1.

Vukovar is passing in front of his sight.

Vukovar. Nothing else. Vukovar, into his tired eyes; into his memories, Vukovar.

----

"I need to go"

She looks at him, confused.

"I need to. Can you understand?"

No, she can't. What changed in his soul? What changed a situation which has been perfect till that moment?

"But…"

A finger on her lips, the exhausted sight of a man alone in front of his destiny. "Please, don't do it. I need to go"

----

Little bumps in the street. His stomach going up and down. It's not because of the road, not only. It's Vukovar, and everything it means.

His town, their town, the fixed souvenir of the past, the fixed souvenir of the time when they belonged to him, the fixed souvenir of her. Her and forever. Forever, forever it was a promise. He closes his eyes, he doesn't want to see, but he sees.

----

"I love you"

Smile, eyes down, embarrassment.

"Will you follow me?"

"Till the end of the earth"

----

And Vukovar was the end of the earth. And her, and them and all the rest. Till the end of the earth, forever. She kept her promise.

Another bump in the road, painful memory of all the things happened later. Ramshackle houses, ruined roofs, a dog, sat under a tree, follows tiredly the passing bus. Their eyes meet for a second, and man and dog, for a second only, are on the same wave length. The dog understands him, its eyes know all about it.

----

"When will you come back?"

He looks down, searching for an answer in the white and anonymous tiles. But he knows, he can't give her an answer, the answer doesn't exist.

"You'll come back, won't you?"

He raises his eyes. He holds her. How he's able to love her so deeply considering the whole situation it's still a mystery.

"Luka…", his name on her lips tastes as tears and pain. He shivers.

"I love you"

He kisses her, fixing in his mind her lips, her scent, her skin, her. And her eyes, her eyes too, he wants to bring them with him. And he knows, their hurtful and accusing sight will follow him in Vukovar, the end of the earth, but it's all right. Promises, promises, another one broken.

He bends slightly, picks up his luggage, strokes her cheek, turns around and forces himself to step away.

----

The sunset. Orange sun, its dying light is hitting directly his green eyes. Deep sigh. And Vukovar, still there. A living town, which is persecuting him. Vukovar. Gone time, decisions taken.

----

"Vukovar? But it's so far away from here"

"You always say your mom is driving you crazy…", smile. Crossing sights, understanding. Till the end of the earth, it was the promise.

He takes her hand feeling her fingers interlacing with his own. Her blue eyes are shining, so luminous and living.

"When will we leave?"

----

And now, now it's no more a leaving moment, but an arrival moment. Vukovar seems smiling at him, sly. Vukovar is waiting for him.

Luka feels sick. He doesn't know if it's ready. It will be a war, the last one, and there'll be one winner only.

The doors of the bus are closing behind his back. The sunset is over. By now, he's facing the night.

A war, it has been always that way. A war, and Vukovar.