1942, June 9th. I’m laying in bed listening to the dreadful noise of the radio static. “Eli! Dinner!” I hear come from down the stairs, followed by the sound of the raindrops tapping on the fogged windows and the metal-plated rooftop. 

        I stand up with a sigh;  probably bread and vegetables. It's all you can really get around these days.  It is especially hard because we people are not allowed inside most grocery stores, so Aunt Mae has to pick up our groceries for us. I just turned 13 a couple of weeks ago, and we can’t even get cake.

         Anne, my sister, is only eight years old and has been homeschooled since her school had stopped welcoming Jews into their community. Aunt Mae has been looking after us since Ma’ and Pa’ went out together one night; they didn't end up coming back.   Aunt Mae is a real peach though, she helped us sew our stars on our jackets, and she helps us with school work. 

        I start my way down the stairs, and then the wretched smell of canned vegetables shoots up my nose. I gag, but I take my final step to be greeted at the dinner table by Aunt Mae and Anne. It brings a smile to my face to see them together. I take a deep breath and sit down.

         “I know, Eli, I'm sick of eating this too, but you know how hard it is with all the…” Aunt Mae stutters, but I stop her there. 

        “It's alright, we know you're trying your best.” She gives me a hesitant smile and looks at Anne.

         “Anne, Dear, why haven't you touched your food?” Anne sits there in silence for a minute and then speaks. 

        “I miss Ma’ and Pa.’ How could they just leave us like that?” It’s been a month since their disappearance, and whenever we bring them up, Aunt Mae always gives the same exact answer. 

        “I don't know, Hun.” After she responds she looks down at the beat-up flats she wears everywhere she goes and starts biting her lip like she wants to say something, but she's just hiding it. We sit there in silence for the rest of dinner.

        I flutter my eyes open the next morning, and I hear the birds singing and the sound of loud banging coming from down the steps. What could possibly be that noise? Aunt Mae is a simple independent woman who you can't even imagine depending on a man in a billion years. Aunt Mae and Ma’ had a rough childhood, so any sudden move you make near them makes her jump. I walk downstairs, and with each step I take another creek comes from this old shackle of a house. I look at the clock.  8:42 shoot, I'm late. I grab my bags and a piece of toast and leave without saying goodbye to anyone.

         I run to catch a bus, and there we go, on my way to one of my getaway places, school. The school was my favorite even before the Nazis invaded; my favorite thing about school is the books. When I read a book it just feels like I'm being taken away into a never-ending sea of words that gives you a light hope and motivation, or maybe it’s just me. I hop off the bus swiftly and make my way to school. I walk past students in the hall, and all eyes are locked on my jacket.  Then suddenly all the students go into a faint whisper, and as their concerned looks grow the bell makes its first ring, and all the students scramble off. I trot on to my first class of the day.

        “Eli, wake up!” screams my teacher, Mr.Smith. I open my eyes to be greeted by Mr.Smith’s particularly bald head and big bushy eyebrows, but something is wrong.  As I take a minute to fully awaken myself I look around to see that he isn't smiling;  he’s… worried. 

        “What? Is everything okay, Mr. Smith?” I ask. 

        “Hurry, come with me, boy,” Mr.Smith whispers. We quietly make our way down the halls, and then all of a sudden loud gunshots echo the halls. What the hell is that? Our quiet speed walk is now turning into a sprint, trying to get away from whatever just happened down the hall.

         “Mr.Smith, what is happening?” I ask in a confused and concerned tone.

        “Eli, the Nazis-” He pauses and starts to softly whisper, “They’re after you and all the other Je-” He stops suddenly when the door is smashed open. Three tall, lengthy men with guns and red swastika symbols on their suits are standing in the doorway. Everything feels so surreal; my heart is racing as I watch Mr.Smith get shot repeatedly, and blood splatters on my yellow star. I sit there, frozen; I don't know what to do or what to say.  What happened to Aunt Mae? She needs me. 

        “Please don't kill me, please I have a family to go home to!” I sob. They pick me up, and as I get dragged down the corridor, all I can see through my blurred vision is red, and the last thing I remember is a soldier raising his gun to strike me.

        I awake to the sound of quiet chatter from around me; the smell is dreadful. There are a couple of older men around me; they are filthy and look like they haven't eaten in some while.

       I reach to touch my head, and I find myself touching skin and skin only. Where is my hair? I have so many questions, but all I can think about is my Aunt Mae and Anne; how will they react to my absence? My questions turn into a panic very quickly.  I struggle to breathe, I start to sweat uncontrollably, and my heart starts to race. A young man in my bunk starts to notice. “Hey bud, look at me,” he says in a calm voice; I look up at him.  “Everything will be alright. My name is Eddie, what's your name?”

        “M-My name i-is E-E-Eli,” I manage to squeeze out. Eddie then looks at me, and he slowly opens his arms, and then I just crash. I take no time to wrap my arms around him tight as tears flow down my face like a waterfall. Pa’ always told me that men don't cry, and instead they fight through it, but right now I don't know if I’ll be able to. As night slowly flows to morning I lay awake in my bunk trying to think of any and every reasonable answer to my many questions.

        I blink my eyes as the sun pours into my bunk and turn to find Eddie standing there with a smile on his face, “Mornin,’ Eli, it's time to head out to the fields.” I stand up and slowly walk out with Eddie.  The rotten stench of burnt flesh hits my nose, but I fight through it and continue walking,

         “Hm, I wonder, there was a hole in this exact spot the other day. I guess they fixed it?” Eddie says in a low and confused tone, and then he takes his right foot and stomps on where this supposed hole was; after he stops stomping we continue walking. “You know, almost every night, a couple of people get transported to a better camp with good food and water,” Eddie said with a smile. 

        Eddie is a sweet young man, and he tells me stories about his two daughters, but whenever I ask their whereabouts he tears up a little and says, “Everything is gonna be okay, they’re in a safe place right now.” I’m used to people lying to me and telling me everything will be okay because nine out of ten times I know it's not really going to be okay. 

        “ELI!” I hear someone yell. I look up to see… Ma’ and Pa’? I let out a squeal like a little girl getting her dream doll at her birthday party. I run as fast as I can and wrap my arms around them, never letting go; I squeeze and I squeeze, tears filling my eyes as they rub my buzzed head. I take a deep breath and look at them.   I can see their ribcages through the holes in their clothes that are almost the size of a grapefruit. I introduce my parents to Eddie, 

        “Ma’, Pa’? This is Eddie, I met him when I got here.” Eddie stuck his hand out and shook hands with them.

        “Nice to meet you, Eddie,” they say with a smile; we continue making our way to the fields.

        My heart is warm, filled with joy and love. Before my parents and I parted our ways I gave Ma’ a kiss on the cheek and Pa’ a hug goodnight, knowing I'll see their faces when I awaken. I sleep in my bunk peacefully, feeling a sort of happiness rush through me, I sleep with a smile on my face.

        “EVERYONE WAKE UP!” I turn my head to see a Nazi soldier rounding up people in my bunk. I speedily stand up and obey what the soldier says.  As I turn my head I see Eddie walking away with the soldier in a line with many other people. I quickly catch up and start marching along with the rest of the group, 

        “Eddie?” I ask, “Where are we going exactly?” He turns to me and smiles. 

        “Remember that camp I told you about?” he questions.  I nod my head but am confused about where he is getting at. “Eli, we are about to go through disinfection and bathe before we leave for the camp!” Eddie exclaims, “I get to see my daughters again!” 

        I look down at the ground; no, no this can’t be happening. I have just found Ma’ and Pa’ again. Now I’m leaving them. Eddie wraps his arms around me and squeezes me tight, but I hold in my tears for Eddie's happiness.

         We finally reached the disinfection site, and the soldiers order us to undress and make our way into the tiny, dark, and cramped room. My bare, cold body slowly walks inside the room. Then all of a sudden I hear the door get locked shut with us still inside.

         People start to move around frantically as screams start to ring around the room.  A quiet hissing sound begins, and people start to cough. I look around for Eddie as fast as I can. People's bodies drop to the floor like never before.  My coughing begins and I start to sob.  I scream for help, and I scream for Eddie. I just want to see my parents one more time.

         I fall to the floor, and as my eyes start to close I imagine Ma’, Pa’ and I at the beach watching the sunset.  Oh what I would give to go back in time and for this to never have happened to me, or to anyone else.

         May everyone who has suffered rest peacefully, for I will rest peacefully as well.

-Sophia B.