Bleak Hearts

Bleak Trenches

Octavia Anna Hans 28th August 1895

Spyder Klaus Liebe 28th August 1895

"Adelaide!" 

Octavia quickly grabbed the giggling girl's hand as she stepped to the edge of the road 

"be careful Adelaide" 

She looked down to the child as her husband took the girl's other hand. 

"Sorry mama" 

She chimed in squeaky child's voice. Octavia smiled at the child, scooping her up into her arms.

 "Maybe I'll have to carry you from now on" 

She chuckled. Her husband, Grenadier Loritz Tretan Hans, had similar hair to his daughters and the same bright blue eyes. He had been back from war for a short while and was due to head out again soon so they were heading down the local pub for a meal. It was an old place and the family were regulars so we're greeted with a warm welcome from the barman.

As the family sat down, Loritz saw some others from his platoon. One seemed to catch Octavia's eye, a lad the same age as them. Gemeiner Spyder Klaus Liebe sat at the bar amongst the men, one of Loritz's best soldiers. In one hand he held a beer and the other he used to raise towards the family, other men did the same but Spyder was the only one who stepped over. Spyder brought himself a chair over and set it beside Loritz 

"guten nachmittag" 

He greeted with a smile and the family greeted him back. Loritz was the one who introduced Spyder to the others and the whole time Octavia could barely take her eyes off the soldier. Though Adelaide was the one who couldn't help but ask questions, a wide grin on her face as Spyder told her of great stories. Though it was never that great, it was war.

Once the family received their meal, Spyder bid them farewell, a salute to Loritz, hair ruffle to the giggling Adelaide but as his eyes locked onto Octavia they lingered a moment. Neither seemed to know why they were staring but they were. Loritz cleared his throat, suggesting that Spyder leave and so he went to, pausing as Octavia spoke. 

"Why don't you come round for dinner?" 

She asked Spyder to which he nodded "eight on the dot?" He asked. Octavia nodded her head.

"on the dot" 

She repeated before the young male walked back to the rest of his platoon. Her eyes lingered on him a while, something so familiar.

Adelaide let out a loud squeal from one of Spyder's merciless tickles, her parents looking on with smiles. Though Octavia's was forced, the same question going through her mind 'why did it have to turn out this way?' The two had made sure they died the same day so would be the same age so how did this happen? Octavia was raising a child with another man whilst the man she loved got to sit and watch from the sidelines. This wasn't right and it hurt so much. Excusing herself, Octavia stepped outside soon followed by Spyder. He was silent a moment before he spoke.

"I know... I kno-" 

His words were cut off as she turned around to him 

"Spyder please, I'm sorry-" 

He didn't let her continue as he cut in again 

"now why do I get the feeling this isn't the first time you've said... and it's far from the last"

A silence hung in the air, a long and drawn out silence. Without another word, Spyder turned to the door and left.

Trenches for miles, a foot deep in mud. Stuck in the middle of Somme. The days were hot and the nights were cold for both sides of deadman's land. Shells screeched and bullets whizzed from trench to trench, taking down ally and enemy alike. In the dark it was even hard to tell who your friends even were. The shell that would take out Loritz and Spyder had already landed. George wasn't far but whether or not he would even make it was another question entirely. Loritz was looking blood and his leg was gone 

"stay with me sir! Keep your eyes open!" 

Spyder was practically yelling at the man who was already ready to accept death. 

"You got a family! You've got to go home and protect them!" 

He yelled. Loritz let a small chuckle fall from his lips.

"I heard you two talking... She loves you kid..." 

He muttered, his hands shaking as he stared up at the sky. He was right, Spyder knew that but didn't change anything 

"Adelaide needs you sir, I'm going to get you home whether you like it or not" 

He groaned as he pulled the man onto his shoulders. Listening to the threats of being court marshalled for this. Though that doesn't matter if you're already dead.

Loritz fell not far from the trench, out of Spyder's arms they went limp to his sides. His knees buckled below him as the screaming and yelling turned to a quiet hum. A silence that bore into his skull. His face was slack as his body fell to the ground. So limp yet his eyes were wide, lips parting as his final breath departed. Yet another casualty of war.

He was hero in the Hans family. Adelaide saw him as the man who saved her papa and Loritz saw him as the man who not only saved him but saved his family too. To Octavia he was far more than that. The funeral seemed to drag on forever and now Octavia sat in the bedroom with a rope and an intent. Cold eyes stared at it for so long, so lost. She couldn't feel the rope in her hand but she did feel the tiny warm hand of her daughter in the other.

"mama... it's time for bed, will you read to me?" 

She asked. Octavia seemed to stare forever at the girl, the rope falling from her hands as she pulled the girl close.

"I'll tell you of a man I knew for a very very long time, and who I loved with all my soul" 

She whispered. Her eyes closed as she leant on the girl's head a little whispering back.

"it's ok mama" 

Octavia Anna Hans 28th August 1895

Spyder Klaus Liebe 28th August 1895-19th July 1916