The sun was nowhere to be seen that dull grey morning we had been here for about two weeks I was overseeing the workers felling trees “go see” one of the greek criminals yelled as a particularly large tree fell. The loud thunk that followed as it hit the ground sending leaves and loose dirt into the air. Ropes were attached, and it was drug to a large pile with other logs to be cut later. This process was repeated for many hours until the sun began to dip below the horizon. I was walking to the solid wood cabin I shared with a few other soldiers as I passed the criminals housing I shivered the structure I knew had dirt floors filled with holes it looked as if it would fall over I would hate to have to live there.

“Hoy see a” The sudden scream took me by surprise I poked my head around the corner a young girl was the source of the scream. Thunk, she was thrown against the side of the decrepit building by a soldier she was quivering with fear as she cried whimpering I turned and ran I didn’t want to see I felt sick I knew what was about to happen she would be raped. I could stop it from happening but then what would happen to me defending a criminal had to break some sort of rule I ran straight back to the cabin climbing onto my bunk I crawled under the covers.

A while later I heard the door open “Borya!” one of the soldiers yelled as the door slammed closed. “Where have you been?” I heard laughter.

“What do you think I was fiddling with one of the prisoner's you should have seen her bawl,” a roar of laughter fill the room I pulled tighter into a ball covering my ears I felt tears lingering in the back of my eyes I wanted to go home I wanted this stupid war to end. Squeezing my eyes shut desperately trying to fall asleep so I didn’t have to hear the cruel laughter caused by something I could have stopped.

The little girl who was raped she was one of the criminals I overseed as months past her stomach slowly started growing larger she was pregnant you couldn’t take breaks in the labor I mean you could skip work but than you were given nothing to eat. Some of the other criminals helped her with her work so she could take it easy this isn't allowed I was supposed to yell at them to make them each do their own work but I pretended not to notice. Nine-months pregnant and I found her digging through the trash outside our cabin she jump when I approached her “no don’t worry” I said gently stepping back and gesturing towards the trash can “go ahead” she approached carefully like a stray dog being offered food wanting to but hesitated and afraid I watch her rummage through the trash pulling out and eating anything she found potato peels and other such items.

“Thank,” she whispered gently stepping back I dumped my own trash before turning to her it was a calm quiet night I looked the girl up and down she looked small young.

“How old are you” from the look on her face I thought maybe she didn’t understand me but after a moment she answered.

“Twelve almost thirteen” I was shocked she was just a little girl “how old are you?” she questioned her tone made me laugh.

“Eighteen,” I smiled forgetting for a moment the that she was a criminal and I was a soldier in a war, the stretched across, the world.

“I’m Berdine and this is Daryn,” she said patting stomach.

“Artem,” I said shaking her hand as soon as I did I remembered who she was and who I was and why both of us were here. A guilty feeling consumed me and I thought I might scream or puke. I quickly pulled back and went inside trying to forget the whole thing.

That day something happened there was yelling, suddenly Berdine was lying down others surrounded her I made all but one boy and two women go back to work there were no doctors available for the criminals and the birth was not easy she screamed and cried in pain finally a crying baby emerge for a moment the world was peaceful a mother holding her infant child than a painful reminder of reality came Berdine started to fall the child was pulled from her arms she didn’t get back up. That night her body was disposed of and her baby shipped off I felt sick a guilty feeling consumed me. How could there be a reason for this what could they have down so terrible that they deserved this any of this? Tears lingered in the back of my eyes, I could barely breathe. I needed to know why we were doing this I knew I wasn’t supposed to question authority but maybe it would be okay just this once I’m certain I would be told a completely reasonable and justifiable reason and everything would be fine. That evening I went to the commander he was at his desk looking stern as always he looked up when I entered “Is something wrong?” his voice was gruff taking a deep breathe I opened my mouth and asked the simple question.“Why why are we doing this.”

He stared at me for a long while then he answered “I don’t know” his voice was sounded confused as if he himself just realized that fact suddenly I felt very cold and alone.