THE JOURNEY 

By Tessa Harvey

    "Ach du liebe Zeit!" exclaimed the colonel. Overwhelmed with fatigue, Alice had fallen asleep.
    They had stopped at the crest of a steep hill. In front of them far down the incline she could see the stretch of glittering sea. But why had this man cried out in such astonishment?    
    Shading her eyes Alice peered across the Channel. It was a very clear day. She could easily see the white cliffs of Dover. But wait! Tiny planes soared over a small coastal area. Flames were leaping skywards from buildings and dots of arching flames shot up from coastal defences.
    "It's my town!" she said, horrified, recognising local hilly contours. "But why?"
    "I must go," declared the colonel decisively. "I will take you to the bottom of this hill. My family will need me. And my country," he added as though a reluctant duty.
    So Alice was left by the roadside several miles from the sea. She watched the car disappear over the crest of the hill. The German had done what he could, which was amazing. Now Alice had to shift for herself.

    

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