BITTER - Michael Gray.

TWENTY FIVE.

♛

The sun was gleaming down onto the grass, making Olivia angry. She didn't want happiness today, she wanted respect for the man who lost his life. John's caravan was set up on the field, surrounded by all his loved ones dressed in black from head to toe. She wanted dark skies, she wanted to curl up in a ball. She wanted John.

Finn could see Olivia's pain and so decided to wrap his arm around her and keep her safe.

"I keep thinking he'll turn up and laugh, saying this is all a big joke." Liv confessed.

"You and me both darling. But, he's gone. We've gotta accept that. Just think of all the happy times you had with him." Finn kissed the side of her head.

"What, like when you and him replaced my pen ink with water, so when nothing came out I looked like an idiot?" She looked up at the lanky boy.

"Something like that, yeah." Finn chuckled softly. "We're like sitting ducks here if the wops come."

"Yeah well Tommy said we should do it in the open." Charlie Strong appeared from no where to chip in to the conversation.

"This is how John wanted to go." Tommy announced to the small crowd. "On the smoke. But the truth is we died together once before. Arthur, me, Danny Whiz-Bang, Freddie Thorne, Jeremiah, James Hamilton, Samuel Hamilton and John." Ada's heart hurt at the name of her late husband. Olivia's head shot up from the ground at Tommy's mention of her father and brother, tears springing to her eyes.

Olivia's hand gripped onto Finn's as she moved to see inside the caravan. John was lying there. His army uniform and helmets were lain our beside him, along with his photograph and medals.

"We were cut off from the retreat, no bullets left, waiting for the Prussian cavalry to come and to finish us off. And while we waited, Jeremiah said we should sing 'In The Bleak Midwinter'. But we were spared, the enemy never came. And we all agreed, that anything after that was extra, and when our time came, we would all remember." Tommy wiped a few stray tears away.

"You remember that God spared you. But what did you do with that extra time he gave you eh Thomas?" Polly piped up.

"Just leave it. It's not the time Polly. John just died, just respect him." Olivia snapped, not knowing it was coming.

"Liv shut up." Finn squeezed her hand a little tighter.

"Arthur, if you would." Tommy stepped to the side.

Arthur pulled the matches from his pocket, stringing one against the side and throwing it at John's caravan.

"Finn I don't want him to go." Olivia choked out as the flames engulfed the caravan.

"It's alright. He's with your dad, your mum and your brother now. Just think of the havoc those men are causing up there and your mother desperately trying to control them." Finn held her tightly as she cried. A little laugh came out at the thought of her mother flapping around the boys as they had one of their drinking competitions.

Whilst they were watching John's cremation, a gunshot rang out not far from where they were. Finn quickly pushed Olivia to the ground and held himself over her as other's ducked.