2.
~ The train dropped its cargo of displaced souls in at a nameless village an hour later.
"What's going on?" An older man shouted as the train conductor told everyone they had to get off.
"The Germans have blown up the tracks." The conductor said. "The bombing has gotten worse."
Ariadne stayed close to the students. One of the boys girlfriend looking especially scared.
"I just want to get back home to mother." She told her as Ariadne held her hand. The girls natural instincts telling them to stay close to each other.
~ They were all hungry and thirsty as they walked to the next village, and then the next. No where was there a place to rest or buy food.
"We should have stayed in Paris." The girlfriend said worriedly. "Were going to die out here."
Ariadne had to agree. The threat of the invasion seemed livable next to her swollen and painful feet. When they had stopped for the night, she took off her shoes. She gasped at the sight of the bright red blood on her socks. Her feet were bleeding.
~ During the night, on of the students roused them awake. They had once again camped under the clear night sky on the quilt Ariadne carried.
"We have to go. The Germans!" He hissed. The young people hurriedly packed their things and fled from the village they camped near. Ariadne saw bright head lights flooding the dark village streets as the invaders drove brazenly in. Announcing that each man, woman and child present themselves.
~ Their group vanished into the woods. Hurriedly and quietly stealing away until dawn.
~ The students and Ariadne found others on the road they walked. They heard more news of the German advancement as Ariadne felt ready to faint from hunger and the heat.
"I can't walk anymore." Ariadne whispered to the girlfriend.
"That man says they were all taking a bath by this river not far away." The girlfriend said. Her eyes looking worn and sunken. "He saw bodies floating by. They had all been shot. Not just soldiers, but children to."
They kept walking.
~ After days like this, they reached Dunkirk. It was a strange carnival like place as the group was met by soldiers, both British and French.
"We can get out now." One of the students said hopefully.
Ariadne had taken off her shoes again and looked sadly at the blood. There were sores all over her feet and they were swollen from all the walking.
The beach was like some sort of purgatory. A midway point between the hell they were trying to escape from and heaven that meant their survival. Everywhere, there were cars and trucks and people. All of them screaming and trying to barter passage off the beach.
"Their not letting civilians on." On of the students said. His girlfriend started to cry and leaned on Ariadne as the girls sat on the beach and watched the strange sights of boats and fires. Things that looks like they belonged in Dante's 'Inferno' and had no place in the real world.
"Maybe we died walking." Ariadne said as this place couldn't be real.
"We have to get on one of those boats." One of the students said as other people listened to them for news.
"We'll pay them money. There has to be a way." An older man said.
"Who has money? What good is money in war time?" Another woman told them.
Ariadne looked worriedly at all the other people desperate to leave this beach. Her bag containing nothing but a small framed picture of her family before they died. Her grandmother's silver compact, her mother's locket, her identity papers and other small essentials. She had no money, nothing of any value.
~ For hours the students argued with whoever they could find to get them off the beach and into England.
Ariadne kept her shoes off as the sun beat down on them. Their escape was so close. Surely they would not be left behind.
"I see you have a little problem." Came a voice in English that broke Ariadne's thoughts. She looked up and squinted in the sunlight.
A man was standing over her. He was still young, but was older then she was. His face was handsome and she realized she was looking at him in wonder as he shouldered his rifle and knelt down next to her.
"Sorry?" She asked him in English. She could tell by his accent and dress that he was a British solider.
"Your feet. How long have you in your friends been walking?" He asked as he pulled out his first aide pack. Unrolling iodine from it.
"Too long." She whispered as he gently patted her bleeding sores with the iodine. Making her wince from the sting.
"Can't let this get infected, Darling." He said.
"Were waiting for a boat to take us out of here." Ariadne told him as the girlfriend was clinging weakly to her.
She realized that she must look as bad, if not worse, then the rest of the people in her company. It had been days since she had a bath and she was sure her hair, her face and body all looked and smelled awful. She didn't want to look awful in front of this British solider.
"They won't be letting civilians on the boats. Not yet anyway." He told her gently. "It's more important that we get the troops out. The Germans won't capture you lot." He answered her unasked question.
"It is more important the troops get out." She agreed sadly.
"My name is Eames." He told her as he finished wrapping her feet. "I can ask around. See what I can do. I want you to stay here." He told her.
Ariadne nodded.
"I don't have any money." She whispered. Eames shook his head. "Don't worry about that."
~ Ariadne stayed on the beach just like Eames said to. The other students and people they were traveling with splintered off from them as they begged for passage out of France.
Finally, as night fell, Eames came back.
"I set something up. I told them you were British citizens and nurses. But you have to leave now." He sad helping Ariadne to stand.
"Richard!" The girlfriend said looking around for the young man they had traveled with. Her boyfriend had wandered off and she refused to leave without him.
"Come on." Eames said as Ariadne almost fell back into the sand. Her feet hurting too much.
"My feet!" She cried. Ashamed of herself that she couldn't even stand anymore.
She felt Eames pick her up and carry her away from the beach. The girlfriend crying for her to stay as they left her there.
~ Eames took her to a long line of troops waiting to wade out into the ocean and board a small boat.
"Don't say anything." he whispered to her as they received curious looks. Her feet were bleeding through her bandages.
"What will happen when I get there?" She asked worriedly as red flares shot over the sky. Lighting up the darkening sea. Revealing more boats swarming the beach.
"Worry about it then." He whispered as the line moved and Eames was forced to walk with her into the ocean. The water came up to his hips as he reached the small boat. Her dress barely getting wet as he handed her over to a solider there.
"What's this civilian doing here, Lieutenant?" The solider barked at him.
"She's a nurse. See to it she gets to the hospital." Eames shouted rudely back at him as he handed Ariadne an envelope.
"Transit papers." He whispered to her. His eyes were calm and stead fast as she knew she must look frightened.
She nodded and held them close to her chest.
"Her passage has been cleared!" Eames shouted at the man commanding the little boat.
"Yes, Lieutenant!" The solider said as the waves lapped over her savior.
She watched as Eames waded back to shore.
"Wait!" She shouted back.
He turned around.
"What about you?" She called. She didn't want to be alone. Not again.
"I'll be fine!" He said as more troops climbed aboard the boat.
The man who saved her life vanishing from sight as the boat took her away from the shore. Away from France and into a new life.