One night I went for walk, I live on a farm. I was walking through the trees on my farm. I normally sneak out to go swimming in our beautiful blue lake, it’s most amazing at night with the moon glowing on the lake and all the wildlife around. It’s usually quiet there but on this peculiar night there were cars and I could hear people yelling but it wasn’t my parents so I ran to find out what was going on and there was army people everywhere, yelling at everyone to get into the truck and that they’ll be going to a safer place.
I was scared nothing had ever happened here, I was wondering what was going on and where were they taking everyone?, were the army for our country or was it a trap? When I saw my parents my dad saw me and yelled ran and that we weren’t safe here anymore. One boy my age saw me and went after me he made sure he was being followed. I came to a stop when I came to the tree where I always hid and no-one had ever found me even when I was being followed so I thought I was safe.
I heard the trucks and airplanes all around me I sat down and was quiet as I could have been but the boy who followed me saw me go to my tree and he grabbed me and grabbed my mouth so I wouldn’t scream. He explained that we were in a war and that nobody was safe here because it would be the first to be taken over by the Japanese. I wouldn’t go with him I couldn’t let my farm get destroyed. The boy picked me up and I started screaming but I stopped when he dropped me and got his gun out.
I went back into the tree and pulled him into it. I told him to climb but he wouldn’t until I did, so I climbed and he followed he looked out of a crack in the bark and told me not to make a noise. I fell even more scared when he told me that, I got a tear in my eye and it ran down my cheek on his pale dirty face. He looked up at me and he told me we’ll get help and that I shouldn’t worry, but I couldn’t help it there was only two of us and god only knows how many Japanese soldiers were there.
Suddenly the boy climbed back down so I did the same, he held me close to him and called for backup. He introduced himself as Mark and I told him my name which is Felicia. We heard cars and guns shooting and Mark never let me go and the cars got closer he put me on the back of one right next to him and he didn’t let go of my hand. They went back to the safe zone and Mark got in so much trouble from his leader, but he just said back he was saving an innocent person.
He walked out and grabbed my hand, he was basically pulling me just to get away from everyone else. He asked me who he wanted to stay with and I said no one I want to go home, and he just shook his head he took me back to his room and sat me down on his bed. He called for some clothes and a few minutes later someone came with a rack of clothes to chose from and they were fancy and they had a rack of fancy underwear as well.
I chose some clothes out and I chose some under wear when Mark left the room. I hid the underwear in between the clothes. He said you can put your clothes over there and I was confused. He added to that you’ll stay with me I’ll get another bed set up. I didn’t say a word and he walked up to me and gave me a hug. I don’t know why but I started crying on his shoulder, and he just held me tighter. When I finished crying he got called out on duty and he told me not to wait for him.
The bed got set up and I got into bed then later that night I heard the door getting unlocked and mark came in. He was even dirtier and I saw bullets were gone from his belt. I got up took the gun of him and he told me to go back to bed but I wouldn’t. I made him some food and got some clothes for him when he got out the shower. Mark was surprised but I did it for him every time he got back. One day he looked so bad he was even bleeding, I helped into the shower and covered the cut on his head.
He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me close to him and he kissed me, I kissed him back and told him to be careful next time. I didn’t and still don’t want to lose him. His leader walked in the room and saw him with a towel around him, his cut covered and me standing right beside him. The leader was shocked to see him all clean and his cut covered up, he just wouldn’t stop looking at us. Mark told him that I wasn’t going anywhere without him no matter what anybody had said and he kept to that.

Mark’s leader just walked out after that and mark just held me and kissed me again. I told him to go to bed but he didn’t until I did so I went to bed then he did but he didn’t go to sleep he just watched me, I kept tossing and turning then I got up and I got in bed with Mark and he put his arm around me then he went to sleep. In the morning there was someone at the door and it was someone who got sent with a double bed and Mark and that other boy set the bed up while I had a shower.
I was still in the shower when the finished and Mark hoped in with me said it was unfair that I saw him naked and he didn’t see me. So we were even we saw each other naked. When we got out he took me to where the town was and my best friend saw me holding his hand so she didn’t say anything and the girls who didn’t like me were acting all nice but were all over Mark like I wasn’t even there. My parents saw me with them and they walked up to us and my father thanked him for bringing her safely here.
My parents didn’t know where I was staying but the new I would be safe where ever it was they trusted me, I was seventeen and they me with their whole lives. Mark got called back to base and he said he would come and get me when he came back. When he left I went up to my friends Violet and Xavier I told them what happened and Violet was jealous and was acting mean to me so I just walked away. Xavier followed me and told me that she’ll get over it everyone will.
Xavier and my parents were the people that were nice to from that day on. We all had dinner together and then Mark showed up and said to me that he had the night off. So we went back to our room back at the base and we sat down and watch a few movies together and just had fun. That night me and Mark got really close, we would never leave each other’s side unless it was to work. I also found out that he only joined the army because his parents were both in the army and died in war.
Mark told me he would quit when the war was over that’s all he wanted to do was to help people out and complete on war he wanted to do that for his parents. We went to bed late and got woken up early the next morning people were yelling and screaming, someone just got shot. They were really good because that person was the first in five days and five nights. I wouldn’t let Mark so he couldn’t go see who it was or see if he could help. He just smiled and held me back, he even kissed me on the forehead and made me loosen my grip. He stayed with me until he had to go. I didn’t know what to do I was so worried and I just cooked and cleaned I had to get my mind off him getting hurt.
I heard yelling and shouting again and I ran out the room and it was Mark’s leader he yelled at me get inside, get inside and then around the corner people came rushing with someone else it was Mark, it wasn’t as bad as his leader but he had to get sent back to his home until he healed. I went with him I packed both our things, said good-bye to my parents and we were gone by night fall. Mark got shot in his leg and he was lucky but he broke that same leg when he fell because he fell in a ditch.
When we arrived in Darwin we went straight to the hospital. Mark was in pain and I couldn’t stand the sight when they were moving him one place to another. After Mark was treated we found out that his leader didn’t make it he died on the flight over to here. Mark was weak and he still wanted to do more. I felt like it was my fault even though he kept saying I wasn’t the one who shot him. I stayed at his house and I cooked and cleaned for him until he was better. He was better a few months later and he got sent back but he wouldn’t let me go with him.
My town was starting to settle back into their own homes and my parents were wondering where I was. I received a letter from Mark saying the war was over and he sent someone for me and he will arrive in a few days. I needed to help people clean and repair the town and Mark new that. So a few days after that letter arrived a man came to the door and asked for my bags and he loaded them in the back of the car and drove me to the airport. A few hours I landed back in my home town and my parent, Xavier and Mark were waiting for me I ran to them, hugged them all and kissed Mark in front of everyone, they were all surprised but they knew that would happen.
That night my mother and I made the most beautiful and delicious dinner we had ever made and that night Mark proposed, I was most shocked and speechless. After a minute or two I said yes and we were engaged for eighteen months until we had a beautiful white traditional wedding. All our friends and family were there and my parents were tearing and everything was perfect.