Hope at Dunkirk

9.

Harry emerged from the water, his face covered in black from all the oil that had now spilled into the water. He looked up to see the ship he was hoping to be saved on, was turned over with soldiers and oil littering around it. He felt his heart plunge into his stomach for 100th time in one week, feeling even more stranded than he did from when he was back on the Dunkirk beach.

He heard the familiar sound of a motor going, making him turn his head to see a civilian boat a few metres away, pulling up soldiers on to the boat. His final survival instincts kicked in for possibly the last time, swimming in that direction with his tired limbs that ached from being over worked.

The black oil covered his hair, face, uniform and whole physique. His body felt heavy and the stench of oil hung over every soldier that swam for the civilian boat that was frantically pulling men up on to the deck and spreading them out on board.

Once he got near enough, a blonde boy maybe a little younger than Harry pulled him up on to the deck. He cough and spluttered, wiping the bottom of his nose to rid the oil stained there and stuck to his light stubble that had grown while his time of helplessness continued on.  

"Oil, oil, they're all covered in oil!", a clean looking soldier cried. Judging by his uniform, he was in the Air Force and possibly saved from a crash at sea. He was continuing to pull the soldiers out of the water and on deck, all covered and stained in oil. A middle aged man driving the boat turned to the Air Force soldier and said for him to hurry, before the enemy plane comes back to finish the job.

Harry walked down into the lower deck, followed by other soldiers who were ushered down by the blonde boy who had helped him out the water. Another young boy with dark hair was laying down on the ground with a life jacket tucked under his head, blood staining the floor and his hair. Harry crouched down beside him to see lifeless dark eyes open, staring into nothing with no heart or brain to function any longer.

"Hey be careful with that boy down there!", the blonde boy cried, pointing an accusing finger at Harry who turned around to him with a solemn expression.

"He's dead mate...", Harry replied. The blonde boy obviously didn't expect this, visibly gulping at the news he was dreading for so long. He blinked multiple times, before regaining his posture and tried to look unaffected in front of the soldiers.

"Well, still be careful with him", he said more quietly, before walking off to an unknown part of the boat. Harry carefully moved the dead boy's body to the side so that no one would step on him, knowing all too well what a lifeless body looked like.

"We need to move! That oil's about to blow!", Harry heard the Air Force soldier yell, suddenly turning a switch on in Harry's head.

"Olivia....", he muttered to himself and shot up from his crouched position. Harry could hear his frantically beating heart in his ears as he rushed back up to the upper deck, panting widely and the civilian boat started riding away from the shipwreck, where the oil had now caught fire from another bomb being dropped by the returning German plane. 

How could Harry be so stupid? He promised to take Olivia home, and he had completely forgotten about his love who had let go of his hand for a split second. Once he was out on the deck, he screamed and whipped his head around to search for the brown haired girl in a pale blue medical dress.

"OLIVIA!", he screamed, running back and forth on the boat.

"Calm down boy! You'll fall off-", the Air Force soldier attempted to grab hold of Harry, but failed as he forced himself out of his restricting arms.

Tears started to fall down his oil-slick face, crying for the first time in the duration of being at war. His eyes scanned the horizon and everywhere on the boat, his love nowhere to be seen. He screamed one last time for her name, earning no reply and breaking his heart completely in two.

He waited and waited. And as usual, nothing came.

His Olivia, was gone.

"Up you come love, sorry about dragging you along", said the blonde boy as he lifted the final small figure out of the water and on to the deck, the coughing and spluttering echoing on the boat.

Harry whipped around once again at the sound of the sweet voice uttering a thank you he knew all too well, causing happy tears to stream down his cheeks rather than sad ones. Olivia shook from the cold water and stumbled on the deck, being only held up by the blonde boy holding her steady.

"Olivia....", Harry whispered to himself before rushing forward and wrapping his arms tightly around her frame, squeezing her in an embrace as he sobbed into her hair. Olivia didn't hesitate to wrap her own arms around Harry's neck, panting at the exhaustion from having to hold on to the blonde boy's arm while being dragged along the side of the boat so that it wouldn't be blown up by all the oil.

"I thought you were dead....", Harry whispered into her ear, holding her so tight as if the oil on her clothes would make her easily slip away from his arms. "I'm sorry I left you..... I'm so sorry....".

The two pulled away ever so slightly to look at each other's faces, seeing beauty and love in each other behind all the oil and blood that covered their skin. Tears fell down both their faces, longing to be with each other forever and never be separated again. Their hearts yearned for each other, making them not hesitate to lean forward and kiss each other softly.

Even though they tasted like oil and sea water, it was the sweetest kiss they'd ever share. With their eyes shut, they kissed each other before pulling away shortly after to look at each other once again. They didn't smile. It wasn't the time to yet. But they looked at each other with such love, that they knew they would be happy soon.

They would just have to wait.