The Bombing

It was a bright and chilly day down on California's sandy beaches. Kids with overprotective mothers walked down the street bundled up way more than is nessacary. Different color beanies and caps were spread out on people's heads, gloves of different textures were worn. Snow briefly made an appearance, the winds were high and the waves were washing back and forth. Trees swung with the wind while the sand glistened into its own sandstorm. Everyone was carefree for the most part. But others were not. With the war going on in Europe, it seemed that everyone had a different stance on what to think. Hazel's family for example, had a stance on it all. Stay neutral and don't fight back, less lives were lost. But, it didn't really matter what her family thought. War happened anyway. It was December 7th, 1941, Hazel's family was sitting down at the dining table, her father was still at work. Hazel's family was well kept, they had a nice house along with a few pets. Hazel had 2 siblings, her 22 year old brother Jackson, and her 8 year old sister Scarlett. Hazel herself was 18 years old, she had long brown hair and her looks were undeniable. Her eyes were a bright green tone and her height was a little below average. Still, it never stopped Hazel from being adventurous and curious. Her father Henry, was the First Sergeant for the U.S air force. When Hazel was born, he said that he saw a spark in her, a spark for adventure. So, when Hazel was 15 years old, her father took her to work with him. He taught her all the controls and how to fly a plane. Ever since then, Hazel would sneak away with her father and sometimes fly beside him in a plane. This of course was legal but nobody figured out, it was a good secret between her and Henry. Now, she had learned a good chunk on planes that most girls would take years to learn. But, Hazel wasn't normal, she would always climb roofs or jump off things, sometimes she would sneak away into the woods and hide for hours on end, anything to break the basic rules of being a women in the 1940's. Adventure was in her blood, but she also wanted to make a difference. Be someone. She didn't want to be normal, the true fact was that Hazel was far from normal. Now, Hazel sat down at the dinner table surrounded by her family, picking at her mushy orange carrots and the stiff green beans. The night was soon approaching and her father still hadn't returned. Hazel decided not to settle on that thought.

"Why isn't dad home yet mom?" Scarlett asked with a mouth full of food. Mom didn't answer, she just looked outside and looked away hastily.

"He's probably messing around with his buddies like always," Jackson replied. Jackson was probably right but dad has never showed up this late. It was currently 7 p.m. and Henry usually arrived by 5 p.m. by the lastest. Something was definitely wrong.

"Come to think of it, people were acting extremely weird when I went to my doctors office. " Jackson said.

"What time?" Mom asked to quickly. Mom looked anxious, her normal features looked extremely pale. Her hands were trembling along with her bottom lip.

"I don't know mother but it was around 10 a.m. this morning."

If possible, Mom turned more pale. "What is it Mom? Is Dad ok?" Hazel asked. Hazel loved her father very much, to much foresay. But, her dad being in charge of the Air Corps always had its risks. That's one reason why Hazel loved to fly planes for fun. Still though, she couldn't imagine her favorite hobby taking one of her loved ones lives.

"Hazel, eat your food. Don't waste it," Her mom said, bringing Hazel out of her thoughts. Her mom had always been very strict on food, but it wasn't her moms fault. Her mom has lived through ww1 and rationing, it was no wonder her mom was uneasy about wasting food. Throughout dinner, everyone was quiet. The only noise was forks battering against plates and the grasshoppers chirping in the air. The tone in that house felt uneasy, so fragile.

"Mom, may I be excused please?" Hazel asked. Just as soon as Hazel got up from dinner, her father came through the door.

"Hello family," He said as he hung his hat by the doorway. Mom let out a breath of relief. Her color slowly started to return to her face.

"Why so late dear?" Mom asked.

"Just a small problem at work honey."

"Ok, do you want dinner?"

Dad shook his head, "No, but can I please talk to you dear?"

Mom turned pale again but got up on shaky legs and walked over to her trembling husband.

"You to Jackson."

Jackson got up as well. Hazel took a quick glance at her brother but only got a shrug in return. Something was lingering in the air. Was it fear? Or panic? Hazel didn't know but she sure wished she did. Her and Scarlett both sat and waited patiently for their parents and former brother to return. But, after a long and good 30 minutes, Hazel got up and went upstairs to her room. Her room was about as big as a large classroom. Her bed consisted of white sheets and pink plushies. She had a large window overlooking the California sandy beaches, and she had a desk with a pink chair. Hazel sat down on her bed and began to think.

"What could have happened today to worry my dad so much?" Hazel thought. Time was going by extremely slow, the moon was already up in the sky and the seas were restless. No wind lingered in the air except for a small warm breeze. Suddenly, she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in."

Her brother Jackson opened the door and quickly shut it. He looked around with panic, a sudden worry took over Hazel.

"What is it Jackson? Was someone hurt?"

Jackson took a seat next to her, "Hazel.. something very bad happened today."

"What happened?"

"You know the Hawaiian islands and Pearl Harbor?"

Hazel felt intrigued, "Well of course, lots of dad's buddies are there."

Suddenly, the tone in the room broke. Jackson had tears flying down his face, he held back sobs. Worry and panic took over him in waves and his sister looked very confused. If only she knew.

"Jackson, what's wrong?"

Jackson was told not to tell anyone but his sister deserved to know. The lost of lives and the cruelty influenced by the Japanese was to much to handle. There was also the fact that his dad had lost so much in just one day, some many friends and belongings. Hazel sat and watched her brother cry and it broke her heart. The laughter and the simple smiles brought Hazel to miss those small moments and now, she was stuck with three depressed family members about who knows what.

"Jackson, I repeat, what is so wrong?"

"Wyatt is gone, Oliver is gone, THEY ARE ALL GONE!" Jackson screamed with all his might. More tears fell down his already pale cheeks.

"Gone?" Hazel asked. She hoped it wasn't what she thought it was.

Wyatt and Oliver and a few others were dad's best friends. They always called each other every day and met up occasionally. Dad's friends eventually became part of their family. Hazel sometimes would call some of them, her uncle. So, what did Jackson mean by "gone"?

"What, how?"

"Dead. Bombed," Jackson muttered to himself to quietly. The truth was definitely a shock on his system, it was taking a huge toll on him. He always expected death when it came to the military, but now reality hit him. Thousands dead, thousands injured. Thousands of families without fathers and sons.

"Jackson just tell me what you mean by GONE?" Hazel asked rather harshly. Jackson didn't respond, he just shook and kept muttering nonsense beyond belief.

"Jackson just TELL me!" Hazel asked once again but with more desperation. Something was wrong, horribly wrong.

"THEY GOT BOMBED TO DEATH! DEAD! DEAD!," Jackson screamed. Hazel stood shocked, they were dead? That couldn't be right. The war was in Europe, not in America. Then, it hit her. Their poor families and kids, those poor people like her father that learned to love his fellow colleagues very much.

"But, but they had families and children. They had friends!" Hazel said with tears flowing down her cheeks. Their families would never hear the same laugh or see those same eyes ever again. They would never hug or kiss their child ever again, their child would grow up without a father. It wasn't fair to those children and families. Their last hug was a promise broken, they wouldn't return. They would never ever return.

Time passed by and nothing changed. Jackson stood still, no longer shaking. His face was unreadable, his features were still extremely pale. Hazel on the other hand, shook from head to toe. She was not crying but was rather angry. Her poor father had to suffer, those poor families had to suffer, the U.S military had to suffer because of some reckless countries decisions. It wasn't fair, but life itself wasn't fair. She had learned that the hard way.

"I'm gonna go," Jackson said with haste. He started to leave but got Hazel grabbed his arm tightly.

"Are you gonna enlist in the army now?" Hazel asked.

"I don't know, if America does join the war efforts with Great Britain, I will enlist."

There it was, the "if" question. Hazel herself didn't know if America would enter the war, it scared her to think of the future.

"Well, I'm gonna enlist to"

"Hazel, you can't unless your really good but either way, I would feel better if you were safe here at home."

Yet, Jackson knew that Hazel wouldn't stop for anything, he knew that if she truly wanted to, she could. Women were not allowed to enlist, but his sister had something most people did not have. Courage. Hazel could do anything she wanted because she had the right mindset and body for it.

"Well, what I mean to say is that I can't stop you. Its your choice," Jackson said and slammed her door gently. Hazel went back to her her bed and thought. It hurt her more than she let on, those guys were her family and now, they were gone. Forever. Hazel had a good long cry and stared at her ceiling. She was gonna do what those guys couldn't. Help the army and see the end of the war come to a close. She had to. For them, for Wyatt, for Oliver, for her family. For herself.