Far away // Unbroken

6. Day and night

D E J A

I groaned as I hit the cement ground, I breathed deeply as some guards yelled in Japanese before slamming the small wooden door closed.

I was in a place that looked like it was the size of an outhouse, but it didn't have anything in it, just four cement walls.

"Deja? Are you okay?" I heard Louie talk under a small crack between our rooms, all three of us were were together but still apart.

"Land feels funny." I spoke quietly as I slowly sat up and leaned against a wall, the one across from the door.

"Funny. Yeah." Louie slightly panted from all this excitement.

As I caught my breath my door opened suddenly, a man stood in the doorway while another one came and yelled stuff in my face that I didn't understand completely.

"Please, I don't understand." I said with my hands up.

He shouted louder before he grabbed my hair, I whined, of course, probably as anyone would if they were picked up by their hair.

I heard Louie shouting to stop as he banged on his door with what little strength he had.

I was pulled out into what looked like a forest, a small base was set up.

I was held by my hair as an older Japanese man stood under a tent, presumably the colonel.

He hummed as his eyes scanned my body, he spoke something to the guard that held me and he let go of my hair.

I fell to my knees as I held my head, groaning in pain.

He spoke before the translator, "How many troops do you have stationed in Hawaii?" He asked.

"I wouldn't know, I haven't been there in.." I trailed off, trying to gather my wits.

"Colonel would like to know the location of radar in E-class, B-24." The translator demanded.

"We used the old one. D-class." I said I looked up at the two men.

"You bombardier?" The translator asked, "Yes." I nodded.

That's why I wasn't on very many missions with Louie, most crews don't need two bombardiers.

He translated it to the Colonel, "What happened to the Marines from Makin Island?" I asked the question this time.

"How do you work the Norden Bombsight?" He asked, ignoring my question.

"You just twist two knobs." I lied.. I was lying about a lot of these things they were asking me about.

"What happened to the Marines?" I asked again, louder this time.

"Draw Norden bombsight." The translator handed me a pencil and clipboard with some paper.

I stood up and slowly took the pencil and paper.

I started to draw a Philco radio, as I finished the two-year-old-drawing, he told me what happened to the Marines.

"They were beheaded." He said and I closed my eyes, exhaling before opening my eyes and handing him his things back.

I stepped back, away from the tent.

I listened to the Colonel and his commands, the last one terrified me and I knew I couldn't tell Louie or else he would kill himself trying to save me.

"Give her extra food, once she's not so bony, she'll be my toy." I shuddered as I thought about the grimy older man.

I was pushed back towards the small holding areas.

"I drew a Philco radio, knobs on the side." I spoke lowly as I passed Phil who would probably be asked the same questions.

--

I watched in pins and needles as they brought out Phil and Louie.

Louie looked up at me, his face showing confusion and concern as I stood by the colonel side.

"Please, don't hurt them." I said trying to step towards them but I was literally tied to the Colonel, or at least his chair.

I looked at the men on either sides of my friends, both of the guards ready to draw their swords.

Louie looked up at me, my breathing shallow as I struggled with my new ankle bracelet.

They both seemed like ghosts of the people they used to be, they looked fragile and beaten nearly too death.

"Take off clothes!" The translator shouted.

"Please," I turned to the colonel, even if I knew that I might not be able to change his mind, I would fight to the end for these men.

Tears filled my eyes as I watched Louie slowly take off his shirt, my chin wobbled as tears started to run down my face.

I looked down at the ground, I couldn't watch this.

"Kneel down." The translator shouted.

"You- you watch." He said pointing my head up, I closed my eyes and put my head back down.

"I said- watch!" The translator shouted as he pressed a knife against my neck.

"I can't watch my friends die.." I said with my voice breaking.

The translator grabbed my face and made me look at my friends, but I kept my eyes up.

"Don't you touch her!" Louie shouted, trying to come over towards me before one of the guards hit the backs of his legs with a stick and he fell to his knee with and loud groan.

I breathed in shakily as I looked at Louie's eyes.

"Just look away, alright? Don't look when it happens." He tried to speak fearlessly but his voice cracked, his eyes pooled with tears.

I gasped as I covered my mouth, both of them gasped too, not expecting to have water dumped on them.

I couldn't believe my eyes as they sort of bathed them and clothed them and cut their hair.

They even shaved their beards.