As the worst shot in the entire regiment, I was not happy about leaving the horses behind and engaging the Germans from behind the treeline by shooting at them. Yet being a woman, and being only a private anyway, nobody cared how I felt on the subject anyway. Charlie gave me a sympathetic smile before we marched off, but it didn't make me feel any better.
Right now we're sitting behind a mound at the edge of the forest, looking at the German encampment. It seems like everyone is asleep, which means we at least have the element of surprise on our side. Jamie sits at one end of our line, Charlie sits on the other. They lock eyes and nod before whispering the command to take aim. I pull my gun out and rest it on the top of the mound, hoping that will help me keep my aim steady.
I've never been a good shot, not even in video games. When my friend and I played Halo together she'd have me scout ahead and find where we were supposed to go, and when we found the aliens my job was to stay out of the way. Outside of video games, I'd never held an actual gun in my hand, but at the fair every summer whenever I played the shooting game I failed miserably.
I aim my gun at one of the German tents, hopefully I'll hit whoever is sleeping in there, but I likely won't. Suddenly the command to fire is given, and everyone around me starts shooting. I pull the trigger, however there are so many shots flying I can't tell where on earth my bullet went. Shrugging, I shoot until I am out of ammo, before reloading.
The Germans are not surrendering, and now they've taken cover and are shooting back. I duck down behind the mound, but keep my gun pointed over it and pull the trigger. It's an incredibly akward position to be in, but I'm not going to lose my head trying to actually aim! As the day progresses the shots begin to die down, and eventually the Germans surrender. I breath a sigh of relief, I made it out without a scratch! However looking around, I can see two soldiers who weren't as lucky.
Standing, I stretch cautiously before picking up my gun and following my comrades back to camp. Some of them are cheerful about the victory, others are swallowing back tears over the loss of their friend. I think I'm feeling somewhere in the middle, I'm mostly just thinking about falling asleep right now. As we near camp, Charlie runs up behind me "You alright?" he asks. I smile at him and nod, chuckling "Of course I am" I reply.
He looks me over before nodding "You aren't planning to go right to sleep are you?" he asks and I can't help but laugh, he knows me too well already! "Actually I was. Why?" I ask, he shrugs "There's going to be an announcement at dinner tonight, didn't want to you miss it" he replies. An announcement? What kind of announcement? I guess I'm not going to sleep right away after all! I want to know what this announcement is!
We all gather around the dining room as Jamie stands on a chair to make his announcement. He clears his throat, but the room was already quiet. Can't he just get this over with? I want to go to sleep! He puts one arm behind his back as he addresses us "Gentlemen, I have received orders that we are to stay here for the winter. The mud and ice would make our troops ineffective. We shall head out again when spring gets here" he tells us. There is a lot of grumbling and whispers through the crowd as he gets off the chair and dismisses us.
So that's it? We're going to just sit here in the woods all winter? I don't know much about France, but I sure hope the winter isn't as long as it was back where I'm from. Sighing, I trudge back to my tent and face plant into my pillow. After lying there for a moment I reach under the pillow and pull out Mr. Andrews' pocket watch, winding it and watching it tick for a while. It's times like this I wish I had my ipod touch, or even my cell phone. I know there wouldn't be any service in this time period but a game of pacman would definitely help pass the time!
Stuffing the pocket watch back under the pillow, I pull the blankets up to my chin and fall asleep. For some strange reason, I dream not of my fiance or of anything coherent, I dream of the animated movie 'The Fox and the Hound'. I don't understand why, but then I think further on it. That movie was my sister's favorite, maybe I miss my sister. During the winter months we used to watch countless movies together, we'd mostly talk and laugh through them rather than watch though. Those were the few times we were together really, otherwise we locked ourselves in our separate bedrooms and didn't say a peep to each other. Yes, I do think I miss her.
The next day is incredibly boring, so is the day after that, and the day after that. Days begin to just mush together in my mind, they're all exactly the same. Some things are slightly different, one day I might see Charlie and one day I might not. One day we might have to march a few miles and assist some troops on foot, one day we might not. Otherwise though, things are the same. I wake up, bury under the covers because it's frigid out, then eventually end up crawling out and going to see Sparks. I feed him and get him water before joining my comrades for breakfast.
After breakfast we all disperse and find things to keep ourselves entertained. In Jamie's case, he sits next to Topthorn and feeds him mash and talks to him. I think the poor Major is starting to break down slightly, but Topthorn does in fact need him. He's come down with a terrible cough, that shakes his entire frame. My pony used to get coughs like that, horrible wheezing coughs. He had heaves, but winter was his best time because there was no pollen in the air. I wonder what is causing Topthorn to cough so?
Charlie spends his day daydreaming, and I join him often. We find a place away from camp that isn't too muddy, and we lie on our backs and gaze at the sky. On clearer days we look at clouds and try to think of what they look like, on days where the entire sky is cloudy we just think of whatever we want. One time we mused on where we could find a unicorn, should they exist. Another time we imagined what would happen if someone shaved Jamie bald. How would he react?
Today the sky is cloudy, and Charlie and I almost want to groan in annoyance. It's been cloudy like this all week! We lie on our backs side by side and stare at the sky, waiting for conversation to strike us. It doesn't take too long before Charlie asks "What was it like on Titanic?". I almost sit up and stare at him in shock at the question, that caught me completely off guard?
"Well, it was very big, and very grand" I tell him, causing him to chuckle "Well I know that. That's what all the brochures said. But I mean, what was it like to be on there? Did you meet anyone famous?". I think back to Titanic, I haven't thought about it very much since our night of passion. Thinking about it now actually doesn't hurt too much, especially after James' death is still so raw. What happened on Titanic almost seems dulled compared to that.
Finally I talk "I met lots of famous people. I met the Astors, they were very nice. Madeleine was very quiet, and Mr. Astor was an absolute gentleman. Then I met Mr. and Mrs. Straus, they were also very pleasant. They definitely loved each other" I say, trying to think. Who else did I meet? I met a lot of crew that's for sure, but when it came to first class I couldn't really think of anyone else who stuck out in my mind.
Still, Charlie prods "You must have met more than that! You were traveling in first class!" he tells me and I roll my eyes "Yea but that doesn't mean I was hanging around first class all the time!" I reply. He glances over at me and I lock eyes with him, he smiles "Well what did you do on Titanic then?" he asks me. Once again my mind is whirling as I try to think, what did I do on Titanic? I did a lot of things but what?
"I spent a lot of time hanging around the wireless room. When I wasn't there, I was just with Mr. Andrews exploring the ship. And once I went swimming by myself, though I got in a bit of trouble for that. And uh, yeah, I think that sums up what I did" I tell him. He seems so taken by my story, and I don't understand why! The way I've told it it doesn't sound interesting at all!
He asks another question "A little shy are you?" he asks. I blush slightly at the question alone "Yes" I answer quickly "I mean, I just, I'm not really the socializing type. I have trouble with my words sometimes" I admit. Charlie chuckles "You don't seem to have too much trouble now" he tells me and I grin "I've had lots of practice!" I tell him "I'm also a terrible liar, but I had you fooled!".
Charlie shakes his head "No, I knew you were a girl all along! I was just pretending to be surprised!" he says defensively and I reach over and shove him playfully "Yea right. You're as good an actor as I am a liar. Shoddy at best!". He huffs indignantly and suddenly our conversation is broken as snow begins to fall. We both sit up at the same time and look at each other "We better get back" Charlie says and I nod in agreement.
When we reach camp nearly the entire regiment was gathered around a small fire. We sit down towards the back of the group curiously as one of the privates is finishing a story "And when he woke up in the morning she was still in his bed AHHHHH!" he yells dramatically. Charlie and I share a confused look before the private continues "And then she wanted to make him eggs AHHHHH!". Many of the other privates seem just as confused as we are, while others seem to be processing the tale, searching for a deeper meaning or something they're missing.
"And he said 'Oh I don't have time I have a meeting at 12:30' and she said 'I'll drive you there' AHHHHHHH" he laments. I raise my hand slightly and he looks in my direction "Is this supposed to be scary?" I ask and he huffs "Do you think you can tell a better story?". I laugh "Oh I know I can" I reply easily and he crosses his arms over his chest "Then prove it. Get up here and tell us a story" he tells me.
The other privates begin cheering and encouraging me. Charlie nudges me "Tell them about something in the future" he tells me. As I walk up I run through stories in my mind. Suddenly I think of the dream I had the other night, the fox in the hound! I turn and face my audience, they're all looking at me intently, especially the private who was telling the not-so-scary story. I swallow back my nerves as I address them "I'm going to tell you a story that is very well known where I'm from, called 'The Fox and the Hound'.
A few look skeptical, while others like Charlie look intrigued. I begin reciting the entire film from my memory, talking about Tod the fox and Copper the hound puppy and how they were best friends and played together. It has been a long time since I saw the film, but after having that dream my memory is partially refreshed and I manage to tell the entire story with only one or two parts missing, parts that aren't really important. I think I forgot the bits with the caterpillar and the two birds, but they weren't all that important.
When my story is finished, I'm immediately bombarded to tell another. "What story would you have me tell?" I ask, putting my hands on my hips. My throat is starting to get dry from all the talking and it's getting dark out! However my audience now consists of the entire regiment, even Jamie has joined us! Sitting next to Charlie and smiling slightly as the privates shout out suggestions. Suddenly Charlie calls out "Hey! Do you know Alice in Wonderland?".
I smile, because I do know that one! It's been forever since I saw the movie though, years and years. How much of it can I remember? Probably not enough to be about to tell a coherent story "Not well enough Charlie. Sorry. Oh hey! I know a story I can tell you! It's called the Lion King" I tell them. Yes, the Lion King! I know this movie like the back of my hand! I can practically recite the entire thing dialogue and all off the top of my head.
And I do just that, and unlike the last one where it was hard to hold my audience because I didn't know the story too well, this one I manage to keep everyone captivated. I change my voice for each of the characters, Mufasa, Simba, Pumba, I can do them all and do them well enough to be entertaining. I can even do all the songs from the movie! By the time I finish it has grown entirely dark out, and the fire is dying. Yet all the privates are simply enraptured by my story. It's too bad none of them will ever get to see that movie.
We all disperse after that, but that night starts a new tradition. So my cycle of days changes, but all the days once again fuse so that they all seem the same. Get up, take care of Sparks, eat, spend the day with Charlie, eat dinner, then recite a Disney movie for the regiment before going to bed to start it all over again.
Winter is long and it isn't long before I begin running out of Disney movies. I start having to think of other films I've seen and can remember. I tell them the story of Black Beauty one night, the entire Star Wars saga in a week, and I recite the movie Thor another night. I feel slightly peeved I hadn't seen the Avengers because I am sure they would have loved that story even though a lot of it is too modern for them. But they absolutely adored Star Wars so I believe they wouldn't have minded the modern things about The Avengers.
I begin to grow worried as I run out of things to tell, but then a miracle happens! Jamie gets word that we're going to start moving again. At once I'm happy, but also scared. We're going to have to charge into the fray once more, who else will I lose? Tonight as everyone begins packing their things and getting ready to move, I go to Sparks and rub his neck "It'll be three years soon enough" I tell him half heartedly. He nudges me and I reach into my pocket, pulling out an apple and feeding it to him "I wonder what my friends would think of me now" I say as I laugh lightly.
Three years ago I was in a hotel room in Virginia Beach goofing off with my friends, three years ago I had my whole life to look forward to with not a hazard in sight. Now I've lost it all by coming back in time, and each thing I gain here I lose soon after. I wonder if it's all worth it to stay here anymore, maybe I should try to go back to the future again.
How would I do that though? Titanic was my ticket back to the future, and that ship has long sailed and sunk. I sigh, and rest my head against Sparks' neck, am I willing to give up so easily now that things have grown tough? I've never been through anything quite as grueling as thing but I bet if I tried I could get through! I pat Sparks' neck "We'll get through this won't we pretty boy?" I ask him. He snorts and I give him a final pat before heading back to my tent.
It doesn't take too long to pack my things away and get myself ready to move. I glance to the corner of my tent where my saber is resting and feel a new found wave of determination swell over me. I can pull through this war, I can! All I have to do is not get shot, which may be slightly challenging, but then again I'm small, I stand a good chance. Right?
A lot of this chapter was based on the book. There's a a few pages where they're just sitting around doing nothing because it's winter. So that's what this chapter was about, sitting around all winter. The next few chapters will be throwing everybody back into action. So, yay for that, or nay. It's kinda a good thing AND a bad thing.
Thank you all so much for the reviews and support! I really wish I could read french and understand it so I could address the reviewers on the french version of my story as well as the english version. Oh well. THANK YOU EVERYBODY! Please keep those reviews coming, they're like cookies, and how I will write for cookies!
Thanks for Reading!