The war was nearly over, and the ruined village where Sgt. Pete Kruger's squad was currently billeted was one of the last steps to victory. After making sure the town was secure, Sgt. Kruger found a rickety table and began to have his dinner.
From out of the destroyed town, three children appeared and took seats around the table. Kruger assumed the children were related and they gazed at him silently. He took some food from his pack and distributed it among the three.
The children ate quietly and their delicate table manners seemed out of place in a world of devastation. An old married couple emerged from out of the smoke and took chairs next to the children. Sgt. Kruger gave them a loaf of bread.
The next arrival was a young woman. Kruger could tell that she had once been very beautiful, but the war and years of privation had taken its toll. He gave her the last of his rations. While the unusual group ate, one of Kruger's men came up and informed him that they were moving out.
Sgt. Kruger gathered up his gear and said goodbye to his dinner companions. An odd feeling caused him to look back, but there was nothing to be seen besides a broken table.
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