When Lila woke up she first saw her mother, who had woken her up. She didn't have to ask. Lila knew from the urgency in her mother's face that it was time to go. Lila quickly got out of bed, shivering at the cold in the air. The girl thought of how quite it was in the house without her father and oldest brother, but she was use to it. They had been away at the war for a while now. Lila had one job: to take care of her younger brother.

She walked over to his crib now, where he lay asleep. She carefully took the baby out and dressed him in many layers to keep him warm. When she was finished, she dressed herself. The girl's house was small, just big enough to keep her parents, her brothers, and herself comfortable. There was a small fire going in the place where they all slept. Next to it was a doorway that led to the kitchen where the girl's mother was packing food and baking small cakes.

The girl felt a pang of sadness as she thought of how her birthday plans would be ruined, though her birthday was not until the spring. She would be turning seven and would be starting school. She was very excited and had already bought her uniform, which she wore under her heavy coat. The girl had a feeling that the war would not be over by the time she would be old enough to start school.

By the time the girl was finished getting ready the sun was starting to come up. She walked into the kitchen and saw her mother wrapped up a small cake that had just come out of the oven. The girl's mother was humming to herself while packing up the rest of the food. But the girl could tell it was not a happy song. It reminded her of something she heard at her aunt's funeral. She sat in a chair holding the baby.

Suddenly the girl remembered something. She went back into the room where they all slept, and walked over to the baby's crib. The inside of the crib was empty now because all of the baby's blankets were now on the baby. Except for a teddy bear. The girl had left it for last because it was the baby's favorite, and it used to be hers. Her parents gave it to to the girl when she was two.

The toy was a soft blue, which looked nice besides the bland crib. The bear's face had button eyes and a stitched in smile. When the girl was little she named the bear Cozy after the town. The town was nicknamed Cozy Town because they lived so close together and everyone knew each other. But the girl wouldn't bring back those memories now. She quickly put the bear with the baby and went back into the kitchen.

Her mother was waiting for her. Without saying a word she opened the door. A wave of heat hit her in the face. The girl blinked sand out of her eyes. Next came a deafening sound that was none other than an explosion. The girl and her mother were thrown back. After getting up, her mother quickly explained what they had to do: get away from the town. The girl nodded, then looked down, to see that the baby had woken up. He had a frown on his face and looked like he was about to cry. She quickly tickled the baby making him laugh. The girl smiled, despite it all.

She looked up at her mother who's eyes were sad. Again, her mother didn't say anything. She walked out onto the first step and the girl followed. Outside there was nothing to see. Dust brought up form the explosion was scattered everywhere making sight almost impossible. The girl could see shadows of a few of other people doing the same thing as they were. But everyone was waiting, for something. Her mother pointed to something on the other side of the street, a building. She told the girl to run over to it.

When the sand settled, she ran. When she was halfway across, there was another explosion closer to her than before. The girl stumbled but stayed on her feet. With new dust in the air, she couldn't see where she was going. The girl tried to aim for the building but ended up to the right of it. She landed in some bushes. She closed her eyes and waited for her mother to come. She didn't want to look and see all the damage the explosion had done. For a second, the girl didn't think her mother was coming. But soon she heard footsteps and someone land in the dirt next to her. Without opening her eyes, the girl could tell it was her mother.

In the distance she could hear something that sounded like a helicopter landing. The sound was almost as loud as the explosions. The girl opened her eyes to see sand coming up from the left side of her, but buildings blocked her view of the the aircraft. The girl's mother told her to lay down and be as still as possible. She did as she was told, being careful with the baby.

In the direction that the helicopter had landed came voices. They were speaking a language that the girl did not understand. She could hear doors opening as houses and stores were looked in. For what?, the girl wondered.Then she heard the door to the building not too far away from her open. The girl knew without looking that the building was the bakery where she and her mother went at the beginning of the week to get bread. Inside there was yelling and screaming. And then a mini explosion that had to be none other than a gun shot.

The sound made the girl jump. As she did, the baby cried out. She heard the voices of the people as they stepped out of the bakery. She could hear two pairs of footsteps walk trough rocks and sand. They stopped about twenty feet away from the girl, her mother, and the baby. The girl held her breath. The people talked for a second. Then there gun shots again, but this time aimed at them. The girl could hear bullet hit rocks and bushes around her.

Soon it finished. The people talked for a second, then left. The girl waited until she was sure they were gone, and then got up. Once she was sure she was alright, the girl went over to her mother, who was on her back. "Mama, Mama! Get up, they're gone." She whispered, shaking her mother. But her mother did not get up. She then saw a spot in the center of her back, where blood was now coming out of. The girl drew her hand back and bit her lip to keep from saying anything. She barely noticed tears rolling down her face. She turned her mother over and closed her eyes. Making sure the baby didn't see, the girl turned and ran for the forest.

The girl was not even out of the town when she realized that she felt something cold on her leg. The sun was setting so it was hard to see what it was. She figured out that it was coming from the baby. She smiled. His diaper must need changing, she thought. The people would not be coming in her direction anytime soon so she decided she had time. She started taking off the baby's blankets. As she got them all off she felt something cold: the baby's leg. She quickly felt for anything that would tell her that the baby was alive, but there was nothing. Instead there was a bullet hole in his stomach that went right through the blankets.

Clenched inside the baby's hand was the stuffed bear. The girl took it out of the baby's hand carefully, as if it was made of glass. All the memories of the town she had known forever came back. The girl closed her eyes, but this time she did not cry. She dug a grave for the baby, and then placed him inside. The baby was wrapped in blankets again. She lay the bear on top. She put a mound of dirt at it's head. She stud up realizing that she was on a hill. She looked at the grave and at the town. Smoke was coming up from multiple buildings. She could hear yelling and gun shots. The girl thought of her family and the town, all at once. But she knew she had to leave. The girl thought of one thing to say. "Goodbye Cozy." She whispered.