The moaning that morning masked the smell of disease, feces, and death, but it matched the gray. The gray homes, the gray streets, the gray borders. The 10 ft walls that surrounded the area, glinting with barbed wire and the shifty gaze of their guards. It had been three years since the Jewish have seen outside the walls of the Warsaw ghetto. But they couldn’t leave. After Germany invaded Poland, in the midst of World War 2, the soldiers forced the Jewish into the Ghettos. And it hasn’t been the same since, Poland was stuck. In the torture, in the death, in the gray. But it wasn’t compared to the cramped in the imprisonment of the Jewish. Now, in the summer of 1942, was the start of something new, it wasn’t good. But what to do, when the lives of fourteen year old Levi and Anna are in your hands.
Taking a tan flat cap out of his pocket, Levi secured it over his curly, ink-black hair, covering his pale face, he couldn’t help it. His family was starving,hewas starving. He knew the punishment of his actions if he were to be caught but it was just sitting there. Plus, what could a fourteen year old do? Glancing around nervously, he danced around the sudden crowd of people, not listening to the announcements, but glad of the painfully thinness of his body and of the lankiness of the mass. He didn’t hear the news of the deportations, but was thankful of the distraction. With one swipe, he got it. The warm crackle of slightly stale bread caused his stomach to grumble. “Hey!” With that angry cry, Levi dashed for it. His shoes echoed across the empty building, as he held onto the bread tightly. His breath hitched, not being able to eat for a couple days had started to take a toll on his body, but he kept going. His body burned as he looked back, the German guard was still chasing him, slightly intoxicated by cheap booze. Looking around, Levi saw everyone gathering at the railroad cars, and quickly turned, heading into the crowd. Laying low, he stopped to catch his breath before realizing the suitcases and crying children. The blaring of the Jewish Police officer, beside a band of SS members, in the front finally became clear,” Single file, come on now! We need about 7, 000 people! We wouldn’t want to keep the nice Germans waiting…” With the bundled groups stumbling toward the railroad cars, the last of the officer’s words died as they hesitated. Everyone was scared to go in. Impatient, the leader of the SS took a step forward, cursed something in German, and started pushing people aside to reach the locomotive. Once at the entrance of the railroad cars, the other armed men followed him, and they started forcing people in, checking for every group of family members. Thrashing around, all not eager to leave, the Jewish squirmed as small chaos ensued. The men started butting people with their guns, kicking and shoving them in, as they were separated from their families, cries echoing down the horde. Within all the madness, a girl brushed her tangled brown hair out of her face as a tingling took over her body. Anna didn’t feel too good about the deportations, especially with the police officer’s voice shaking at the announcement. But the forceful way the Germans were handling the group set her off, she slid up to the back of the railroad cars, excusing herself and apologizing if she bumped into someone. Straining to open the car’s door, she huffed before it finally cracked open. The shivering of the families inside made her heart clench before she cleared her throat, getting their attention. The first face seemed so familiar to her. It was her neighbor, a recent widow, she shivered as her daughter stared up at her. “Mrs. Fells?” “Anna? What are you doing here? You have to go!” “I can’t. I’m here to help you, I have a bad feeling about this.” Wasting no time, a yell from one of the SS startling her, Anna took Mrs. Fells’ daughter and grabbed for Mrs. Fells and ushered them down. They both looked at her, gratefulness twinkling in their eyes, as Mrs. Fells limped away, her daughter supporting her leg. Noticing the action, the others in the railroad car followed Anna out as she crawled in the locomotive, assisting those who couldn’t walk on their own.
The struggling was terrifying to watch, the cries for help against the German gibberish and the sound of pain, metal or wood against flesh. Levi wasn’t too caught up in that, his gaze fell upon Mrs. Fells and her daughter, who were trying to run from the back of the railroad cars. Soon, more came out from that end. Curious, Levi trailed silently to the side of the freight car and hid. Something grew in the pit of his stomach as more cries came from the crowd, one in particular made his head turn, his friend screamed and it confirmed his suspicions. But they were strong, Levi reassured himself, turning his attention back to the group of people leaving from the other side. Following the trail of people, he noticed her. Her dark brown hair seemed to glow, her face artfully expressed with determination as she guided the old male out from the railroad car. Lost in thought, he pinched himself, she was helping them escape. Something was definitely wrong. Crouching lower, he bit his fingernail. What should he do?