When they left camp Mackall, the 506th headed to Tennessee, to complete manoeuvres both there and in Kentucky. It went on for two months and it replicated what life would be like in combat. The men were in desperate need of showers once the exercise was completed. It was during those manoeuvres where the 506th attached itself to the 101st Airborne Division. No longer were they an independent Regiment, they were now a part of something massive. They were nicknamed the "screaming eagles" and were given a new patch to wear on their uniforms.
A few men ended up getting promoted, one of them being Jim Campbell, who was now a Corporal and Toye's assistant squad leader. James D Campbell was a young man from Lawrence County, Illinois. He was raised by his Uncle Daniel and Aunt Lydia after his father was killed when Campbell was only seven and his mother got remarried. William Ball was his stepfather's name and Campbell never went into great detail about him. Dallin figured the pair didn't get along. Or perhaps William mistreated Campbell. He had two older cousins who he considered siblings, Lee and Louis, who had long moved out of the family home to start their own lives. Campbell was a quiet and kind man. He was tall and the men nicked named him "the gentle giant".
They ended up back at Fort Bragg once they completed the manoeuvres. After taking a hot shower, they filled their bellies up with warm food and slept on a bed for the first time in two months. As a reward for completing the exercise, the men were allowed a furlough home for one week. Carl and Dallin were heading back to Chicago. And she was excited to see the city again. They planned to spend their week with Fred in his studio apartment. He lived above his store, where he made and sold dresses.
Just like she had promised, Dallin took the young couple's picture. While Carl wore his dress uniform, Fred decided to dress up too. He wore one of his own creations, a long silver gown with white silky gloves. He placed a fluffy scarf around the back of Carls's neck and pulled his boyfriend in until their lips crashed together. Dallin smiled and took the photo.
She took a lot of photos. Fred wanted to build an album, whereas Carl was happy with taking a couple of photos with him to combat. While snapping the photos for them, Dallin could see how much the couple loved each other. She hadn't seen two people so in love, since her parents. Carl and Fred were beautiful together.
Fred had purchased a bottle of champagne, which they drank during the photo shoot. Dallin had mixed feelings about champagne, but she did like it better than wine. When they finished the bottle, Fred brought out the gin. He told them;
"came from England. Been meaning to drink this".
Carl smiled;
"well…here's to not passing out tonight".
By eleven, Carl passed out upstairs on the bed. Fred took this opportunity to test out a new hobby he had been working on. And he decided to use Dallin as his guinea pig. Down in his store, he sat Dallin on a chair and brought over a lot of different makeup products. Pinning her hair out of her face, Fred began to apply Max Factors Pan-Cake all over her face, ears and neck. It felt strange on her skin, Dallin wasn't used to it. He applied the product with a damp sponge and pressed it into her skin until Dallin ended up with a healthy glow. Fred soon moved onto her eyebrows and let out a long sigh;
"darling…your eyebrows are as thick as a man's beard".
She huffed;
"blame my Abba and his Israelian family".
Smiling small, Fred picked up a pair of tweezers and warned her;
"this might hurt…but beauty is pain, darling".
When Fred plucked away one hair, Dallin flinched and hissed;
"fuck…why do you hurt me?"
He chuckled;
"don't be a baby, princess. You'll love the results. Trust me".
Fred plucked away her connected eyebrows and thinned them out, only a little. Bringing out a thin and pointed brush, he used a dark shade of brown to colour her eyebrows in. He had a smile on his face while telling her;
"when makeup is done…I'm 'gonna put you in something nice and I'll take your photo".
"Okay". Dallin agreed, "if you…want to".
Fred chuckled;
"trust me. You'll look like a movie star".
She snorted;
"okay…".
"Close your eyes".
Eyes closed; Dallin allowed him to do whatever to her face. She could feel pressure but no more pain. She was anxious to see the results, but Fred wouldn't let her peak, not until he had completed the entire look. He took his time doing her makeup, Fred even brushed and styled her hair a little after. Dallin felt truly pampered. When her face and hair was complete, Fred helped Dallin into a long navy-blue dress. It sparkled a little under the light. And the dress was long, covering her feet. But it was thin and hugged her figure.
When Dallin looked at her reflection, she first noticed her eyelashes, which were ten times longer. And then of course, her eyebrows. They were still thick, but Fred managed to tidy them up. She had matt coloured red lips and rosy cheeks. Fred was good at makeup.
Sighing happily at his new creation, Fred grabbed his camera;
"okay, Scarlett…stand under the light".
Not sure how to pose, Dallin stared into the camera, with an almost bored expression. But Fred liked the look and didn't mention for her to smile or look happy. After a few shots, Fred told her to pick up her glass of gin and pose with the same look. He spent a good ten minutes taking her picture until Dallin asked;
"we stop now…yes?"
Fred nodded, with a soft smile;
"yeah…they're going to look fabulous. I'll send you a couple when they're ready".
Dallin washed the make-up off her face and changed into her nightclothes. Fred was sitting on the edge of his bed, stroking Carl's hair, who continued to sleep soundly. Dallin stood a few feet in front of them, a small smile playing on her lips. Fred eventually looked at her, eyes wet with tears. The smile fell from Dallin's face and she frowned. Sniffing, Fred wiped a few tears away with his hand before whispering;
"bring him home to me, Dallin".
Dallin's frown deepened.
Fred's bottom lip trembled;
"he's all I have in this shitty world. We need each other to breathe, Dallin. Please, bring him home to me. Keep him safe. I can't live if he's not in this world with me".
She could feel something tear into her heart, like a dagger. Dallin felt a lump form in her throat, which she had to swallow back in order to reply;
"yes…Fred". She whispered, sounding on the verge of tears. "I'll bring him home".
With the mixture of gin and fear, Fred wasn't doing well. He was crying and Carl ended up waking up from his boyfriend's tears. While the couple embraced each other, Dallin lay down on the couch, blanket over her. She could hear Carl whispering soothing words into Fred's ear, trying to calm him down. But Dallin didn't think Fred would ever calm down, not until the war ended and Carl was brought back to him.
It was getting light outside; Carl was still comforting Fred.
And Dallin decided to leave.
Getting up, she looked over at her cousin and told him;
"I will…leave".
He frowned at her;
"leave? Why?"
Dallin's eyes showed nothing but empathy and understanding;
"you both…need to be alone together, Carl. We had fun first night. I will go and see other friend now, yes? And see you back at camp".
Carl wasn't very keen at the thought of Dallin travelling alone;
"what if something happens?"
"What will happen? I will get on train and get off train when I reach Virginia".
He looked confused;
"who're you 'gonna see?"
Dallin felt her cheeks warm when answering;
"Shifty".
After a moment, Carl snorted softly;
"okay…so, Shifty, huh? That's a long way away, Dallin".
"Yes but…it is fine. I will not have to switch trains".
Sighing softly, Carl kissed the top of Fred's head before replying;
"call the store when you arrive. Deal?"
"Yes. Deal".
Before she began to pack up her things, Dallin walked over to the bed.
Hand going on Fred's shoulder, she whispered;
"forever, you will have his heart. And he will have your heart. Nothing is more powerful than love, even if you are…miles apart".
Sniffing, Fred gave her hand a squeeze;
"thank you, Dallin".
She packed up her things and was about to leave when Fred handed her some items to take with her. The navy-blue dress, a stick of lipstick and mascara. Dallin wasn't sure when she'd ever use those items, but she thanked the man anyway and placed her gifts into her duffel bag.
Leaving the store, the sun was almost fully up.
Standing on the side of the road, she managed to stop a cab and hopped inside. Telling the cabby where she was going, Dallin finally felt a spark of excitement. She was going to Clinchco and she was going to see Shifty.
When they arrived at the train station, Dallin paid the cabby and left the car. Slinging her duffel bag over her shoulder, she headed into one of the telephone boxes. Dallin wasn't keen on the idea of surprising Shifty, she'd ask permission first. Reaching into her pocket, she brought out some coins and fed the money into the box. Picking up the telephone, Dallin dialled in the numbers written down on a piece of paper. Shifty gave her his home number before he left for their furlough, in case she ever wanted to call. Dallin didn't put much thought into it, other than it was sweet. But she was very thankful Shifty had given her his home phone number now.
It took a few minutes to reach his line.
And after a few rings, someone picked up.
It was Mr Powers.
He greeted the caller by informing them of which address they had called.
Nodding, Dallin told him;
"yes, Mr Powers…it's Dallin Gorski".
"Why hello, Dallin". He brightly greeted, "why…I was just leaving for work when I heard this old thing ringing…you're up early like the birds, Dallin".
Feeling herself smile, Dallin said;
"yes, Mr Powers…it is very early. Early enough to catch worm".
The older man chuckled before asking;
"you 'wanna speak to my boy, Dallin?"
"Yes please, Mr Powers".
"Well, I 'oughtta get him". He said, "hold on, Dallin…I won't be long".
Sure enough, Shifty was soon on the other line;
"morning, Dallin…you sure are up bright and early, huh?"
Dallin's smile softened at the sound of his voice;
"good morning, Shifty".
She could hear the smile in his voice when he told her;
"I sure am glad you called, Dallin…but are you alright?"
"Yes…I am great". She assured him, "I need favour".
"Anything at all".
"Might I…come to Clinchco?"
Very happily, he replied;
"I'll pick you up at the train station".
…
It felt great to be back in Clinchco again. Meeting her at the station was Shifty, who stood with Bill Kiehn. Dallin forgot that Shifty had invited Kiehn back with him. But he didn't seem to mind Dallin tagging along. It was getting late when Dallin arrived, close to supper time. The sun was in the process of setting and it cast an orange glow on top of the mountains.
When Shifty and Dallin locked eyes, she was no longer walking.
She was running.
Shifty chuckled;
"you run like the wind, Dallin!"
Halfway down the platform, her duffel bag slid off her shoulder. But Dallin didn't stop running. When she eventually reached Shifty, she came to a dramatic stop. Shifty's hands went on her shoulders as if helping her stop. Smiling, his hands moved up further, until his thumbs were by her jaw.
"You dropped your bag". He told her quietly.
Dallin shook her head;
"so?"
Shifty chuckled;
"glad to be here?"
"Yes…very".
Kiehn had jogged down the platform to collect her bag. Jogging back towards them, he grinned and told her;
"might 'wanna glue that to your shoulder, Dallin".
Taking a step back from Shifty she took her bag;
"thank you, Bill".
It felt like Dallin was welcomed home when she walked into the Powers's family home. Mrs Powers had prepared squirrel for supper, which Shifty joked about with Dallin, seeing as his birthday gift was a small wooden squirrel. She also got to see his little sister Gaynell again and Frankie, the baby of the family. Frankie was ten years younger than Dallin. He was nine going on ten. Gaynell was only thirteen. The two of them were both sweet children. Shifty's other younger brother, Jimmy, was out working. Jimmy was sixteen, ages with Walter. Dallin expected Jimmy to enlist at eighteen as Walter had planned.
"Juniors enlisting". Mr Powers informed the table, "heard from him this morning".
Shifty frowned and looked towards his dad;
"you didn't tell me, dad".
"It ain't something to share over breakfast, son".
Mrs Powers sighed;
"two of my babies are 'gonna be out there". She sounded tearful, "I'm 'gonna hold onto Jimmy".
Mr Powers took his wife's hand;
"now, Audrey…I know how the army can shape a boy into a man".
"Look what that war did to you, Barnum". She whispered, "it ain't no good for no man. And you can't tell me otherwise".
"Jimmy's just a boy". Mr Powers said, "but Barney is a man, Audrey. And he's 'gonna fight for his country and men. Now, he wants to join the Marines. And we 'oughtta be proud".
Dallin hoped the war would spare the Powers's family.
The news over supper occupied her mind and Shifty's. She thought back to her brother and remembered the day he refused to leave Poland with Dallin. She wasn't sure what Kacper did, but she guessed he joined the resistance army.
Before they all headed to bed after supper, Dallin stayed behind in the kitchen and helped Mrs Powers wash up. She dried the plates and cutlery, while Mrs Powers washed. For a few minutes, they worked in silence. Until Dallin told her;
"when I leave my family…my Ima cried a river".
Mrs Powers frowned sadly;
"oh, honey…I can only imagine how hard it would have been".
Nodding slowly, Dallin whispered;
"yes…but it hurt them most when my brother stayed in Poland to fight".
The older woman looked at the younger girl.
Her frown deepened.
Licking her bottom lip, Dallin carefully put a dry plate down.
Clearing her throat, she told Mrs Powers;
"Kacper…I don't like to talk about him but…perhaps you would like to hear, yes?"
"Only if you 'wanna say, Dallin". Mrs Powers said softly.
"Understand I was…fifteen, Mrs Powers". She said, "and very scared…when Kacper tells me he is staying I get very mad".
"Oh, honey…I understand". Mrs Powers assured her, "you was just a baby".
Nodding, Dallin mumbled;
"the last thing I tell my brother is this…fine, I do not want you around".
Mrs Powers hand went up to her mouth;
"oh, dear". She whispered.
Picking up another wet plate, Dallin said quietly;
"and I will never see him again…he died. But I wish to…I wish I could see him always. He was…gentle man. Five years older than me. When I leave, Kacper was twenty. Mrs Powers, what I tell you is this…because my last words to Kacper were not nice, yours will be nicer to Shifty and Barney. You are…lovely people. And I feel very welcomed into your home, Mrs Powers".
Letting out a tearful breath, Mrs Powers pulled Dallin into a warm hug.
Dallin was surprised by the hug and she stilled, with her chin resting against the older woman's shoulder. Mrs Powers gave Dallin a squeeze and rubbed her back. With a sniff, she told Dallin;
"your brother forgives you, Dallin. I know he does".
Dallin closed her eyes when she felt them sting. She felt a lump form in her throat and tried to push it back. Mrs Powers was comforting Dallin, despite the girl not showing much emotion. And when the hug ended, Mrs Powers gave her a tearful smile before telling her;
"head on up now, Dallin. My boy wants to take you two out tomorrow morning".
Rubbing her lips together, Dallin nodded;
"goodnight, Mrs Powers".
"Sweet dreams, honey". The older woman told her softly, "I'll see you in the morning".
Her heart felt light but full at the same time. Dallin smiled at Mrs Powers. She'd forever be thankful for Mr and Mrs Powers accepting Dallin into their home. They could have turned Dallin away, but they didn't because they were truly generous and wonderful people. They were loving parents, who both raised amazing children.
After getting ready for bed, Dallin walked into Shifty's room and found the two men lying on the floor. Once again, Dallin was given the bed to sleep on. Stepping over the men, she got into bed and lay down. Pulling the blanket up to the chin, she rolled onto her side and looked down. In the darkness, she could see Shifty's eyes staring back at her. He smiled and she smiled back.
"You okay?" Shifty whispered to her.
Dallin nodded.
"Goodnight, Shifty".
"Sweet dreams, Dallin".
…
"We know why you are here…little rat…but you fail to answer simple question".
Breathing heavily, Filipina's fingernails dug into the stone flooring. She could feel the warm blood trickle out of long and thin wounds, the blood rolled down her back, sending shivers through her body.
"Give me the name of your other comrades". The Gestapo ordered.
But his voice wasn't urgent or angry, it was smooth, like butter.
Her body started to tremble.
Filipina let out a tearful breath and cried quietly;
"there are…none…".
The officer sighed and nodded to his partner.
There was a crack before the whip slammed against her bareback.
Filipina screamed out in agony.
Her voice echoed throughout the room, bouncing off the walls and reaching their ears.
The Gestapo rubbed his ear and hissed;
"so…very loud…little rat". He said, "but you do not answer my question".
They hit her with the whip again.
Filipina screamed;
"there are no more!"
The Gestapo's hand slammed against the large welts on her back.
She screamed out again.
"Liar…". He muttered, "there are more, there has to be".
When he removed his hand from her back, Filipina let out a shaky breath. A few words were muttered in German and soon enough, she felt a burning pain. They were pouring hot wax from a candle over her wounds. She hissed and moaned and tried to get away. But to stop her from moving around, the officer pressed his boot against her hand. One of the other officers crouched in front of Filipina, still holding onto the candle.
"You will talk…little rat". The Gestapo purred, "if not now…then later. I plan on keeping you alive for a long time. Because you tried to kill one of our men, little rat. And that was a very naughty thing to do…".
The flame from the candle moved towards her fingers.
Filipina was soon screaming out in pure agony.
"PRZESTAWAC!" She screamed, "PRZESTAWAC!"
The Gestapo laughed;
"please…I do not speak your filthy language!"
"THERE ARE NONE!" She screamed, "THERE ARE NONE!"
...
Sitting up, Dallin screamed;
"PRZESTAWAC! THERE ARE NONE!"
It was two in the morning and the house was still and quiet. The entire town was fast asleep. But Dallin's loud and agonising screams woke up the whole house and perhaps a few neighbours. The people of Clinchco were rattled by the noise, having not heard anything like it before. For Shifty and Kiehn, they had never heard Dallin wake up screaming before. Neither of them shared a barrack with Dallin. But while Kiehn reached for a rifle that wasn't there, Shifty jumped up from the floor and stared at Dallin.
She was still sitting up, eyes wide open in terror.
"THERE ARE NONE!" Dallin screamed again.
Shifty got onto his bed and sat down next to her.
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling Dallin into his side. His hand fell on her head, lips against the top of her hair, while he whispered;
"come on now…it's okay, baby".
All too soon, his bedroom door flew open.
Mr Powers was standing there, armed with his rifle.
Looking at him for a moment, Shifty told his dad quietly;
"it's okay, dad…I got her".
Mr Powers lowered his weapon. He looked a little pale. And perhaps frightened. Casting his son and Dallin a worried look, he soon nodded and quietly left the room. With his dad gone, Shifty put his attention back into Dallin, who had now stopped screaming. But her breathing was quick and uneven, she was close to panting. And Shifty could hear her whimper too, sounding like a hurt puppy. It broke his heart to hear her in so much distress and pain.
"What hurts, Dallin? Tell me what hurts". Shifty murmured softly.
Through her quick breathing, she replied;
"fingers…they are on fire".
And after, she let out a moan, which sounded close to a sob.
"Sh…don't you worry 'bout a thing, huh? Old Bill's 'gonna grab something cold to help with that burning you got going on…and after, we're 'gonna grab a smoke".
Taking the obvious hint, Kiehn rushed out of the bedroom and headed for the bathroom.
"I'll tell you, Dallin…". Shifty mumbled softly, "my dad…well, he sure likes his vodka and Wild Turkey. I bet he's got some vodka 'round here someplace. I heard you're a fan of the stuff. You know where my dad got it from, Dallin?"
Taking in a shuddering breath, she shook her head.
Shifty smiled small into her hair;
"well, he gets it from a fella who knows a fella who's from Poland. How 'bout that, huh? We're a lot closer than you think".
Kiehn walked back into the bedroom with a cloth drenched in cold water. He sat on the bed and pressed the cloth against Dallin's fingers. She let out a tiny sigh. Shifty could hear her breathing start to even out a little. Pressing a ghost of a kiss on the top of her head, he whispered;
"that's it, baby, huh? You got it all under control, don't you?"
Clearing his throat, Kiehn grabbed Shifty's attention and nodded down towards his bed. Staring at his ruined sheets for a few seconds, Shifty gave Kiehn a small and assuring smile. When he began to rub Dallin's arm, she relaxed into his side. She was calming down; the terror and phantom pains had left. Now, the cloth against her fingers just felt cold and nothing else.
With a tiny shiver, Dallin pulled her fingers away from the cloth.
Turning her head to the side, her face pressed up against Shifty's bare chest.
Closing her eyes, she whispered;
"I'm sorry…".
Shifty shook his head;
"don't you say that, Dallin". He whispered back to her, "you ain't done nothing wrong of the sort. Why, you just had a nightmare is all. But it ain't 'gonna hurt you now, is it? Cause you're here with me and…and I sure as hell ain't 'gonna let nothing hurt you".
Dallin felt a tear roll down her cheek.
Kiehn gave Dallin's shoulder a squeeze;
"hey, Shift? How about you lend Dallin one of your shirts for tonight".
"That's a good idea, Bill". Shifty replied lightly, "why don't you go and grab one from the drawer, Bill. They should be long enough for Dallin here".
It didn't take long to put everything right again. And once fresh sheets were placed on the bed and Dallin was calmer, they settled back down to sleep again. Shifty stayed up, waiting until he was sure Dallin was sleeping. And once she had drifted off, he quietly left his room and walked down the stairs. Mr Powers was sitting in the living room, sipping on a small glass of Wild Turkey. Shifty took a seat on the couch, his dad offered him a drink, which he accepted.
"I used to hear screams of the sort". Mr Powers said quietly, "during the war".
Frowning, Shifty took his glass of whiskey his dad had poured for him.
Sighing, Mr Powers said;
"son, I can see those signs in her eyes. I can feel it when we're talking to her. She's been through it already, ain't she?"
Shifty nodded;
"she has, dad". He admitted to him quietly, "she was…she had a hard time before coming over here to America".
Shifty didn't want to tell Dallin's story to his dad.
And thankfully, Mr Powers never pressed his son for answers.
Instead, he smiled at him;
"she sure does think a lot of you, don't she?"
Lips twitching, Shifty said;
"she's my…she's real special to me, dad".
"I see that, son". Mr Powers murmured, "your mama sure likes her a lot. She was thrilled to see her back with us".
Looking at him, Shifty asked;
"you like her, dad?"
Mr Powers smiled small;
"I think…she's a real nice girl. And she sure knows how to make you laugh, don't she?"
Smiling down at his glass of whiskey, Shifty said;
"Dallin thinks you and mama are both wonderful".
"That sure is nice of her to say, son. But we're just ordinary folks. From a small town".
Shaking his head, Shifty whispered;
"we may be from a small town, dad but…Dallin tells me, we got a heart bigger than the world".