Miracles

The sun is our marker of time. I don't know what day it is nor when I am going to get home. The sun was pouring out it's brilliant hot oranges and reds into the horizon like a pot of molten lava. It was morning.

I started walking. I walked along the beach, taking in my surroundings. Corpses lay everywhere, a horrible stench of blood and mutilated flesh pervaded the place.

Just as awful as I remembered.

A shout caused many lads to abruptly sit up. What was happening?

"They are here, we are saved!"

Bewildered, I asked the man ask next to me what was going on.

"We couldn't get home so home has come for us!" He beamed then raced off to join other cheering troops.

Home.

Maybe when I return back for a second time I will be the same person? Maybe I will still have a heart?

It was a breezy morning but the sea was incredibly calm.

One of the miracles, I remembered.

Cheers grew louder when in the distance we saw it.

Home.

750 little ships to save us. It really is a miracle.

Anxiously, I queued up in line, waiting to find out which ship I am going on. As the line gradually grew smaller, soon it was my turn. I was just about to step on when something hit me. Last time when I was on this ship, it was torpedoed. Surely, it would happen again? History would repeat itself.

I retreated from the ship and raced to the back of the line. Memories from that torpedo had tormented me, it was not going to happen again.

As the afternoon grew closer, it was my turn again. Bravely, I got onto the boat. It was a beautiful fishing boat.

Myself and other lads were sent below deck and treated with tea and bread. I relaxed a little. I was going home!

As we sailed away from Dunkirk I turned and looked out of a window. The beach was frightful.

Instead of families laughing and playing on the beach, it was lifeless. Bodies scattered all over, some being taken out by the sea into eternal nothingness.

"Bye dad, bye John" I thought, not comprehending that I had said it out loud.

"I'll be home soon Alice." I said, ignoring the worried glances from other troops.