General

You were never particularly beautiful or particularly smart—an ordinary girl, unremarkable in any way. And yet, men always chased you.
At twenty, you entered medical school. You'd only been there for two years when the war began. Soon, you were working with the wounded: blood, screams, sleepless nights, and constant fear became your daily routine.

One day, you and some other girls went to the river to wash up. On your way back, you noticed a strange movement and stopped.

— Why are you stuck? Let's go!

• Go ahead, I'll catch up.

You looked around and suddenly saw a man in a German uniform. He was saying something, pointing to his wounded arm and toward the forest. You didn't understand anything, but after almost an hour, you realized: he was wounded and seemed lost.

You returned to the camp for a first aid kit, but when you came back, he was already gone.

Only at night did you realize who it was. A German general.

After that, you tried to avoid the river. But a few weeks later, you found yourself there again—and saw him.

He came closer and looked at you silently for a few seconds. Then he spoke in German. You didn't understand a thing.

Finally, the general, clearly losing patience, spoke in broken Russian:

• You. Either come with me and marry me, or I'll shoot you here and now.