Status: Updates will be more steady (I promise!)
I've Got Your Back
Somewhat in Love
**Luke's point of view**
I was frightened, of course I was. Everybody knew that you only had a one in four chance of coming back alive from the trenches. I thought about that as we had lined up to go, mentally subtracting one innocent man from every two pairs that were marching boldly onwards, singing happily, perhaps thinking about home or a loved one.
I thought of all the families that would be grieving soon, that would draw their curtains tight as the empty agony set in and yet have to put on a brave face whenever they left their homes. And they would certainly leave their homes at some point because staying inside meant looking at all the painful reminders of the person you had loved. The chair where they would sit, their picture on the mantelpiece, their bed which would never again be warm from their body. I wondered if my mother would be one of the grieving. Again.
The war had not been kind to my family so far. In fact, it had been downright brutal. Yes, the war will take someone from many families. But to rob our family of two, two in the space of mere months, two before the main violence was meant to even have started…
I know my mother could not handle another.
Yet once again the odds are against me, for I must not only take my own bullets but Matthew’s as well. It is my job to protect him, my role as his batman, but even if it wasn’t I would be trying to take his bullets too. The thought of him dead, the thought of a world absent of Matthew Stevenson was impossible and far more painful than thoughts of my own death. Even despite my mother’s pain. Did that make me selfish? Or foolish? Or brave? Or simply, as I suspect, somewhat in love.
I was frightened, of course I was. Everybody knew that you only had a one in four chance of coming back alive from the trenches. I thought about that as we had lined up to go, mentally subtracting one innocent man from every two pairs that were marching boldly onwards, singing happily, perhaps thinking about home or a loved one.
I thought of all the families that would be grieving soon, that would draw their curtains tight as the empty agony set in and yet have to put on a brave face whenever they left their homes. And they would certainly leave their homes at some point because staying inside meant looking at all the painful reminders of the person you had loved. The chair where they would sit, their picture on the mantelpiece, their bed which would never again be warm from their body. I wondered if my mother would be one of the grieving. Again.
The war had not been kind to my family so far. In fact, it had been downright brutal. Yes, the war will take someone from many families. But to rob our family of two, two in the space of mere months, two before the main violence was meant to even have started…
I know my mother could not handle another.
Yet once again the odds are against me, for I must not only take my own bullets but Matthew’s as well. It is my job to protect him, my role as his batman, but even if it wasn’t I would be trying to take his bullets too. The thought of him dead, the thought of a world absent of Matthew Stevenson was impossible and far more painful than thoughts of my own death. Even despite my mother’s pain. Did that make me selfish? Or foolish? Or brave? Or simply, as I suspect, somewhat in love.
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So it's off to the trenches in the next chapter :O Tension...But anyway, thank you so much to the people who commented, I genuinely did an audible squeal with excitement...my family were concerned :P In seriousness though your comments mean a lot to me, so please comment? Also if you are enjoying the story click the Recommend button? :)