyes gazed at Walter, some in tears—most in tears.

Walter scooped his brother up, hugging him so tight he might as well have crushed him. Manfred giggled a little. Once Walter put him back down the young boy straightened his posture. Heidi and Frieda held their breaths, hoping he wouldn't say something unfortunate, and luckily he didn't.

Gisela hugged him herself, rushing into his arms but then she let go quickly, seeing who truly died to embrace him. Frieda was sobbing, she tried to pull her tears back but failed if not more than everyone else.

"Oh, Frieda.." Walter whispered, holding onto her just like Wilma could hold onto Heidi when she was upset, except the fact that for him this could have been the last time he ever did. Frieda gave him something, a small little box. Walter gulped and as he was about to untie the dark red ribbon on it, she stopped him.

"You'll come back, then you can open it."

His face fell, but Frieda was adamant on it. She wouldn't let him open that box until he came back home. Trudy  shot her daughter an unpleasant glance.

as her mother sobbed and gave Walter an almost painful looking kiss on the cheek, Heidi looked around again. Everything was so dull, grey and soulless, she wasn't quite sure why. She heard her father say something with the word 'son' to her brother, which got her attention back to them.

"Heidi," Walter said. Heidi didn't know what to say back to him. A hug seemed to be the easiest way to go about it, he smelled like tobacco, which was interesting since she had no idea he smoked.