January, 1945.

The dull *krump* *krump* of artillery rolled like thunder in the distant horizon as the two men silently gazed at the tombstone before them, hearts unbearably crushing in agony whilst crows soar overhead seemingly laughing at their misery as though it didn’t mattered. That it was insignificant. Gerhard hated crows.

"Albert…. Why did you have to do this to us!", the kneeling figure cried out, his voice barely containing the grief coursing through his body.

"Dieter…. We must leave soon", Gerhard whispered softly.

"But bruder ….. how…how can I explain to mother that I let him out of my sight for only a moment… and now this. One of her sons is DEAD!", Dieter wailed.

Gerhard gazed up into the darkening sky which throbbed and flashed with enemy bombers being peppered by a soaring hail of flak, the orange streaks racing high into the air to explode against their hulls. Already Prussia was being bombarded in preparation for the unstoppable Russian offensive steamrolling through the German lines in the east. Thousands of men were dying at this moment all to buy time for the evacuation.

"We… we are probably not long for this world too. The Russians are only days away from Tirschtiegel but Vater und mutter are refusing to evacuate with the other refugees. Our little sister Anne is trying to convince them but they are being way too stubborn. Saying that this is our land and that the Russians can never evict a von Natzmer from his birthright without first paying in blood", Gerhard shook his head in disbelief.

"Like the Russkies will care about rights…. They are here for vengeance. Soon our people will bleed for what we have done in Russia"

"You believe we won't win this, Gerhard?", his brother turned his head to look at him, eyes red from weeping.

"… I am just a realist. Hitler is a dreamer. We are losing this war because of his madness. And now… there is no place that is safe. At least Hannah and Hermann are in Berlin right now, thank gott "

"So.. it's finally the end, is it?"

Gerhard glanced at his brother briefly before turning to look at the tombstone of his little brother. All that remained of the studious and serious little brother.

"Albert…. You should have gone to university like papa wanted…", Gerhard muttered hoarsely.

Soon it began to rain, the air smelling like iron and ash as the war slowly crept closer to German homes, acting finally as a signal for Dieter to rise shakily. Seeing this, Gerhard put his officer's cap on before walking towards the grave and depositing an old sketchbook and pen, belongings of a once promising future now snuffed out before its time.

"Dieter", Gerhard grasped his other little brother, the last one he had left and said, "I hope your division gets out of here in one piece"

"What about you? What is the Großdeutschland ordered to do this time?", Dieter demanded bitterly.

Gerhard smiled sadly as he replied, "We are to hold at all cost. Come lets not talk about this and return back to our units. The men need us for the dark days to come".

As they began walking away, Gerhard turned around one last time and said in parting to Albert's grave, "Brother… don’t stay too comfortable, it looks like I will be seeing you again shortly. I won't leave you alone in Himmel for too long"

Only the pitter patter of rain was the reply to the disappearing backs of the two war weary men.