Eloise is a very beautiful girl indeed

Eloise is a very beautiful girl indeed

fiction
edward w pritchard

Eloise is a very beautiful girl indeed. Father will be upset with me, although a rich man Father will not be happy with his favorite train being destroyed and the loss of life of me his son and Eloise, who should her and I and Father's train get out of here in Western France alive, Eloise who will be my Bride as soon as it can be arranged.

Luck has turned against me. Luck which I always before counted on has placed me and Eloise and Father's favorite train of his fleet in the middle of the fighting in World War one in August of 1914. Of course I am not so stupid as to put Eloise my love at risk without proper cause. She lives in France and as the War has escalated I have risk my life traveling from my home in Russia to rescue her from the small town near Verdun France where she lives and the War has chosen to surround.

We were safe a few hours ago. Ten miles from the fighting, the Germans and the French were dug into  trenches going nowhere and us charging through this area by train at top speed. Then the front shifted. We now sit trapped on the elevated track in the third car of Father's small expensive train with Germans to our right and French and a few British to our left. Soldiers placed logs in front and back of the train when we stopped to avoid the cannon fire. There is a lull in the horrible carnage of battle and both sides are scurrying about  rapidly to retrench, gather the wounded and dieing and prepare for the next stage of battle. Meanwhile Eloise and I are sitting ducks. We calmly sitting in plain sight for all to see are eating our extravagant lunch. We are alive I am sure because of Eloise' beauty. Eloise has on a beautiful chiffon pink Summer dress and it is so out of character and place that I am sure the soldiers do not know how to perceive us. Maybe they literally can't see us for they have been ignoring us for half an hour.

The situation has changed for a badly wounded French soldier has been slowly crawling toward the train for a few minutes in plain sight of both armies. He is very close to the train now and I can see he is young with a handsome face and blue eyes. Eloise is taking him some water. There is nearly complete silence as both armies watch the poignant scene unfold.

Twenty five years later Eloise and I are talking to our only son in St Petersburg, Russia. Our son has signed up to fight in World War two against the Germans. I am desperately trying to tell my son about his Grandfather's train, his Mother's pink dress and the dieing French soldier. My son is very handsome and his eyes are bewitching like his Mothers as he smiles at me. I cannot find the words to say what I desperately wish to express.
end