As Lincoln and Hanz walked on weak legs, they were almost arriving at Eugzack, where all the other soldiers, captains, commanders would be. This possibly included Kat, Tjaden, and Franz. Lincoln looked around on the woods that he and Hanz were walking through, it seemed endless. "I just can't believe..." Lincoln said with his head down, and empty eyes, as he held his rifle on his right hands, the belts of ammo on his shoulders, and the crates of grenades on his left hand, now on his head, his helmet with two holes because of the shots he took on it. "Neither I believe I did what I did back there..." Hanz agreed with him, but different from Lincoln, Hanz kept his head up, and walking straight forward, and trying not to think over what he did, and never look back. "So many lives..." While he was walking, he noticed a bright red light shining through the trees shadowing, and looking towards it, and taking a second to hear the sounds that were coming from the light, Lincoln heard chattering, laughing and shouting "Seems it's over there we need to go!" He said pointing towards the red light, and him and Hanz started to jog the the sounds.
Getting there, well, welcome to Eugzack, a city that's now destroyed, with giant piles of bricks, dirt, lots of destroyed houses, a few of them still standing, but almost all of them had holes on the walls, the ceiling were completely gone, and the windows broken. In the middle of the small town, there was a giant fireplace, and across the road, to the right, there was a church, where doctors and nurses walked in and out, all covered in blood, and on the other side, what once was a fancy restaurant... Well, it still a restaurant, but it's in a very precarious state. Hanz took the ammos and boxes that Lincoln were carrying before, and just took off to another direction alone, leaving Lincoln behind. He just sighed and started to walk to any direction he felt like doing, and while walking closer to the big fireplace, Lincoln heard from inside the restaurant a lot of shouting and clamoring, the voices weren't so happy about whatever was happening in there. The albino boy held his hand on his stomach and felt if growl in hunger, and, well, he could smell the food from inside the restaurant. He stopped at the door and just gave a look in there, and saw lots and lots of soldier with plates in their hands. Lincoln walked in there, and the shouting and yelling was becoming louder and louder. Gee, It might be louder than his house in a common day. As he was getting closer and closer to the crowd, he heard a familiar voice shout in the middle of all of those people "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WHY AREN'T YOU SERVING US?!?!" Then a second voice shouted back, trying to still remain calm, but the pressure that was being made of those soldier were causing, was making it harder "I ONLY HAVE ENOUGH FOOD FOR THE SECOND COMPANY!! I CAN'T GIVE IT TO YOU ALL!!" As Lincoln looked through the crowd, he saw someone he was hoping to see so much, that his eyes started to well up.
Katczintsky grabbed the chef by the collar and pulled him closer to his face "WELL, THEN WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!? YOU SAID YOU ONLY HAVE ENOUGH FOOD FOR THE SECOND COMPANY, RIGHT?!" He 'asked' as he shook the guys, that could only nod, as his face could only demonstrate fear "Well, WE ARE THE SECOND COMPANY, YOU ASSHOLE!!!" He shouted as he finally let go of his collar, and all of the soldiers that were there, shouted in agreement an loud 'yeah!!'. "KAT!!" Lincoln shouted as he tried to squirm his way though the tough crowd "KAT!!" "Lincoln?!" The man said as he tuned back after hearing his voice "LINCOLN!!" He tried to reach Lincoln, and when he did, they both hugged each other. "God, I thought I've lost you too!!" Lincoln said while hugging him back hard and tight "They'll have to do more than that to take me down!!" He said back, while rustling his hair under his helmet.
Kat them asked about the other guy he saw Lincoln walking with, and Lincoln answered that Hanz just needed to go somewhere else. "The others are here?" Lincoln asked, in the middle of all of that clamoring "Tjaden is in the church. Can you go there and see if he's alright? He isn't looking good..." Kat said as he laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. Lincoln nodded, and he asked, that If he could, to bring three plates of food, for all of them, and with that, he took off to the church. Getting there, just by the entrance, he already saw a lot of soldiers laying on the ground, in improvised mattresses, that were made out of hay. All of them were sleeping, others were still awake, some probably still breathing or not. He kept walking around the hall of the church, looking for a specific one-eye blind man, with a mustache almost alike Kat's.
He got to the interior of the church, and when he got there, his eyes quickly landed on the man he was looking for "TJADEN!!" He shouted as he ran carefully towards him. Tjaden who was sleeping, woke up, and slowly opened his eyes, only to meet with Lincoln crouched by his side, looking down at him. "Lincoln?..." He slowly said, as his head barely lifted up from the pillow. "Yeah it's me!... I'm so glad you're alive..." He looked around, as he remembered about s certain someone too "Where's Franz?..." Tjaden just Looked at him, with a neutral expression, that answered Lincoln question faster than the light speed. Tjaden started to search for something in his pockets, and when he found it, he took out and handed it to Lincoln. The boy took the thing in his hand, and when he saw what it was, it made him shred four single tears from each of his eyes: It was a picture of him, Franz, Albert and Ludwig. The picture it self was in black and white as it was supposed to be back in the epoch.
Lincoln looked down at the picture and his hand trailed by the outlines of every single one of his friends. "Don't you tell me... No... Oh God, please no..." And Lincoln hugged the picture to his chest, and clenching it against it, he started to cry. Tjaden face made a frown, and his teeths clenched against each other, and, he did something that surprised Lincoln: He pinched his ear "Listen here, You gotta stay strong!! For those who are not here!!". Lincoln Looked at the one eye blind man, and he felt anger start to swell inside him, 'cause for some reason, what he said, had gone against all of what the others had done "Don't you dare SAY IT!!! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SAY IT!!!!" He grabbed Tjaden by the collar and Shaked him on his mattress, making the man whine in pain. Lincoln immediately let go of him, as he heard him making those noises of pain "Wh- What's wrong?!" "I got shot on the knee... Can you take a look for me? I can't lift my head and take a look myself..." He asked, as Lincoln, who was already moving his blanket, had to take a look to see how bad was it. As he moved the blanket away, he saw a huge piece of flesh missing under his knee, almost making a perfect circular hole where the shot hit. His face contracted in disgust and for some reason fear, as now he had a notion of what can happen to him, even tho he survive and attempt of kill. "How bad is it?" Tjaden asked as Lincoln had let go of the blanket, and now, couldn't stop staring at the worst injure he had ever seen "Really bad..." He simply said. "How close to the knee? They said that they might need to amputate my leg if is really bad... How I'll becomes a Sargent without a leg?!" He sadly said, as he could imagine his dream being shattered by his condition.
"Uh... uhm... I'd say... 20 centimeters bellows the knee..." He answered as he now was looking at Tjaden, who had very wide eyes because of what he had heard. He them started to cry "OH GOD, THEY'RE GONNA RIP OF MY LEG!!" He fearfully said, as he tried to move, only to wince in pain once more. Lincoln put a hand on his shoulder, and the other one in his chest "Nononono, you need to lay down and rest. Soon enough, Kat will arrive with dinner, so, just hold on a little longer..." "He better brings the spoon and fork..." The blind man with a mustache said between his clenching teeths, as he had planned something by himself, that Lincoln didn't even could possibly imagine. Time has passed, and both of them stayed quiet the whole time, not saying a word, giving a few glaces to each other, and sometimes sighing loudly. Ten minutes have passed and Lincoln heard footsteps coming towards them, and when he turned to see who it was, they all say Kat holding two bows of chicken with potatoes soup, and right behind him, Hanz walked holding blankets in his shoulders. Lincoln was about to warn Tjaden about who arrived, but he found himself talking with a man asleep. The other three looked at him and just chuckled. Kat handed the soups to Lincoln, and he knelt besides Tjaden "Hey, hey Tjaden! Wake up!" Katczintsky slowly shaked him as the man slowly once again opened his eyes, but this time, it was a man with blond hair looking down at him "Aha hahahaha... Look who it is..." The blind bald man said, as he caressed the Other man's hair and back of the neck "Brought the fork?" "Yeah! Everything is here..." Kat said as he laid the bow of soup at Tjaden side.
Hanz, Lincoln and Kat started to eat, But Tjaden didn't. Lincoln noticed another soldier laying down, and looking deep in his soul "The fuck?..." Lincoln though, as he saw the man eyes widen, and, as if he couldn't speak, he pointed towards Tjaden, who was stabbing his own neck with the fork. Lincoln looked back at him, and let drop his bow of soup, as Kat and Hanz also noticed what the man was doing, and tried to stop him "TJADEN!! TJADEN, NO!! STOP, NO!!" Lincoln screamed, as he tried to grab his arm, and take the fork away from his hand. Kat maneges to do so, while Lincoln put pressure on the wound, all while his blood was leaking out through his fingers. "Stop it... It's all over now..." He said, as his voice started to trail off. Lincoln started to cry, while trying to put even more pressure on the gash, but he started to panic as he saw the blood coming from Tjaden's mouth "Oh no... nonono SHIT!! SOMEONE!! DOCTOR, THIS MAN NEEDS MEDICAL ASSISTANCE NOW!!". Lincoln screamed, as Hanz decided to go after the doctor himself.
Kat now, wasn't really doing anything, why?Lincoln looked back at the man, and now it downed on him... Tjaden eyes were... empty... They were looking at one direction, but, without really seeing what in front... The blood wasn't leaking out like before, he wasn't breathing anymore... Lincoln started to well up tears in his eyes, and then, he burst them out, as he laid in Tjaden chest, and cried out loudly
Three months later...
It was snowing, and the growl of hunger was becoming louder and louder; even Lincoln didn't like how loud it was. But, desperate situation needs desperate solutions, and of course, Lincoln and Kat, like if they shared the same neurons, decides to steal from a farmhouse. Once they got there, Kat was the first one to look through the wooden gate gaps, and see the barn in the back of the batch, licking his lips in hunger, as he heard a goose in the background "What do ya say Lincoln, is it worth it? Being shot by a farmer over food?" He asked, getting ready to jump over the fence. Lincoln, also licking his lips, "When your hungry, everything is worth it". Then, Lincoln positioned himself on his feet, so that they were stable on the muddy, snow-wet ground, and prepared to give Kat a foothold and make her jump over the wall. "Almost!" Katczintsky grunts as he reached the top of the wall, and he looked inside to see if anyone or any dog was around "Ok, coast is clear" And the, he jumped. Lincoln leaned against the wall, and all the while he was waiting for his older man friend, he started to reflect on ever since it all started. Ever since he only wanted to know more about his sister, he just wanted to be closer to them, yet, everything seems to have a cost for everything. Looking around he saw the small river, down he hill of the land, it was slightly frozen on the margin, but it still kept flowing alone. Is it so hard that I can be a good brother? He thought with shame of himself. Back the, he still didn't knew his purpose in life; he didn't even know what his talent was, yet, there was his sisters, shining like starts that he so much disliked, but still, looked up to many times.
From the back he heard the barn doors opening, and then the sound of agitated animals. Lincoln got off the wall and got himself ready, licking his lips which were already dry from the cold, while waiting. Katczintsky would never really take much time like this, but, anyways, he'd always got out of there with no problem; most of the time, without getting noticed, but still, these were a very few times. Then, shouting. Shouting was heard, but in french. They were caught. Running to the other side, he waited behind another gate, getting read to open it once he hea- "LINCOLN!! THE GATE!!" KAT!! He opened the gate as fast he could, and when he saw Kat running through it, with a goose in his hand, whilst his neck was hanging loose, he started running, a smile breaking on his face, as she crackled a happy chuckle. "VOUS HONTEUX SAERWARE!!" They heard the man scream, as his son was standing right besides him. A little boy with no more than nine years old, with a look of hatred in his face. The Farmer cocked his double barrel shotgun, and aimed to the two thug guys, running with what would be the result of the money he brought home. "RUN LINCOLN!!! RUN FAST BOY!!" "HAHA, I'M DOIN' IT!!" Both ran, and ran fast, and for a moment, Kat glanced to the white haired boy, and threw the dead goose at him, and Lincoln caught it, laughing hard, saying that even tho it didn't make sense, the phrase "Two birds with one stone" would be better.
Back at the base, Lincoln went inside a small warehouse, all while his eyes scanned the surrounding, hoping that the other soldiers didn't felt the smell of goose cooking. He opened the door, and his smile widened as he saw Kat cooking the said animal, and Hanz with three plates on his hand, even of he knew that Kat would eat the fucking thing in the pan, with boiling water, and no spices. "Shit, that's smell good!" The younger boy exclaimed "Hey Kat, what did you put there? Is making my stomach turn and bend in here man" He said rubbing his belly "Oh man, that looks good" "It sure does" Hanz was bouncing on his heels as Kat then turned off the little stove, and then, laid the pan with the goose on the small three-person table "Well, here is it ladies" He then look at the two boys younger than him "How about we eat it?" "JA" (YEAH) Lincoln and Hanz shouted in unison.
After feasting like if their life's depended on it, the three man were sitting at bar benches at the camping site back with the rest of the reaming platoon. For today's chore, they would be peeling potatoes, Lincoln with a blank face, Kat whistling, and and singing the march song, and Hanz complaining all the time. Linc was working like a machine, without thinking, he'd end an potato, then he'd grab the next one, then he'd finish, then another one, finish, another one, finish, another one, and finish. "Scheisse..." (shit...) Hanz muttered as he threw an peeled potato at the mount behind him "It feels like it doesn't end..." "Just... shut up and do your job" Lincoln said coldly and dry to him, making Hanz and Kat look at him with concerned frowns. This has been happening with Lincoln from time to time for the past days in there, his mood was changing completely almost all the time, like if olhe was bipolar, or if he had an duble personality. Kat then, like if he was stung by a needle, flinched as he might've figured out what was happening: Stress.
Suddenly, by far in the distance, three young women were pulling a cart while carrying bags on their backs. Wearing sundresses that swayed in the wind, their red hairs flowing down their backs and shoulders, like if it was a waterfall of beautiful and shinning lava. Lincoln eyes, widened a bit, as he seemed to have confused his teacher, Miss Agnes Johnson with one of the women, since the resemblance was so close. Kat and Hanz eyes darted to the three ladies that were traveling "Ooh, that's something" "Sure is. Hey, Lincoln? Wanna come with me?" Hanz called him, getting up from his bench, and started walking away on the valley right after the military camp. Lincoln said "I Don't know man... Sarg might get a bit angry with us..." His eyes, going back the pile of potatoes. Hanz just shrugged, and started to jog to the ladies, as he said "Well, you know it. Don't know what're losing". Kat Looked at Hanz going, and he chuckled. It was expected for someone at his age, but it seems like Lincoln was the party pooper "Why won't you go?" He asked, turning his body towards the albino haired boy, that had a down look in his eyes. He said "Well... I don't know when I'll die, so, why should I have such an intimate moment with someone that I probably never see again if I die?" He had a point. "But that's the thing" Kat started to explain "We don't know if we'll die tomorrow, the next day, next week, or heck, even next month. Hanz is doing something that he knows that he will enjoy, because he know this–" He leaned back on his bench more, getting into a comfortable position "–But if this is what you want, I won't bother you with it. But it you die, don't come complaining at me while pulling my feet that you died not knowing what's good" He joked, while pointing his knife towards Lincoln, that also laughed back at it.
"Y'know..." Lincoln started "You know what I'd do if all of this is was over by now–" "There's no end- It haven't even reached there yet. Until there, there's no peace" Katczintsky cut him off, by throwing a potato at him. But Lincoln caught it with the knife "'Course, but what if? I'd be whole five weeks without wearing pants again, like when I was a kid reading books" Lincoln joked. Kat, "I should punch you in the face for saying that". Both of them went quiet fora moment. Hanz had gone away to God-knows-where with those girls. Kat was for some reason guiding a cockroach with the knife to a small box of matches, and once he maneged to get the little insect inside, he closed it. "What's even the point of having... A talk like this?" Lincoln said, his voice droning in sadness. Kat was about to answer, but when he saw the boy with his he'd hanging on his neck, his eyes looking empty, and the few times he talks, were just muttering. He got it, the boy was talking to himself, thinking out Loud "Haven't seen my sisters... No notice..." Sisters? Kat thought. "Mom is... worried as fuck by... till today... I'm not there... I miss helping Leni with clothes... Lucy with her poems... Lola with her makeup... Playing with Lily..." He then, almost like a ragdoll, rest back on the bench, as his eyes looked to the sky, watching the clouds pass by... slowly... "I'm ok mom... Hang in there... I'm coming home... It's a promise..." he muttered, his eye shredding a single tear that slid down his tired face. Fuck... He has sister... Kat thought, feeling pity for the boy. Having to get into the German army at fourteen, got him pretty bad, and the country was in danger and needs. Fuck, who ideas was to use kids like him, to come fight? Kat eyes were narrowed, and a frown on his face, made him uglier than he was already.
More at the end of the day, where planes were having a airborne fight in the high sky, Lincoln, Hanz, And Kat, where the three of them, taking a dump. Yeah, that's right, the three of them, outdoors, sitting on a wooden bench that served as a toilet, which led directly into a pit. Kat sat besides Lincoln, between him and Hanz. He older man then handed a letter to the younger boy, and he had a happy face. Kat couldn't read, since he was illiterate. Opening the wrapped in the letter, and then, straightening out the written paper, Lincoln checked both sides ,and saw that both of them were written. With a sigh, he started reading "My Pookie-bear -" But that was interrupted by Hanz, who started laughing at the nickname, that the wife of the mustache man called him by. "Don't make me get up from here and shove you into this pit!" His threatening look was serious, and Hanz covered his mouth, and with a muffled laugh, he assured "Keep going, don't mind me". Lincoln glanced back the the paper and continued "You asked me to send a basket with food. Four portions of sausage, and lard are on the way. A sauerkraut cake, and smoked sausages" Lincoln was almost drooling when he read the word "sauerkraut", making him remember the times when he had the chance to eat his sandwich with peanut butter and sauerkraut back at his house "And also... some... uh... Hing... Hing- Hingfong with sugar cubes" That was a damn word to read "Eggs, and a jar of plum jam. Do not eat it all at once, because I do not wanna have to sent it all again in a short time" This time, it was Kat who laughed. His wife seems to be a nice person to meet, and of course, to have luck to be it his side "And also, better not share this with your friends"
"My Pookie-bear -" Again, Hanz laughed, but it was such a low chuckle, that Kat was unlucky to not have heard it "I also wanna ask you something: How much money you have saved until now? Can not you send some back home? They say, that the war is almost over, so I thought it would be good to have some spare money" Lincoln then turned the paper to the other side, and continued to read to Kat sidelight "Right now, you must be thinking: 'Look how bold the lady I married is'" the three guys shitting together laughed, but just a few chuckles, and giggles "But please, no hard feelings. You know how i am, and how i am never satisfied. Always more, always more, is my motto. And I also hope to get a hug from you again, to calm this rapid beating heart of mine. So don't give up now, not in this final line of the war itself." Kat lit up a cigar, and then he just started biting it on his mouth, as clouds of smoke came out of his nose and mouth. "Karl Lemmer, is hospitalized in east. Something on his stomach. He could spend three days in there... But please, if you do mind for my word, can not you too have a stomach problem? Have not you done your part in this whole government mess?" Lincoln made a pause, as his head hung down and he laughed a bit, at the though of Kat's wife wish, come across him as a coincidence right now, at this moment If it was this easy... He mentally lamented. "Imagine if she saw you like this, smoking a five inches cigar, sitting down, taking a shit with us like os a common thing to do!" Hanz shouted, a little excited about the letter for some reason.
"'In this sunday, I will visit the grav-'" Lincoln made a pause, as the next line he was just about to read, hit him like a stone at the back of his head; or a shot hit him "... Erhm... 'I will... I will visit the grave of our... Son...'" The white haired guy looked at the former father, that just hummed for him to keep going, since this was no longer a big deal "'I will read this to him, like always. He loves it so much... In the next year, where the war is scheduled to end, we will celebrate his tenth birthday...'" Kat turned his head and haze away from the boys, as his eyebrows were twitching, and he couldn't say a word. He could tell Lincoln was closer to the end so "Just keep reading, please..." "Ok... 'Right now, I am running out of thing to write, so, a hug and kiss from you wife. Please stay alive... Bye...'" With that, Lincoln ended the letter. The tension in the air between Lincoln, And Kat, was so thick thata knife could cut it "I didn't knew..." He said, as he extended his arm to Kat, so the. he could pick the letter, and stuff it away in his pocket. "Aw, Linc..." The man said, almost in a fatherly tone; since he was a father, it was obvious "How it'll be? We go back home, to our normal lives?" But then... "Where people jUST WANNA KNOW IF THERE WAS HAND TO HAND COMBAT?!" He shouted through clenching teeths. "Walking like travels in a mirage of the past..." Lincoln completed "This is the time, where my mind can't have a final thought: I don't know if I prefer to go back home... Or if I stay and sit with you... Hanz, and whoever else there will be with us around a campfire, eating potato fries with the skin on!". Hanz was quiet the whole time, until the question that could either make this tension ease a bit or get worse, grew in him, and then came out of his mouth "So..." He started, and then paused again, praying for the threats of Kat were empty threats "What... happened to him...?" "My son?" The man's asked, while getting up, and pulling his pants up. They didn't have the courtesy to wipe their asses with toilet paper "Smallpox" He then looked at the horizon, and started to walk away "I'm bored... how much until it starts all over again?... HOW MUCH UNTIL IT STARTS ALL OVER AGAIN?!"
11/10/1918. The night before the end of it all
Lincoln was inside a house at the same city from before. Eugzack. He and Hanz were sitting at the floor, not like if there was comfort in war. Lincoln sighed, and then, he remembered the first time he went into the battle camp, and since then, he didn't stop. For two years, he had killed many people, and the many times he had regretted everything he had done. Hanz was looking outside the window, seeing the giant campfire outside, shinning like the first time they've arrived in town, after the most horrifying day of Lincoln first battle. His face was down, the coat of his uniform hugging his body, since it was winter, and was fucking cold. The first time I've faced death, yet, it wasn't me, but many others... God, please forgive me. That was I mistake of mine... God... I promise to do whatever you want, but please forgive me... He silently pleaded. That man... That... Adam Marshall, was it? The first man he killed, but realized what he had done. He then started to search in his pockets, and then, now he finds himself in a euphoric search in every single hiding spot on his coat for that book that he swore that he would deliver back to the man's family. Hanz turned back and saw the boy searching frantically for something in his clothes. He had to ask "What going on?" He asked, sitting down at Lincoln side. He boy, seeing that he had lost the man's book, he let out a hoarse sigh, and said "I've lost something...". Hanz didn't ask what it was, and just said "ok" and then went silent. Lincoln couldn't believe it. Fuck. "Hey Hanz... Do you speak English?"
"What kind of question is this?" The guy three years older than him asked, with an cocked brow at him. Lincoln then felt like he had to say it, but, what would he think? What would everyone think about him. Anyway, he had to, it was up to now four fucking year he was hiding it "It's because I'm an American... I came from the United States... English is my first language. That's why I'm asking you..." Lincoln didn't even looked at Hanz after the confession Oh God, here it comes... But, nothing came, nothing but a laugh from his friend "Fuck! And I thought I was alone in this whole shit hole!" Hanz spoke in english, to Lincoln surprise. Another's person to speak the same dialect as him? "Bro... Man... I feel so strange... After talking normally after so long!" Hanz said, hugged the Loud boy by the shoulder, and bringing him closer. He was smelling liquor. "Same here..." Lincoln finally said too. Both boys where then sitting alone, as a few other men walked around outside, like if they had no goal in life anymore, and a few were laughing. "Hanz... Not a American name. German descendants?" "Yeah. My grandpa..." "Y'know... My mom... She... She was so happy that I leaned German so fast... I think I neve saw her so proud like that..." Lincoln said, while looking down at a liquor bottle that Hanz handed him. He opened and smelled the inside. Fuck that smell was so strong, yet, there he was willing to do it "Well... For my eighteenth birthday" With a shrug of shoulders, he chugged a big load of the alcoholic liquid, but then, he almost spit it all out, as the bitter taste went burning down his throat "COUGH COUGH COUGH –UGH, THIS... TASTE?!" Lincoln was not please by what he just had experienced. "Heh, you get used to it after a few chugs" Hanz grabbed the bottle from him, and the last few amount of drink inside, went all down his sore throat, and then once the bottle was empty, he pushed it away, watching how it rolled in the dirty floor, making glass sounds as it goes in the darkest part of the room.
Took a bit of time for the burning feeling in his throat to ease out, but, like Hanz said, it was something that he got used pretty easily, after all, Lincoln would possibly drink way more drinks in his life far ahead. "Say..." Hanz started "Why are you here? Why did you come to the war?". After a long time, Lincoln had stopped and thought about it. He was sure that everyone had a reason to come to the war. Hanz sighed "You're gonna think I'm a freak... It was because... My dad, he... He caught my sister and i... Kissing..." Lincoln choked on the air "And I mean, not a brotherly or sisterly kiss... A real kiss..." Hanz shifted his sitting position, and then, he took something f his cap and scratched the back of his head "Dude... Have you ever been in love so much with someone, that you didn't gave a shit to whatever the others were thinking? Me and Cassandra were like this... Until pop found out...". Lincoln was staring non blinking at him. He'd thought that his confession was something until Hanz turned out to be American just like him, but, confessing that he committed incest with his sister, was something his heart was not ready for "Disgusting, isn't it?" He said, until falling into silence. Lincoln was still looking at him, with his mouth now open in a awe, but, something wasn't letting him judge his colleague. Lincoln was at a loss for some reason; why? He couldn't relate to that, so why? "Hanz... I... I don't even know what to say... But... Even if I did... I wouldn't, you get me?" Lincoln confusedly babbled. What kind of answer was that? "Thanks man..."
Before both could say something else, Kat came in through the door "Ya know..." He started "Momma didn't want me to come, so my wife. She'd say that I'd die fast... But here we are..." "We... But what about the others..." Hanz. "Please... Just... No..." Lincoln cut him before he was about to mention the others "'Soon, we'll be in Paris, so we gotta keep going...'" Lincoln was on the verge of tears, and his head was against the wall "I can't get rid of four years of shooting, death and grenades like it's a pair of socks that doesn't fit me anymore..." "Lincoln-" Kat was about to say. Lincoln was almost having a breakdown "Ludwig... Franz... Albert..." "Lincoln" Hanz said, trying to be stern with him, but he just couldn't. "We'll never get rid of this smell!" "WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT NOW?!" The adult Shouted, making Hanz and Lincoln flinch "At least they have peace, while WE ARE HERE, ALIVE!!" His heart was beating fast and hard on his chest, that seemed to be clutching on the inside, like a hand squeezing his life out of his heart "THIS IS WAR! NONE OF US WANTED IT!... It's like catching a cold; you never want it, but it's always there!" Lincoln felt like he was a prey facing a predator, he couldn't speak, only breath "They never wanted it, we never wanted it, but here we are! We are here, half of the world is here, and GOD, IS ONLY WATCHING US!!... Kill ourselves..." "Right...But what do you know!?" Hanz shot back. "Yeah, you're right..."
Lincoln felt like what he was about to say next would shatter his heart, it was always like this, and he could feel it ..."After all, I'm just a man- a pair of boots with a rifle. A man that can't even read a letter, because I never went to school..." Kat then looked at the two boys "Yet, there are you... Both went to school, studied, are very intelligent, and possibly knows more about moral than me... Yet, you don't see me complaining do you?" Cold. "Let's just go to sleep..." Hanz said, tucking himself to the side "We had luck..." "Ja..." (Yeah...) Lincoln then, used his coat as a cover and turned to the side. Kat who was sitting against the wall, slept like that, and didn't complained.
11/11/1918 Last day of War. 07:29 AM
Lincoln slowly opened his eyes, a small headache hitting the back of his forehead because of the strong alcoholic drink he chugged on last night; it was just one chug. He looked over and saw Hanz Standing at the window, with his arm around Kat shoulder, both of them looked out at the road with wide eyes, that had a little shine in them of hope, a hope that Lincoln hasn't seen in a while "Grnph... Uhff, What time is-" "Shut it!" Hanz said "Listen?" Lincoln didn't hear nothing. What was going on, was what he asked, and Kat all said that everything was quiet "Lincoln... They signed it... The war is... The war is-" "-Over?" Lincoln ended for him, with a shaky voice. His eyes were on the verge of tears, and he didn't care to hold them anymore. It was the end of it all. The end of the suffering. The end of these deaths. The end of this violence. The end of killing... He was never so happy as right now. Kat got his straps on, and walked to help Lincoln up "Ya hungry lad?" He asked, so happy, that he let his accent take in on his speaking "'Cause I am. Wanna come this time Hanz?" He asked heading to the door. "Don't mind if I do" And both of them went out. Lincoln quickly recomposed himself up and putting on his uniform coat, he went after them "Where y'all going?" "C'mon, before that stupid farmer wakes up!"
After walking out the small town, Hanz, Lincoln and Kat were walking down a hill, going towards the farm they've stolen a goose before. Kat felt like starting a conversation about what they were gonna do after it all "So, Linc, Hanz, what y'all do in Christmas?" "To be honest, I don't know" Hanz. "I'll be close as ever with my family" Lincoln "I'll never leave their side ever again" "I'll cook up a turkey, with red cabbage, potatoes, light candles, and kiss and have the best sex with my wife!" Kat spoke openly. Lincoln was a bit flustered about it. Of course, he was about to have this kind of talk when he'd turn, what? Sixteen? Seventeen? But since he was stuck in the battle land, he'd have no one to talk about this. Like it would matter for him to live. What he'd do? A enemy point his gun at him, and in his defense he'd say 'Oh, wait! I know how to sex with a girl, and make her cum more than twice?', and then, the enemy be like 'Oh, well, since you know that, I wouldn't kill man!'. Come on, let's be real. "Hey, Kat, how's your wife, how she looks like?" Lincoln asked, curiosity taking over him; a genuine curiosity. "Lincoln, you pimp! Having an eye out on a married woman!" Hanz said, slapping his knee as a laugh almost made him lose his balance. "Oh, Lincoln, she's beautiful! An amazing woman! She's like, 5'5 feet tall, Uhm, Blonde, with long a clean hair, that's curly at the end. She's tall, a very strong. I'd say she wears a DD size cup, but since she's shy and too prideful to tell me that, I'm note really sure"
Lincoln was trying to image the woman but, something else came up in his mind "Christmas, ay?... Still so far away..." He said, looking at the sky to see, if it could share a bit a clearness to him so then his mind and the sky could be alike. Kat smiled "No, Lincoln... It's very close. More than we can think of" Kat was calm as fuck, as his dreams were filling his mind with peace, and the fact that the war was almost at the end, made him calmer than ever "Me and my girlfriend want kids, Linc" Hanz said, surprising both the eighteen years old boy, and the thirty-six years old man "You have a girlfriend?" "Yes, I have. She never wrote a letter to me, because she never leaned how to. She can read, but for some reason, she can't write But I have one" "Me and my wife also want kids. What is Christmas without kids? A real family! A family were we can give gifts to our kids, while making them believe that Santa Claus exist! Christmas without kids, it's nothing!" "Yeah... I have a baby sister called Lily. She's may be a few years old by now... I remember when her first word was 'Poo-poo'..." Lincoln was remembering things that made his heart pound fast in his chest, making it warm, with all the wholesome memories of his childhood, that was lost to this nightmare " Lily's first word... Lisa giving her first steps... The day my twins sisters were born; Lola and Lana... Lucy first poem... My sister Lynn first touchdown... Luan first successful show... Luna's first song... The first dress made by Leni... And the first trophy Lori won playing golf... And My Mom first published book... And-" "Woah woah woah! That's a big family!" Kat and Hanz said at the same time! "Ten sisters?! DAMN!" "Yeah, and I'm the middle kid" Lincoln joked about... First, he Lied to Franz, Albert and Ludwig that he was an orphan like them, but now, to Hanz and Kat, he was telling his secret that he kept from the boys he befriended in the start of it all. The boys that he outlived.
"The three of us- Us three, we should do somethin' BIG for Christmas! The three of us! How 'bout that?!" Hanz was excited. The ideas of reuniting the families of them three together to a big party was making him happy. "Yeah sure..." Kat said, not very enthusiastic. "What?" Both younger boys asked "I'm a shoemaker, boys, I fix shoes! Yo' two know how to read, write, has finished high school. You both even have your high school diplomas" "Didn't help much with the pins I pulled and much times I've pulled a trigger..." Lincoln murmured. Walking up further more, he tão was nice. A few lifes experiences here, a few funny moments there, it all was nice. "What you think we should do? Nail shoes soles?" Hanz joked, but Kat was not much for a laugh at that pun, so then, he halted on his track "HEY!? Are you trying to insult me? I can't even read m wife's letter! HEY!-" He pointed his finger at Hanz, that just looked at it while he was right at the edge of his nose "You better go the the university! And finish it! Or else I'll kill you here and now, this instant!". One full minute of silence preserved the moment. Lincoln was stiffened up due to the tension between the two man, Hanz seem to be careless about what he said, and Kat kept pointing his finger at him, until he then said... "My pants are falling down..." He grabbed Lincoln by the shoulders "MY PANTS ARE LOOSE! THEY ARE FALLING DOWN!! HAHAHAHA!" He then started to jog his way uphill with Hanz right after him. "ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS JUST EAT MORE!!" Lincoln shouted as he then started to pick up the pace. "SOON WE'LL BE HOME TO EAT WHATEVER THE FUCK WE WANT LINC!!"
The snow falling down was painting the hills and trees white. Everytime Lincoln exhaled, The air that came out of his mouth condensed, forming a small white cloud, which made him want to laugh a little. And there the three of them arrived, on the same farm as before that French guy with the geese that every time Kat cooked them became extremely delicious. It was a short race between the three until they arrived at the back gate, where Lincoln always helped Kat pull up. He looked through the crack in the board that was made of the gate, and I saw the barn at the back. Lunch/breakfast was there. Lincoln wasted no time and stood with his back against the wall, ready to give Kat a hand so he could jump over the wall, but the man shook his head "Ah, no no, your turn. If the farmer pays me there again, he will definitely kill me" He then looked at Hanz that got in position to help him get over the wall. Lincoln gulped nervously, as he placed his feet, wearing a boot, and grabbing the edge of the wall, he lift himself up, and jumped over the wall. "Try no to get caught!" Shouted Hanz, but not Loud enough to anyone else hear but the three of them only. "Ah, and watch out for the dog!" Kat advised. On the other side, the albino boy ended up landing on a small little bed with small tomato and cabbage plants. The plant bed was covered in snow, and the tomatoes and cabbage weren't really that big. He looked around and saw the coast clear and with quick running steps, he made his way to the barn.
He opened the door, that was only a feet smaller than him, and closed it behind him. He looked around, and then, he heard the geese gizzarding, but they all were locked in small boxes, that kept them and their nests safe. Lincoln was on a rush, and he was nervous and scared that he would get caught stealing whatever he could get his hands on. The only thing that his fingers could reach in the goose cages were their eggs. But since the boy was invading their personal and special space for the animal, they got very agitated, and started to honk ever louder, and they were flailing their wings faster and frantically, making a lot of noises. Didn't took long, until the barn door was opened by someone. Lincoln froze in place too scared to look who it was. Was it armed? Was it willing to kill him? Who it was after all? His eyes were turning around slowly, and by the corner of his eyes, who he saw, made a nervous smile break in his face "Hey..." He tried to speak, in the little french that he learned from Hanz "Hey... Uhm... I was..." The little kid was there, unfazed, looking at Lincoln with empty and threatening eyes "These eggs... They... They are really good! Ehe... Erm..." He reached out his arm with the eggs in hand, showing them to the little kid "Want some?" He closed the door shut, and locked it by the outside, trapping Lincoln in there "SHIT!". He looked around, desperate. There was no way out, and the bug gate was chained up close. His only option was to crash his body against the big gate, hoping it would open.
The Dogs. The dogs started to bark, making Lincoln realize that the farmed was coming, and he was not coming holding a white flag, saying that he was friendly. Lincoln only option was to make a run for it. He kicked the small door open, and ran from where he came from, going for the jump over he wall, but, once he saw the white barbed man, holding the double barrel shotgun him his hand, he abruptly cut his run, and had gone to the game at the other side of the yard. He also kicked the door open, but his head nearly missed a shot from the man, that almost got his ear "ARRÊTE TOI LÀ!!" Lincoln was almost out of the farm and we he was met with Kat and Hanz outside, he yelled "RUN!!!! RUUUUUUUNN!!!!" The three of them runner down the snowy hill, Lincoln with the eggs on his pockets. From far behind, they heard the farmer scream "BASTERS!!!" And after that, a second missed shot. Lincoln and company missed the moment that the little boy was fallowing them with his eyes.
After making sure that they were far away, Lincoln noticed something "Holy fuck! The eggs are leaking!" "No way?" Hanz took a look and saw the egg white running through a hole in his pocket "No fucking way, he got the eggs!!" Hanz was laughing, as he made with his hands a ladle to hold the liquid that was leaking. Katczintsky kept repeating 'don't let 'em drop, don't let 'em drop!' As he god a small can out the of the back straps of Lincoln's uniform, opened it and then, he said "Let 'em pour now" And then, the egg white and yolk fell into the pot. Lincoln grabbed the other egg that was still intact, cracked it open and also poured in the pot "Gee, we can fry them! Add a little salt, and it will be perfect!" Hanz commented, but Kat? "Oh nah, we're eating them here and raw!". Using a knife, Kat mixed the egg white and yolk until they became one. Once it was done, Hanz was the first. He turned the pot over, and started to sip on it, then it was Kat, that had Lincoln by his side with a hand on his shoulder. Kat slipped on the mix of white and yolk, making sure he was looking at Lincoln. For a moment, Kat saw him as a little boy, that was looking at him, waiting for his approval on what he was doing, to hope that he could also do it. Kat smiled and handed over the pot to Lincoln, and he happily sipped the rest of it, and let out a satisfied sigh at the end "Yeah, there ain't nothing better than this... Ok, give me a moment, I'll be back" Said Kat, starting to walk away to the small woods. "Where ya goin'?" Hanz asked. "Take a piss!" and with that, Kat went into the woods. Lincoln happy that he had a breakfast, sat down on the snow covered grass, and waited.
Lincoln was looking at a little Lily of the camp, probably the last one until it was covered by the snow, until he heard a shot. It echoed around the hills and it was really close to where they were. Both Lincoln and Hanz darted towards the direction that Kat went. Lincoln started to call out the man's name while he started to run a bit. He did went too far on the woods, as he saw Kat walking out of it with his head down while he was closing his straps "Kat! Kat? Who shot?" Kat kept walking "Let's leave already... It was that little shit of the farm son- Augh!!" But he then feel the the ground. the turned over and lifted the uniform, And Hanz and Lincoln got a really close look to it. Blood was leaking, and the hole was at the size of Hanz ring finger. "Let me take out the bullet!" Lincoln said, going over with his hands, but Kat stopped him, demanding a cigar, assuring that it was the rest leave it to the medics. Lighting the cigar with the matches, Kat was really pissed off "The first time I went to school with kids, I already had beard. 'Find a word that rhymes with funnel'..." He made a pause, to swallow down the blood that was about to come out of his mouth "Shit... Why did it have to happen now?!" Linc put and arm over his shoulder, and Hanz on the other, and both started to walk with Kat "Tunnel..." Hanz said, and Looked at thirty six years old man, that looked back at him with a confused look "Tunnel rhymes with funnel..." And then, the three of them laughed. Later on, once they've reached the camp. The doctor said that it was black blood, coming out exactly of the stomach. Kat died that day. The day where it all was about to end. One the way, Lincoln tried to stop a lot of trucks with soldiers that were drinking and we're drunk, but none of them stopped. He was very sure about, he heard someone say: "Hitler!! Look where you throw your fucking bottles!!" His face was with a both of shock, but his friend was his priority now. "Hang on Kat! We we get home, we'll make them together a new pair of boots!" Hanz tried to joke/play cool, to see if Kat would still be awake. "My feet's are bleeding for walking and running with boost.
Once they've reached Eugzack again, They went to the church, looking for a medic to help the man. Looking around, they found none, so Hanz went out to search for one... This mean time that he went to look for him, was his worse mistake until now...
"He had back luck..." The medic said "So close to the end..."
A few hours later.
His name tag was never so important as it was now. Looks down at it, he saw the name of his now dead friend. Hanz was not there now, at the house they slept together on the night before, but it was when suddenly the speakers started to speak with the Sargent voice "All soldiers! Come to the bug front building. General is sending us home! We all are going home!!". While the speaker kept babbling about it, Lincoln was waiting outside the church, still watching the body of his dead friend being carried away but the doctors to and corner that he couldn't make off about. In front of the bug building that the city, all of the soldiers that could walk went there. And there was this truck, with boys that were the same age as Lincoln when he arrived at France for the first time. Hanz started to push Lincoln to the front of the building. Comparing Lincoln to the other soldiers, they were fine. But Lincoln had the marks of stress, sadness, time, fear, anger, and his chest right now had the feeling he was lost in life. All he had now was Hanz. On the balcony of the big building, The general showed up. A big fat man, with a bald head and a mustache that was almost identical as Kat's... "SOLDIERS! TODAY WE ARE HERE AS BROTHERS! IM A WORLD OF ENEMIES, AND GERMAN SOCIO-DEMOCRATS, THAT PREFERED TO WATCH AND LEAVE THEIR OWN KIND, SUFFER IN THE HANDS OF THE DEATH, WHEN THEY ACCEPTED A DEGENERATE ARMISTICE. BUT DO NOT WORRY. AFTER ALL SUFFERING, DEATHS, LOSSES, WE ALL ARE GOING HOME. BUT, MY COMRADES, DO YOU ALL WANT TO GET HOME AND ARRIVE AS HEROES, OR COWARDS THAT RAN AWAY, ON THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME OF OUR LIVES?!" Lincoln was not like it "LARETIRRE IS FROM THE GERMANS HANDS!! SO, OFF TO THE FIELD, FOR THE FATHER LAND, AND DON'T WORRY, SINCE THAT GOD WILL BE AT YOUR SIDE, AS HE HAS EVER BEEN!!!" Lincoln was now, inside of a bunker, rethinking these same words that that bastard was yelling about. Until a pair of big big hands, grabbed him by the uniform, and threw him out of the bunker in the mud...
HEY! LONG TIME NO SEE, RIGHT? SORRY FOR BEING AWAY, BUT IF DIDN'T FORGER THIS STORY!!
thank for everyone that waited.