Chapter One:
Five years ago:
The sun beats down on my back as I stand in line next to a tall man with a large nose. I try not to look at him, but my eyes won’t stop staring. I try to look without moving my head at all. He looks like a normal man; there is nothing evil about him. How can people think he or anyone else here is evil? Do the soldiers look at me and see an evil abomination? They would be wrong, if they do, because I am not one of them. I am not Jewish. This is all a mistake, a complete and horrible mistake.
Sweat starts to drip down my face, but not from the heat. It isn’t even that hot out. It’s from my nerves. My heart pounds ferociously in my chest as the Nazi’s move down the line of people, asking-no, demanding for their names and age.
I can feel my tears run down my face but I don’t dare move. So, I let my tears fall and dry on my cheeks.
“Stop crying, Maria, stop. Think of mom. Be brave, Maria, be brave.” I murmur so quietly no one but the big nosed man beside me can hear.
My words do no good, I think as my lip quivers. I can’t be brave. My mother was just killed in front of me. I don’t even understand why I’m here. I’m not Jewish, I promise. Or, maybe I am, I don’t think I am, but we were hiding under the staircase in a closet when they came. Why would my mother hide us if we weren’t bad?
A man with crooked teeth stands in front of me, the man from my home, I recognize.
“Name and age,” he says gruffly.
“Maria Kaiser, thirteen,” I say as loudly as I can.
Two Years Ago:
Things might be looking up. There is this young man and he is nice to me, when we are alone, of course. But even when we are not alone, I can feel his gaze on me. He stares at me with an underlying protection only I can see. He makes me laugh. He makes me forget.
We met when it was his day to take us out to the fields. I slipped and fell right in front of him. He bent down and I felt myself flinch because I thought he was going to yell or hit me because his face was contorted with anger.
“Are you alright?” He had whispered in anger, probably to make it seem like he was scolding me in a low voice.
I nodded numbly before standing up. His face was cold but his eyes were sympathetic.
“I’m James,” he mouthed before he turned to address the rest of the people.
Now he still looks at me with that same hard expression, but I can always tell it’s an act because his eyes are kind. He has to do the night watches for my cabin, he stands right outside my window and we talk, very, very quietly. He barely moves his mouth when he talks. But I can hear him perfectly.
He believes me, too. He believes that I don’t belong here and he reassures me that the war can’t last forever.
Present Day:
“ Maria, come here darling, we have to hide.” The mother quickly ushered the auburn haired girl under the staircase.
“Why mom?” The confused thirteen old asked as she is quickly shoved under the staircase.
“The soldiers are on their way, please be quiet sweetheart.” The mother’s hand nervously ran through the child’s curls as the other one covered the girls’ mouth.
Heavy footsteps entered the house, they paused for a moment then a door was thrown open. Maria let out a small whimper, which was quickly silenced by her mother. The footsteps walked up the stairs which made dust fall down into Maria’s emerald eyes and onto her nose. A faint sneeze escaped from Maria’s mouth.
This time, the footsteps ran down the stairs and then the door is flown open, light pours into the tiny closet under the staircase. Suddenly, her mother is ripped away from Maria. She tried to hide in the shadows but she was pulled out. Her stomach scraped against a jagged piece of wood. Her mother started to fight and scream at them.
“Please! We aren’t one of them. Please, you’re making a mistake!” Her mother cried out as the soldiers struggled to get a grip on her.
“Then why you were hiding, eh?” One asked, he had greasy
Five years ago:
The sun beats down on my back as I stand in line next to a tall man with a large nose. I try not to look at him, but my eyes won’t stop staring. I try to look without moving my head at all. He looks like a normal man; there is nothing evil about him. How can people think he or anyone else here is evil? Do the soldiers look at me and see an evil abomination? They would be wrong, if they do, because I am not one of them. I am not Jewish. This is all a mistake, a complete and horrible mistake.
Sweat starts to drip down my face, but not from the heat. It isn’t even that hot out. It’s from my nerves. My heart pounds ferociously in my chest as the Nazi’s move down the line of people, asking-no, demanding for their names and age.
I can feel my tears run down my face but I don’t dare move. So, I let my tears fall and dry on my cheeks.
“Stop crying, Maria, stop. Think of mom. Be brave, Maria, be brave.” I murmur so quietly no one but the big nosed man beside me can hear.
My words do no good, I think as my lip quivers. I can’t be brave. My mother was just killed in front of me. I don’t even understand why I’m here. I’m not Jewish, I promise. Or, maybe I am, I don’t think I am, but we were hiding under the staircase in a closet when they came. Why would my mother hide us if we weren’t bad?
A man with crooked teeth stands in front of me, the man from my home, I recognize.
“Name and age,” he says gruffly.
“Maria Kaiser, thirteen,” I say as loudly as I can.
Two Years Ago:
Things might be looking up. There is this young man and he is nice to me, when we are alone, of course. But even when we are not alone, I can feel his gaze on me. He stares at me with an underlying protection only I can see. He makes me laugh. He makes me forget.
We met when it was his day to take us out to the fields. I slipped and fell right in front of him. He bent down and I felt myself flinch because I thought he was going to yell or hit me because his face was contorted with anger.
“Are you alright?” He had whispered in anger, probably to make it seem like he was scolding me in a low voice.
I nodded numbly before standing up. His face was cold but his eyes were sympathetic.
“I’m James,” he mouthed before he turned to address the rest of the people.
Now he still looks at me with that same hard expression, but I can always tell it’s an act because his eyes are kind. He has to do the night watches for my cabin, he stands right outside my window and we talk, very, very quietly. He barely moves his mouth when he talks. But I can hear him perfectly.
He believes me, too. He believes that I don’t belong here and he reassures me that the war can’t last forever.
Present Day:
“ Maria, come here darling, we have to hide.” The mother quickly ushered the auburn haired girl under the staircase.
“Why mom?” The confused thirteen old asked as she is quickly shoved under the staircase.
“The soldiers are on their way, please be quiet sweetheart.” The mother’s hand nervously ran through the child’s curls as the other one covered the girls’ mouth.
Heavy footsteps entered the house, they paused for a moment then a door was thrown open. Maria let out a small whimper, which was quickly silenced by her mother. The footsteps walked up the stairs which made dust fall down into Maria’s emerald eyes and onto her nose. A faint sneeze escaped from Maria’s mouth.
This time, the footsteps ran down the stairs and then the door is flown open, light pours into the tiny closet under the staircase. Suddenly, her mother is ripped away from Maria. She tried to hide in the shadows but she was pulled out. Her stomach scraped against a jagged piece of wood. Her mother started to fight and scream at them.
“Please! We aren’t one of them. Please, you’re making a mistake!” Her mother cried out as the soldiers struggled to get a grip on her.
“Then why you were hiding, eh?” One asked, he had greasy
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