Chapter Two: Contact

"Wonderful! Welcome to the British Army son." The man shook Alton's hand. He looked back once again at his mother. She stared at him, with angered glassy eyes. Mr.Levies looked a decade older now, and he shook his head, telling the young man not to go. Alton looked around the crowd, and another boy stood up.

"I'll join!" A few shocked gasps rang across the tunnel.

"Me too!" Another boy said.

"I'll do it!" A woman grabbed the last boy's hand.

"What are you doing Tom?! This is war not the Boy Scouts! You'll get shot!" The boy shoved his mother away and walked up to Alton.

"Why did you do that to her? You don't need to do th-"

"For King and Country mate." The boy said, extending his hand out to Alton.

"Thomas Jones."

"Are you the newspaper boy? You threw a paper right into my window!"

"Ah, sorry about that. I was in a bit of a rush and-"

"All right lads, playtime can be later. Go sign in at the desk there. Usually we would send you boys home until basic training day but I'll guess you don't have a home to get to anymore. Come along, we'll get you on a truck out of the city. We'll bring you to Manchester. Take all the time you need to say goodbye, scrounge up your personals and all that." The Captain had approached them. Alton and the other boy Theo, both went back to their mothers.

"Alton Davies. First your father and now you? I will not allow my only child-"

"Mum, I'll be fine. I'm gonna find Dad and bring him home. You'll see!" Alton smiled. Mr.Levies had a dark look on his face.

"War is no place for young men. You don't even know lad. You don't know the first thing about it." Mr.Levies said.

"This War is different! We have-"

"A WAR IS A WAR SON!" Mr.Levies boomed. A few people around them turned around to see the commotion.

"I've known you all your life. You are like a son that I never had. I will not let you die in a war that is not your own."

"And what am I supposed to do? Let my dad die on that beach? Let the fucking Nazis win?"

"Alton!" Doris exclaimed at his language. Mr.Levies suddenly grabbed his collar and slammed him against the bricked wall of the London Underground. Doris yelled.

"Andrew!" Mr.Levies ignored her.

"Now you shut your mouth and listen. War is hell. There will be bombs goin off left and right, bullets will be raining on you. The trenches will be filled with piss, shit and the dead. Disease will probably get you before a German will. Your feet will rot off if you get trench foot. You'll watch your friends die. You will watch innocent civilians die. If you get captured, that's it. You're never coming back. Do I make myself clear Alton?"

"Crystal." Mr.Levies let him go. He sighed and went back to Doris.

"But-" Mr.Levies whipped around.

"I have to take those risks. I have to find my dad." Alton then began to walk toward the registration desk.

"Don't you take one more step." Mr.Levies warned. He walked some more.

"Alton! Get back here this instant!" Doris said. He had the pen in his hand.

"Alton!" Mr.Levies looked at him with disappointment and sadness in his eyes.

"Please. Don't do it."

Alton Theodore Davies, East End London 18 years of age.

"I'll make you proud Mr.Levies! And I'll find Dad!"

The young man was marching off to his death.