Short Stories

By Kiki Katt

It was New Year’s Eve, 1940. No one was celebrating. In fact, hardly anyone acknowledged 1941 was coming in a few hours. I heard people snoozing in the small shelter, which was crammed with so many people that there was barely any space to twitch your finger. Heavy breathing filled the whole shelter; for the first time in a year, all felt calm and peaceful. I couldn’t hear the sirens outside the thick metal overhead. I looked to my side. My younger brother, Harry, was sleeping on my shoulder. Suddenly, I saw a lightbulb flicker on. My eyes travelled towards the other corner of the titchy room. That was when someone started sobbing, sniffing and moaning.

“Are you okay?” I whispered towards the light. Someone replied back, sniffing.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks.” They stood up. It was Bianca Bairing! Bianca Bairing was the most fierce, brave person in the entire school. And she was crying!

“I haven’t been myself lately,” she explained, sighing, “You know, because of the air raids. I’m surprised I haven’t been separated from my family yet.” Everything she said sounded so relatable that she was basically living my life.. The war had been going on for almost a year and we had not been evacuated. We were some of the very few children who hadn’t. I sighed.

“Do you know the time?” I asked her, gesturing to the watch.

“No idea,” she replied, “it’s been broken for years, I’m sorry.” I was so tired at this point that I could just blink and I would fall asleep. That is exactly how I remember it happening.

Me and Bianca didn’t speak again until people started to wake up. Harry was already talking to the friend he’d made before he went to sleep. I seemed to be the only one who knew it was 1941. I said (a bit to loudly) to Harry.

“This is the worst new year’s ever.” At once, the whole shelter gazed at me.

“What do you mean, ‘new year’s?’” asked Harry’s little friend, flabbergasted. I looked around the dark room. Everyone was peering at me as though I was demented.

“It’s…” I began, nervously, “It’s the first of January 1941.” They all gaped their mouths open in shock. Nearly three seconds after complete silence, the shelter became a chorus of hushed muttering and gasping. The only people who were not talking were me and Bianca. She was staring deep into my eyes with her electric blue ones.

It felt like an eternity before the muttering stopped and that was when the air raid warden told us we could leave. I stepped outside. Almost everything was demolished. The buildings were destroyed, the concrete had now disappeared. We all stared around in utter shock- it was unbelievable. Harry hung onto my left arm as Bianca stood beside me. I wished with all my life that I could just live in peace, not having to worry about the war. The bright sun shone onto the broken glass in front of me. Harry then proceeded to hug me so tight that I could barely breathe. Half of me was tearing up because I’d lost my home, my entire country nearly. The other half was tearing up because I’d lost my parents- I didn’t know if they were dead or alive, I just wanted to scream out loud in the dead stillnes.