The Run from the War

The South Side

The South Side:

I had just moved out and got my own place just a two days journey from my parents, I visited them monthly.

Arriving at my parents was quite and unsettling. The whole village was quite actually. I slowly pushed my parents door open.

"Mother? Father?" I called out to them. I set my fruit basket down and walked into the living room. The room had this cold kinda feel to it. I couldn't put my finger on the feeling though. I stepped farther into the room heading towards the kitchen and dining room. As I made it past the couch something on the ground caught my eye. I turned sharply holding a hand over my fast beating heart.

My parents lay there cold and pale. A scream escaped my lips. I smacked a hand over my mouth as to not draw attention to myself. I heard a noise outside the house. Then men's voices. I quickly hid behind the wall and peeked out the window. Men dressed in the dirty combat uniforms holding, what I think was a machine gun.

There was another noise, this time closer to me. I turned to see movement in the hallway. I made my way very slowly and quietly over towards it. There sat my 8 year old brother, Timothy.

I reached out and grabbed his shoulders. "Is that really you, Timothy?" He nodded his head and I pulled him to me as we both silently cried. "Amberle, they're all dead. Everyone." His tinny body shook as he held on to me tightly. "Shh shh shh, I know it's okay. We're gonna get out of here." I told him petting his hair and looking around for an exit.

"Okay Timothy, I need you to be very quiet." I tugged him along with my ready to knock a few things over to make a run back out the front door. I pushed everything off the counter and hid behind the wall making sure they came in the back door. When they did we ran for the front.

The sun momentarily blinding me from being in the dark house. We broke into the woods, branches and briars clawing at our skin not wanting us to get away, to live, to survive.

We kept to the woods for another hour. It was dark by then and a lot colder. With winter on the way the air was crisp like it was trying to snatch our souls out from our bones. Timothy was cradled to my chest and I had both my arms around him trying to keep his little body warm as we rested at the trunk of a tree. A twig snapped.

I awoke Timothy, "Tim Tim, wake up." I stood up slowly and looked around. It was a man from the war. A soldier. His green eyes piercing into mine. Timothy now fully awake clutching my skin painfully whimpering. The solider's gun shinned in the moons light. I swallowed.

He moved first. Beckoning to something behind him. I shoved Tim behind me. As my body bent into a defensive position. His hands went up in a surrendering motion. "I'm not here to hurt you. I saw you leave the village." His raspy voice spoke softly to me.

"Then what do you want?" My voice firm. He slowly relaxed but didn't drop his arms. "May I show you?" His eyes had this look to them. "As long as you put the gun down and any other weapons you have on you." I said crossing my arms over my chest.

"Understandable." He placed the machine gun on the ground first. Then a small pistol, some throwing knifes and straightened back up to look at me, watching him. "Tim stay." My eyes never left the mans.

As I approached him. I stuck my hands out and proceeded to search him. His lips turned upward into a smirk. Has my hands checked for any other weapon. My fingers brushed something hard behind his back. With my left hand placed firmly against his chest, my right reached around and found the edge of a knifes smooth edge. I pulled it up and out of its case that was in the waistband of his pants.

I brought it back in front of us. "Hmmm." As I looked it over and weighed it in my hands. His breathe fanning my forehead. I have never been this close to a man before. It felt.... good, felt right. Being this close to him. But he was the enemy.

"Do you like it?" His strong voice whispers. I nodded still looking at it. The handle was solid metal a little bigger than the blade. Which was small, the width of my delicate hand. I looked up at him making eye contact as I reached for his hand and softly laid the blade in his hand. "Next time a lady asks you to unarm yourself, you probably should." I spoke as I looked down at the blade that rest in his hand and my fingers covering his as I carefully curled his warm strong fingers over it.

"I will remember that." He spoke in the same quiet voice as if he didn't want to ruin the moment we had. I noticed we were an inch away from being chest to chest. I took a step back as heat filled my checks. I cleared my throat, "What was it you wanted to show me?" Looking at his beautiful green eyes.

He stepped back and turned slightly to look over his shoulder and waved at something, more like someone. A little boy holding blankets. "Timothy come here." I called to my brother not looking away form the little boy.

I bent down to be level with him and looked up at the solider in confusion. "Wh-what?" He bent beside me as well but scooted over next to me so our body's were barley brushing. "Their parents got killed by my men. There was nothing I could have done. I was going to have to kill them. But then I saw you come in alone and leave with...Timothy? So I figured you could take care of them." He spoke gesturing the little boy to him and took what I thought was blankets into his arms and pushed the blankets back to revile and baby girl maybe a week old.

A gasp escaped my lips and I felt the short distance from my crouch to kneeling and leaning over him my right hand on his thigh and my left went to rub her cheek. He grabbed my fingers before they could touch her, "Your hands are cold." The mist from his warm breath fanning out in front of him. He slowly rubbed his hands together, which covered mine as I watched him closely. "Right." Barley came from my lips as the cold sunk heavily into my bones.

I looked to the boys who have sat down a foot in front of us and cuddled together to stay warm. "What's your name sweetie?" I spoke gently to the little boy. "Kayden Leverly, ma'am." I smiled at his politeness. "You can call me Amberle." The soldier moved the baby into my arms then and got up. I watched as he moved to a backpack he had carried with him and took out two blankets.

He wrapped one around the two boys and the last one around me. "Thank you." I watched the baby snuggle closer to me for warmth and smiled. "What's her name?" I looked at the soldier who had sat back next to me. "She doesn't have a name, yet. I couldn't think of one, so I figured I'd leave it to the woman." He chuckled and brushed the few strands of hair that fell on to her off her and tucked them behind my ear. I blushed and looked away, down at the sweet angel in my arms. "Well let's see what we can do." I kissed her forehead as she stared at me, like she was waiting to hear her name.

"Lilly." The soldier shrugged. "No to commonly used. Need something special, different." I spoke shaking my head and laughing at him. "How 'bout Katerina?" I suggested she did this little grin. The soldier chuckled, "Katerina it is." He reached over and her little hand wrapped around his forefinger.

"I should probably head back before my men come looking for me." He arose to his feet and stuck out a hand to help me up. I handed Katerina to Timothy and held the blanket tighter around my shoulders as the wind picked up. He picked up his weapons and put them back wear they belonged. He gave me one last look before turning and walking away.

"Wait!" I called as he was now 20 feet away. I ran to him as he turned to me. "You never told me your name." I said when I finally reached him. "Samuel Hudson." He spoke smoothly with a cocky smile. I couldn't help but smiled back. "Amberle Lockhart." I turned ready to get out of this cold and to safety. He caught my elbow under the blanket and turned me back to him and brought his lips down to mine.

The kiss was soft but hungry. One hand on my cheek and the other on my hip pulling me flush against him. My arms wrapped around his neck as I was up on my tippy toes to reach his lips. His lips left mine slowly, I reached forwards and pecked his lips again. Resting my fort on his. "Will I see you again?" His thumb rubbed my cheek and his other rubbed small circles in my hip and lower back.

"Stay two villages ahead of me and my men, that will keep you safe. I'll come find you when I have the time." He kissed me again, but this time harder more urgent. "Stay safe, my dear Amberle." And He was gone.