1939

Chapter 6: Unterseeboot

The spray of sea water left a taste of salt on Pete's lips, the air cascading over his dark blue uniform and stroking the insignia brandishing his chest that held an empty heart. Previously closed eyes opened as he glanced around at the interior of the Unterseeboot. The air he felt was simply the breath of the Germans by his side as he heard them joking around. He was less than nobody here and had no place being where he was but, he was a very skilled sailor thus he had earned a place in the submarine. A place that saw him undermined and spat on by every single officer and soldier there. He could hear their idle chit chat about wives and family, trivial things Pete could care less about. The one and only thing he cared about was left in America. Thus leaving him behind the submarine continued on its way to its destination, the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Hat in hand he ran a free hand through his short brown hair, the uniform restricting his movement whilst he did nothing but wait. Sit and wait in silence, well silence was hard to come by in such a confined area but he certainly didn't speak. He hadn't spoken to anyone he didn't need to since boarding.

"Wir kommen einer anderen deutschen Flotte näher. Seid  vorbereitet, dieses Schiff könnte von Kommandeuren besucht werden, während wir uns dem Golf of St. Lawrence nähern." The call of an officer drew the attention of the men at his side as they all scrambled to their positions. Pete took up his position by the periscope, standing idly by as the man in front of him continued his duties. A few minutes later he stepped down and smiled at him.
"Viel Glück, ich glaube der Scheiß wird dir schwer fallen." Pete laughed quietly at the only friendly man aboard this submarine. Taking his place he glanced back at the dark haired boy who was the same age as him.
"Danke." He shook his head with a smile and took Brendon's place. Placing a hand on each handle he leaned in and watched the waves crashing into each other.

The dark blues of the ocean making the greys and faded greens of other boats almost indistinguishable. Well to any untrained eye. He spotted the hint of German colour and indicated the position of the ships ahead. With a call from the captain he pushed the pericope upwards to seal it tight. The click of the periscope gave the confirmation that it was in place. They then began the lockdown to prepare for descent. With his duty of sealing the telescope finished he sat down in a seat along one of the cramped corridors. Brendon sat beside him and smiled softly as he felt the boat lurch downwards. They began the dive below the German ships to join formation.

Holding onto the bar above him Brendon lowly spoke to him about the assault on the British and their allies. As he spoke he came to the realisation that it was 1941. He still hadn't forgotten Mikey. Although he couldn't remember much but he remembered his touch, his taste, the sensation of feeling. The sound of his voice was the first thing he lost, then it was his face and shape but he remembered his dark brown hair, round rimmed glasses perched upon his nose, eyes brown as the hair that perched atop his head lined with a jaw that could cut through steel. A smiled brimmed his lips, playing it off as a response to the men's jokes about Brendon's hat not fitting over his forehead he stared at the wall. What would they think if they found out about Mikey? If they knew he...

The piercing shriek of sirens silenced his thoughts as the shrill sound stabbed his brain and momentarily deafened his eardrums. The dim interior shone with a red glow from the emergency lights as they approached dangerous diving depths. Hidden amongst the shrill sirens Pete heard the signal that they had launched an attack. In retaliation he felt the boat lurch sideways, smashing Pete's shoulders against the wall as he heard the crunch of bones and felt the piercing pain of skin scraping against the metal casing.