Short Nazi Story
The snow fell tenderly around us, blanketing the frozen ground. In the fading grey light, everyon's breath was visible along the narrow road, even the breaths of the men that wore long grey trench coats. They stood ominously in front of us, grouped at a distance with their dark soulless eyes blankly staring, except for one man. With each step, his boots punded the pavement, sending thunder to our ears. Suddenly, he stopped, turning on a heel to face us. Shivering in our rags, we waited for our punishment.
"Which one of you filth Jews set the fire in front of my office?" Pointing to the small building behind him we saw the scorched brick and the frame skeleton of an awning. He scanned each and every one of our tred faces, pausing at mine before continuing on down the line. When no one answered, his teeth bare a frightening perverted smile, one that even Satan himself would cower in front of.
It was merely an accident really, the fire. I was out walking around the block, away from the crowded box they shoved us in, taking in thedilapidated mess around me. A forgotten match had caught myeye on the sidewalk, it's red tip still intact. Out of curiosity I bent over and picked it up, stricking it on the nearest rouch surface, the warped brown wood of a peeling windwsill. The warm flame licked the air around it, dancing in a slight breeze. Watching in delight, I stared at it until the flame took a bite from my finger. Dropping the match, I witnessed the flame die out before it hit the ground. What i hadn't realized when I walked away was that the match had landed on a pile of old newspapers in front of the SS officer's office.
With his eyes fixed on me, he walked over to the group of men and conferred with them; he must have seen me the night before, through the office window. Although the officer knew it was me, he enjoyed the fear that he and his men gave us. They all fed on our fear and now sadistically fesated on the pleasure in watching us.
After a while the men grew bored, something had to be done. Before anyone knew what was happening, the leader of the group strolled over to the line and struck the closest person to him. We all watched helplessly as a young girl fell to the ground as he drew his pistol on her. I had recognized her from the neighborhood I had once lived in back home.
"Speak up or she and everyone else will die one by one until you do. Verstecht?" At that moment my heart wore the heavy burden of confusion. My conscience begged me to step forward, to ave the young girl's life but the selfish desire to live on minute longer told me otherwise. In horror, I watched a her mother pathtically got on her knees and knelt next to her daughter, pleading for her life. With each passing second my foot itched to step forward. It was either die now or forever carry the guilt of the death of an innocent little girl.
Feeling my food slowly inch forward, I imagined what I would say. I'm here, take me. It's me you want. Stop playing these games. Before I could open my mouth though, I suddenly found myself shoved roughly behind my mother.
"I did it, I set the fire." In that very moment, my heart dropped and the very last remaining string of sanity i had left began to break."
"Quckly, the SS officer abandoned the little girl and her mother and came within inches of my mother. She took in a quick uneasy breath before he pulled her out of the line and threw her to the ground. Her eyes looked up at me frozen with fear, tears flowing freely down her face. My mother used her last moments of life to take in the image of my tall lanky father, my two older brothes and my little sister, saving me for last.
Squeezing her eyes shut, the SS officer pulled the drigger of his pistol. The sound of the shot resonated around the buildings and my life was forever changed.