𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐀 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍 | | 1917

12. ÉCOUST

" And suddenly I felt so tired. Like the world had drained me of everything I had. "

-

(Flashback nr 4)

IT HAD BEEN A COUPLE HOURS and the sun was beginning to set. A low rumbling noise came from behind them. It was loud, causing Jo to turn her head just so slightly to see what was going on.

Two planes, that was all she saw, before being pulled onto the hard, cold ground. Her lungs emptied and she let out a surprised grunt. Leurent was holding onto her arm, soon letting go when the planes had passed over them.

Her glare fell upon the gray aircraft. She felt her rushing heart slow down as she noticed the red, blue, and white flag on their back parts. They were french.

"Je suis désolé, mademoiselle," Leurent said as they all got up. I'm sorry, miss. Jo brushed him off and told him that it was okay, knowing that his actions came with good intentions.

"Ils sont à nous." They're ours, Louis said, staring up into the sky and the others nodded.

And like that, they continued walking.

"Je pense que les Allemands sont déjà arrivés à Écoust," said Leurent. I think that the Germans have already arrived in Écoust. Jo looked over at him with an unsure look.

It was a scary thought. She had never faced the enemy in that sort of way. Only watched them from afar when they attacked. That was enough though. She knew their intentions.

"Ne t'inquiète pas," Phillipe said with a smug look flashing across his face. Don't worry.
"Ces crétins seront trop ivres pour nous remarquer"
Those morons will be too drunk to notice us.

He grinned, looking at Josephine as she smiled gently back at him. Appreciating the reassuring words of his.

The young men loved jokes, though they had heard each one before. She had noticed that in the trenches, too. And Phillipe's manners were persuasive; few of them had seen the old stories so well delivered.

"Qu'allez-vous faire dans le sixième bataillon?" she then asked. What are you going to do in the sixth battalion?
She had never gotten a real explanation for anything that was going on. It was all very rushed.

Leurent shrugged.
"Rien d'important." Nothing important.

She furrowed her eyebrows.
"Cela devait être suffisamment important pour qu'ils m'envoient avec vous," she said. It must have been important enough for them to send me with you.

Louis nodded, yet no words came after that.

Jo looked across the lands. She could see small farms and villages in the horizon, but nothing to them. She knew that the next town, Écoust, was getting close. Her heartbeat raised at the thought.

A croft could be seen not too far away from them. It looked empty. That house standing there seemed to have been burning. The trees had been truncated and the cows laid dead, displayed on the grass. All shot down by the Germans.

"Merde," muttered Louis under his breath, seemingly struck by the horrific sight. Fuck.

As they walked past, they peeked through the windows, in case someone was still there. The boys held onto their rifles pointing them around, ready for the enemy while Jo stayed in the background, afraid to disturb anything.

Soon enough, the soldiers came back, nodding at her, and then soon continued their long walk.

You couldn't see the sun anymore and the silence that had fallen over the landscape was truly haunting.