A Ukrainian Girl

I was walking home from the house where I did laundry. The kind Russian lady let me borrow books from her library as long as her officer husband didn’t find out. It was close to curfew in Odessa and I knew this would arouse suspicion. Worse yet, my mother would be angry.    
 
At the corner before my street, a soldier appeared. He had a young and fearful face.  My hoodie was pulled over me and I continued toward my street thinking he’d let a young girl pass or inform his superior.    
   
It was a clean stab into my ribs. His rifle came up from his side so quickly. I only saw it when I felt the sting of his blade. The cold steel remained inside of me as I was pinned against the wall. I wrapped my hands around the barrel of his rifle. He could have shot me but he stood still as if he’d been stabbed too.    
   
I took my hands away from the gun and pulled my hoodie down so he could see me. I whispered, “I was doing laundry and forgot the time.”    
   
His eye watered as he stared into my face. He was a handsome boy and for an instant, I thought how it would have been to make love with him. He seemed to read my face and cried out, “I’m sorry.”  He put one hand against my breasts and pulled the blade from my side.    
   
I felt my face glowing from the memories of my 17 years. Then I felt an orgasmic rush and contractions in my virgin girl parts that made me stumble as if I were drunk. For a moment, my eyes cleared. I smiled kindly into the soldier’s boyish face and then walked past him.  
   
“Please stop,” he said.    
   
I didn’t stop but continued to stagger toward home.    
   
A few seconds later, another soldier stepped into the street. “What is going on? You there, stop!”    
   
I continued to stagger forward and heard the crack of his pistol like I’d heard a hundred other times but this one drove pain through my lower back and I went to my knees.  
      
The boy yelled, "No," then came running to see about me and stood quietly where I knelt.    
   
I looked up into his face. He reached down and cupped my cheek with his cold fingers. My eyes drifted to the sky’s first stars. It was all beautiful in its time, though short. There were no choirs of angels or heavenly gates; no thoughts of eternal punishment or reward.    
   
All went black and silent.    
   
I was no more.