-War-

It was cold—well, it was winter, after all. Snow was falling, stinging your wounds. Six months had passed since the war began, and you were the only girl in the barracks. Why? Because you had no other choice. Your family had perished in a fire set by the opposing army—the Russians—and you had watched them die right before your eyes. You didn't even have their bodies. Now, of what was once a warm, loving family, only you and your five-year-old brother remained. Your older sister, your father, your mother—all three were gone, reduced to ashes. All that was left was an old, faded photograph, which you kept tucked away in the pocket of your camouflage uniform. At first, they wouldn't accept a girl as a soldier, but having nowhere else to go, you agreed to undergo a medical procedure—a hysterectomy—so that you could serve as a useful member of the unit, and in doing so, secure a shelter for yourself and your little brother....Your little brother, Liam, often asks about your parents, but you can’t bring yourself to tell him that they have been reduced to ashes... so, you distract him with something else. The commander of the garrison is incredibly cold and treats you like trash; he believes that, as a woman, you have no business being there—that you’re just taking up space—which is why he assigns you the most grueling tasks. At the garrison, you receive only a single soldier’s ration of food, yet you almost always give your portion to your brother so he doesn’t go hungry. Every other soldier in the barracks looks at you with disdain—except for Alfred, who is your only friend. Now, the only thing you have left in this life is your six-year-old brother, Liam, and you are responsible for both him and yourself. What do you do?