The 66th Infantry Division is somewhere in Europe. They never give us exact locations, only that we are approaching the enemy.

I pull out the stack of envelopes from my bag, letters from Belle. I miss her, but I'm here to do a job. The night of the dance is still fresh in my mind. Before the night was over, I made my move and left her with a promise to wait for me.

Now, a month later, as the real battle is set to begin, I have hopes of returning home and marrying her as quickly as possible.

The transport we are traveling on is called the LĂ©opoldville. We dock for the night, ready to indulge in some hot food. My nervousness is made worse when James takes a seat beside me, his signature smile gone, replaced with a cold stare.

"Where do you think we're going?" I ask warily.

"I don't know, but wherever we end up, I'm ready. We've been training for this day for over a year now."

Suddenly a loud explosion rocks the transport and I feel my body fly across the room. There is smoke and debris everywhere. I sense a sharp pain in my stomach and realize I can't move. Everything is hazy. I go in and out of consciousness as I hear the men scrambling about. The room goes dark for a moment as the sirens blare. There is chaos, and I see body parts scattered beside me, but I can only lie here and wait for whatever may come.

I feel myself drifting off, but I will my eyes to say open. I look down and see a large piece of shrapnel protruding into my stomach, blood slowly trickling from the wound. I think of Belle and my mother, their faces as they are told that I am dead. It is this thought, more than anything else, that pushes me to try to move, but it's no use. I feel myself drifting further and further away.

"Don't worry, you're gonna be okay," says a muffled voice. It takes a moment to realize it's James's voice that is speaking to me.

I can't respond. I can do no more than lie here, paralyzed, as the world starts to fade.

The last image that fills my head is of Belle. She is sitting at the bar, her gorgeous face full of joy and laughter.

This is it—the end, I think.