I Promise (Wattys 2016)

Work

Three months. Three months since James had been taken prisoner. Three months since Victoria's world had shattered. She had cried herself to sleep every night. Bailey slept beside her and licked her tears away until she fell asleep. He was learning fast. He knew how to herd sheep a bit better, and he could gently take the chicken's eggs in his mouth and take them to Victoria. Victoria rose as she did every morning. Bailey got up. He and Victoria went and performed their morning chores. Bailey gave Victoria several eggs. She would take these to market to be sold later. She also had to take some milk. She went to the barn to milk their cow. Bailey sat with both paws up, begging. Victoria had discovered the third day she had him that he liked milk. Victoria got the milk she needed first and then filled up a bowl for Bailey. He lapped it up eagerly. 

"Alright, Bailey. Let's go into town." She said. "I want to see how Evelyn and Amy are doing."

Amy and Evelyn were as distraught when they had found out that Charlie and Jamie had also been captured. They, however, seemed to have been coping a little better than Victoria was. Victoria barely talked to anyone, except Bailey. 

Victoria and Bailey made their way into town. James' old belt had become his leash. It wasn't going to have any other use. It might as well be used on Bailey. 

Victoria didn't see her friends in town. She sold her eggs and milk and left. All the way home, she looked at the picture of James in her locket. She snapped it shut and sighed. Life had to go on, didn't it? James would have wanted her to be happy. Her heart ached when she thought of how hard he had been able to make her laugh. He had always known exactly what to say to make her smile if she was angry, sad, or frustrated. 

Victoria came home and read a book. It was the first book James had gotten her. She was a little too sentimental at the moment, and she knew it. James probably would have teased her for it. 

I'm going to take you to the doctor. You're obviously sick. His voice said in her head.

"Oh, shut up." She replied. 

You're going mad. She thought to herself. You'll probably only stop when James comes home.

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James was finally ready to work. He wanted to see Jamie and Joey first. Both gunshot wounds had healed rather nicely. They were still sore if he pressed on them, but he usually didn't do that. That was a dumb idea and he hated himself for doing it that one time. He was thrust into a very gross and grimy dining hall and found Jamie and Charlie right away. It looked like they were staying very close to each other.

"Hello, chaps." He said, casually walking up to them. They turned to look at him and grinned broadly.

"Where on earth have you been?!" Charlie asked.

"Through hell and back again." James said.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic." Jamie rolled his eyes. "You aren't the one who's been doing twice the work load." 

"What do we even have to do?" James asked. "Thank you, by the way."

"Oh, just whatever the Germans tell us to. And you're welcome. They were going to shoot you, but I knew Victoria would kill me if I had just let you die, and, honestly, she scares me." Jamie said.

"You don't have to live with her." James said. "But, the work doesn't seem to hard."

"That's what you think. It's absolute and utter torture." Jamie said. 

"Are Topthorn and Joey here?" James asked.

"Yes, I saw them a few days ago." Charlie said. "They seem okay."