sabrina. peaky blinders

the interlude

the interlude

france, 1916

The sound of the train had been deafening, the steam billowing out in massive clouds as it pulled away from the station. Sabrina could still hear it in her mind, the shrill whistle of the train cutting through the air, the grinding of metal against metal as the wheels turned on the tracks. It drowned out the voices of those who remained behind, leaving nothing but the heavy silence of the moment.

She stood there, watching, as the world around her seemed to slow. She couldn't tell how much time passed, whether it was seconds or minutes, or if the world had simply stopped moving altogether. The platform had been crowded, but now it felt empty. She felt empty.

It had been an unusually cold morning. The mist hung in the air, clinging to their clothes, to their skin. The sky was a dull grey, the clouds low and threatening. Sabrina, barely eighteen, had stood on the platform between her father Fred and her brother Andrew, trying to hold herself together as they waited for the train to take them all away from Small Heath.

Her fingers had curled into the wool of her coat, the fabric rough against her skin, a poor shield against the cold that seemed to seep into her bones. Her heart beat erratically, thudding against her ribs as if trying to break free. Her stomach churned with fear- fear that this was the last time she would see them. Her father, strong and steady in his presence, was no longer the man who had shielded her from the world. And her brother Andrew, so full of life, had always been her protector, but now even he was preparing to leave her behind.

The war loomed over them, its shadow so long and dark that it seemed to devour everything in its path. She could already feel the weight of it pressing on her chest, pushing the air from her lungs, leaving her unable to breathe. She had begged, silently, for it to go away, for them to stay. But no one listened. How could they? This was war. She knew she was being irrational.

Her father had kissed her forehead before stepping onto the train, his expression unreadable, but there was a flicker in his eyes that she couldn't quite place, something he had never shown her before. Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was regret. Maybe it was the same thing she felt: the knowledge that they were all walking into a storm that none of them could survive unscathed.

Andrew, her older brother, had pulled her close, his strong arms wrapping around her like a shield, but his grip faltered when he whispered in her ear. "Look after yourself, Sabrina. Don't be afraid."

But Sabrina couldn't promise him that. She was terrified. Terrified that she would be alone, that something would happen to him, or to her father, and she would never see them again. She tried to smile, tried to look brave, but it was impossible. She had never felt smaller than she did in that moment.

They were leaving. And she wasn't ready. None of them were.

The Shelby boys arrived on the platform, their presence unmistakable. Arthur, Tommy, and John walked toward them, each lost in their own thoughts, each burdened by the weight of what lay ahead. Sabrina tried not to look at John, but she couldn't help herself. His broad shoulders, his sharp features, and his unspoken promise of danger all made her heart race.

She had been in love with John Shelby for as long as she could remember. She never could have told them. First there was Martha, then there was war.

She watched as John walked past her, his expression hard, eyes focused ahead, not sparing her a glance. His lips barely curled into a smile, but it was empty, distant. It wasn't a smile for her. It was a smile for the world he was leaving behind. The war would take everything from him, and she had no place in it.