Destiny's War

Why do we have to have to fight a war? It has imprisoned my poor father and forced him to become a helpless soldier to be blown to smithereens. There is no peace, no harmony, no-one smiles at you when you hurry down the street. There is no waving or asking how you are. Just misery. I cannot begin to think about all the hardship still to come, only the sad depriving present.
Our miniature town of Alnwick, used to be the brightest, most cheerful town around with huge, heaving markets and beautiful fresh smells evaporating from the nearby shops. But all that has changed now. Everything is shut up and everyone stays inside all day. I can barely remember the times when I used to have fun. It’s as though those times never existed...