Eat
652 Words
Upon regaining consciousness, Chazo found himself bound tightly on a sofa in the seaside cabin. Despite being meticulously treated, Fiona, who should have been under the cabinet, was nowhere to be found. He heard the sound of digging outside, the clink of metal against the soil followed by the rustling of the earth.
Even the resolute major couldn't hold back tears, muffling his sobs, not out of fear for what awaited him but mourning for his fallen comrades and family.
He was a soldier, but also a human.
The digging stopped, replaced by thumping sounds. Then, Andreas appeared, his muscular torso bare, bandaged left arm, and his sweat-drenched, handsome face identical to Leon's—a beauty too striking to ignore, despite Chazo's reluctance to admit it. The German identity was his only blemish, overshadowing all his virtues.
After discarding the shovel, Andreas untied Chazo, leaving his hands bound.
"Get up," he commanded. "Say goodbye to Fiona."
Chazo was taken aback. When had the Nazis become merciful?
"Stand up. Don't make me repeat myself," Andreas insisted, his expression stern. Chazo stood, unsteady on his feet. Andreas led him outside to a newly dug grave marked by a crooked wooden cross, under which lay wilted flowers, a silent testament to yesterday's sorrow.
"She's in there," Andreas stated emotionlessly.
Chazo, overwhelmed, scoffed cynically at Andreas's unexpected gesture of kindness, attributing Fiona's death to him.
Andreas's response was chilling: "You weren't strong enough, Major Rilke."
The words hit hard, silencing Chazo, who then spent a few moments bidding farewell before being led back inside and returned to the sofa.
As Andreas consumed some stale bread to regain strength, he offered some to Chazo, who defiantly turned his head away.
"If you prefer, I could feed you," Andreas offered emotionlessly, maintaining his calm despite the tension.
Their exchange bordered on mutual respect tinged with sarcasm—a dangerous enemy was, after all, a form of recognition among soldiers.
Andreas held out a piece of bread to Chazo's lips: "Eat."
Chazo turned his head away, defiantly stating, "Just kill me then. I won’t say anything."
“I don’t plan to ask anything now; I’m tired, Major. Don’t test my patience.”
Andreas forcefully grasped Chazo's chin, tightly clenching his jaw, forcing his mouth open before stuffing a piece of bread into it amidst Chazo’s struggles.
“If you spit it out, I’ll dig up Fiona.”
The colonel’s threats were always precise, causing Chazo to shed tears in shock, yet he obediently chewed on the bread.
Damned devil, Nazi, German! An unforgivable demon! If given a chance, he swore to annihilate him, to dismember him thoroughly! Only after cursing Andreas’s entire lineage in his mind did Chazo’s emotions begin to settle slightly.
At this moment, he was unaware that, in the not-so-distant future, Andreas would hand him a gun, offering him the chance to end his life. Yet, when that moment came, he found himself unable to pull the trigger.
Swallowing the bread with immense reluctance, Chazo’s expression was as withered as fallen leaves. Andreas gave him a cold glance, not uttering a word, and walked out to sit alone under the vast twilight sky. The salty sea breeze was bracing, stirring up spectacular waves. Everything remained as it was, unchanged. Their losses would not affect the world; they remained beautiful, with scars etched only in their hearts.
Chazo lifted his gaze, looking through his tears at Andreas’s silhouette. The evening sun tinted his skin red, and in the dimming light, his solitude and sorrow mirrored Chazo’s own. However, unlike him, Andreas stubbornly clung to a faint hope, while Chazo was engulfed in despair.
Lost in thought, Andreas slowly turned around, locking eyes with him from afar. There was no anger, no argument, just mutual recognition as they realized this would be their first night together on this isolated island.
Just the two of them, their first night.
- Writer
