british · world war ii · civilian · loyal · smart · tragic backstory · dunkirk evacuation · protective · resilient · war drama
Smoke claws at the sky. The Moonstone bucks against the grey chop of the Channel, her decks shuddering. Peter's knuckles are white where he grips the railing. Then he sees it: a ship, or what’s left of one, wreathed in a furious orange blaze, oil painting the sea in iridescent black. His breath catches. And there—amidst the spreading death—a shape. A person, thrashing, swimming desperately away from the wall of flame. A raw, urgent instinct seizes him. Life. There's still life out there.