Warzone {Dunkirk H.S.}

3: Setting Sail

GWEN

Gwendolyn Pierce stood in front of her best friend in her small doorway, breathing heavily as Vivian furrowed her eyebrows, taken aback, yet worried.

"You need my help? Help with what?" a confused Vivian stared with wide eyes at Gwen, whose panic had not died down but rather inflated upon her arrival. Gwen did not know why but she somehow expected that Vivian would see her face and just know, just instantly understand that they needed to leave, with no time to spare.

Gwen tried to search for the right words as she recovered her breath and tried to regain her composure. She knew she must have looked insane and she wondered if it would have been better for her to have groomed herself first before running over. She pushed back tufts of her honey blonde hair from her tired eyes and sighed. She once again reminded herself that time was running thin, and the cursed thoughts invaded her mind, Tommy getting shot, Tommy drowning, Tommy being bombed, Tommy dead along with hundreds of others.

"I..." Gwen began, reaching hurriedly into her pockets in search of the letter, before realising with a soft groan that she had left it on her desk in a rush and she knew she would not have time to get it back.

"Tommy's not coming home," She finally found the words and the sadness and fear flooded the pits of her stomach again, but she repressed it so that she could focus. Vivian's eyes grew wider, the words like a slap to the face, and Gwen knew by the grief-stricken curve of her lips that she automatically assumed the worst, but she was quick to reassure her.

"He's alive," She quickly breathed, watching Vivian place a hand to her heart in relief, before furrowing her eyebrows. Gwen spoke before she could. "For now."

"He and so many men are trapped on the border of France - Dunkirk. Surrounded by Germany... They, they... They bomb them everyday, it is near impossible for the ships to take men home... safely. They can't get home, Viv. He can't come home," Gwen's voice cracked as the reality of the situation washed over her again, and Vivian's eyes were glossy as a look of hopelessness took over her features. "And if he doesn't get home soon he'll be killed," Her voice was barely above a whisper and Vivian's face crumbed into a look of sadness as she immediately pulled Gwen into a tight hug, both their racing heartbeats thrumming loudly against each other's.

"Oh, Gwen," Vivian sighed quietly, "I'm so sorry." Although Vivian would not say it, nor show it, the complete despair and sadness she felt at that moment could have rivalled the feelings Gwen had. She had never said it but she had always had a soft spot for Tommy Pierce - the bright-eyed, dark-haired pretty boy who she had grown up with - and she hated to imagine what hell he would be living through, and to not be able to do anything about it. She hated to think of a world where his death would become a reality, something they would have to face.

Gwen pulled herself out of the hug quickly, she knew if she did not, salty tears would flood her eyes, and she had promised herself that she would only waste her emotion when there was absolutely no trace of hope left. And she prayed it never got to that point.

"I'm going to Dunkirk," Gwen decided to just blurt it out and get it done with. There was no point in stalling. She had to be blunt, make her point clear. There was absolutely no turning back. She held her breath.

Vivian stepped back and stared at Gwen with a clouded expression which was a mix of shock, fear, and doubt. She almost looked like she was going to pitifully laugh and shake her head, but she just stood, blinking rapidly.

"...What?" She eventually found her words and her jaw was wide open. Gwen always was ambitious and adventurous and when she cared about someone she would go to great lengths, but Vivian would have never thought that she would propose something so absurd, so dangerous, so impossibly difficult. What was she thinking?