Time

1950

"They were torn from home, stripped of their civilian clothes, most of their hair and all of their privacy and flung together regardless of background." - Extract, Road to Recovery.

Jimmy Wilson was a strong looking man, muscular with sandy blonde hair and the same cobalt eyes as his sister. A green canvas bag slung over his shoulder he pushed open the door to a little sweetshop, hidden on a corner, small and cosy. The bell dinged to warn the keeper they were entering and Allie bounded to the counter with a handful of coupons.

Her hair was lighter now, the colour of acorns, and curled at the ends. Her skin was pale and her lips a bright rouge.

An elderly woman greeted them, mid fifties, hair greying and fluffy. Smiling at Allie, she accepted one of the coupons, the girl at her heels like an obedient Labrador watching the woman as she took a jar off the shelf, scooped out a mound of fruit gums, placed them into a paper bag and weighed them. Sweets had been rationed far too long in Allie's mind, she could eat them all day, if only she were allowed. Before the war had started they were a luxury, eaten once a week on Fridays when Jimmy bought them home after work, but now their Mother was persistent to make the coupons last and so they only got them on special occasions. And today was just that.

'You be careful out there, lad.' the woman called to Jimmy as the siblings left the small shop, he waved a hand to show he had heard her before entering the street. A truck waited across the road for him, three men sitting on the back.

'Can I have one now?' Allie chimed, looking greedily at the bag which Jimmy had snatched before her.

Her brother smirked down at her, opening the bag he revealed a black fruit gum but just as she reached out to take it from him, he ate it. Allie shoved him hard in the chest and with a laugh he handed over the bag.

'Don't eat 'em all at once.' striding across the sunlit road, he swung his bag into the truck and jumped in next to his friends, shaking his head to see them tormenting a stranger. One of the boys, a fair haired boy, had grabbed onto the strangers braces and was stopping him from being able to run.

'-Get off - I'm warning you - Get your hands off of me!-'

'Or what you gonna do?' the blonde looked up as Jimmy placed a hand on his shoulder, quickly he let go of the braces and the boy fell onto the floor, face hitting the tarmac.

'Just a bit o' fun, Jim.' he shrugged, leaning over the side of the truck to look at Allie who had joined them. She had the brown paper bag before her, offering it to them and all four, including Jimmy, took one with a nod of thanks.

'We have to get going.' one of the others said, this man Allie didn't know. He had dark circles under his eyes and looked nervous, like he was going to be committing a great feat sometime soon, and that he was. They were heading for Korea. Jimmy nodded and lent over the side of the truck, stretching his arms out to pick up his sister, her feet left the floor and she squealed with shock, hitting him to put her back down.

'You write to me!' she ordered, her brother nodded running his finger through his hair as the engine started to rumble beneath him. 'And you be good - and come back to us! And don't forget me! And-' the truck was now trundling down the road, Jimmy moving so he could get a better view of his sister, but before he could get out a word, the truck had gone and any of her attempts to run after the vehicle had vanished. She stood in the middle of the road, stock still, for a few moments, staring down at the floor. The man that had been pushed over was kneeling on the floor, a hand pressed to his lip which seemed to be cut. At a closer look he seemed to have just started his twenties. His hair was jet black, sleeked back with brillcream, and his braces that had been used against him were hanging down his sides, shirt un tucked. Slowly, Allie made her way towards him, the bag of sweets held tightly in her hand, eyes on his back.

'What you say to those boys?' she offered a hand but Percy didn't accept it, he was staring down at her shoes.

'Those K Shoes?' he asked, following up to her legs and to her face which was smiling.

'They is.' she said proudly, waving her blue heels happily. 'Momma got 'em as a present for me, to make up for Jimmy going war. But nothing would make up for that, not less by some miracle o' Jesus he comes home before he gets hurt.' her blue eyes flickered down to Percy's own shoes and she nodded. 'They is nice, too.'

'Yes, they are.' standing somewhat stiffly, he set to tucking in his white shirt before he pulled his braces back onto his shoulders.

'So what you say?' she pressed on. 'It couldn't a been very nice - 'cos they good boys.'

'Nothing you gotta worry about, it aint your business.' he was now determinedly not looking at her, embarrassed that a girl should see him injured. Allie, however, laughed with a nod.

'Suit yourself,' she took a sweet from the packet and munched on it as she turned. 'Have a nice day.' moving off of the road, the redhead stepped onto the pavement, one foot before the other she neatly walked along the curb like a string of tightrope. It took a few seconds before Percy followed after her, picking up his pace because she had travelled quite far.

'I seen you before,' he told her, now walking besides her. 'I don't forget a face.'

Allie didn't say anything, Percy's jaw tightened. 'Your Momma was one of those people, thinks women should go off and help the war. We don't need women, they cook, men fight.'

'You're not fighting - I thought you was a man?' her lip pulled into a smirk, his blue eyes watching her mouth with interest. She still wasn't looking at him.

'I Work at the Post Office.' he said conceitedly, and for the first time she had seen him he smiled.

'My Mother wanted women to help in the war 'cos that's worthwhile-'

Percy looked as though he'd just been punched in the face. 'My job is worthwhile! How you think letters go and get places?'

'But letters don't save lives, do they?'

'I go and do more than you!' he retorted angrily, surprised when she suddenly came to a stop and stared at him. He stood a few inches higher than her and so she stood onto the pavement, levelling the height a little more.

'Yes.' she said frankly. 'But you're older than me. When I'm your age I'll have a good job, and then you'll see.' she paused for a moment, continuing to stare at him and he at her; he looked slightly worried to what her next actions would be. 'And anyways, you go and do the opposite.'

'Huh?' Percy frowned. 'I do the opposite of what?'

'You kill things.' she shrugged shortly, as though it were obvious.

'I do not. I aint gone and killed nothing.' his mouth was slightly open, staring at the girl in confusion.

'You killed that snail.' Allie recalled smartly, Percy closed his mouth.

'That weren't human, though.'

'But it were living. It breathed.'

'I was a kid.' he protested, watching as she took another sweet from her bag and ate it before him, thinking over what he was saying.

'You aint changed.'

'And how do you know?' he demanded. 'You only gone and seen me twice-'

'You were mean to those boys just like you were that snail.'

'I weren't mean to no boys, I was just telling the truth.' Percy told everyone the truth, what he thought of them and what they could go and do. This time was no exception, in Percy Wetmore's mind he hadn't done anything wrong. 'They idiots, fighting for those foreign people.'

'My brothers going to fight for them.' Allie said, slightly affronted.

'Your brothers an idiot.' Percy moved back as Allie took a step closer to him, getting close to his face.

She waited a moment, staring at him, scaring him, before speaking. 'Shut up.'

With that, she stepped back onto the curb and started to walk down the street at a slightly slower pace, as though contemplating that Percy's words could be true. But no, Jimmy wasn't an idiot, she was proud of him, and so was Momma.

'Go to dinner with me!' he called after her, licking his lip and unhappily tasting blood. She didn't stop. He waited.

'No.' Allie muttered bluntly, stood still now at the corner of the crossroads which led to the church, a block of houses and a country lane.

Percy's mouth dropped open again, stunned. 'No?' his voice was oddly quiet, he swallowed. People didn't say no to Percy. Ever. 'What d'ya mean, no?'

Turning a fraction, Allie looked at him, eyes hard, angry. 'Are you stupid-'

'But why not?' he insisted, taking a step closer towards her although the distance was too great for him to fill it so easily. Allie shrugged, red hair rippling on her shoulders as she set to walking again, disappearing around the corner.

'You can't walk away!' Percy yelled, taking a second step, a third closer.

'Yes, I can.'