Anna chose to go back to the bunkers.
Written by Elizabeth
As soon as Levi left her, she let out soothing breaths and her head clears. With whatever inner fire she has left, it fuels her body as she pulls herself up, her gun as a support. He is right, she can’t fight. She’d only be a nuisance, with that, she wobbles back to the bunkers and blacking out, Mrs. Fells exclaims in relief, Anna chose not to fight. She is safe, for now. But that doesn’t mean she is just going to sit and look pretty. She is still going to help. And no handsome boy can tell her otherwise.
It has been a month, hiding in the bunkers with the others and tending to the Rebellion’s fighters’ wounds, and Anna lost her senses, her body numb to the war outside. Her fire dwindling, but she holds on, hoping to brag to the boy about her achievement. At the same time, she feels like she should give up, there is no more use in fighting, she knows how it's going to end.
Anna doesn’t think she could last any longer in this situation. She hasn't ate anything in awhile and her lips are so dry and rusty from thirst, she can barely feel her tongue or even talk. Her cheeks burn as well as something else inside of her. She’s been feeling nauseous for a while, pain rippling through her body, stronger than what she can fight off now. If she doesn’t get medical help now, she could die of starvation and disease, but they need her help.
Crudely sewing a wound shut, she exhales and dismisses them. Cold tickles her bare limbs as she listens. There’s nothing. Wait, there’s nothing. Standing up, she grabs her gun and forces herself up the stairs, the protests of the elderly women falls on deaf ears as she stations herself on the steps, gun at the bunker opening. Her ears ring with anxiety as she struggles to keep her breath steady. Did we lose?
German gibberish is exerted from the other side and she freezes, her hands already shaking. The thumps and the pounding cause her to flinch every time. With a might swoop, the soldiers break through. She shoots. She misses. Their laughter only fuels her anger as she lunges at them. A quick quarrel ends, their training and strength definitely overpowers her, her own gun already pointed at her temple.
Like a lioness, she scratches, kicks, bites, screaming her head off, hoping to distract the Germans long enough for people to understand and escape. It didn’t work. Their outcries reach her and she regains her fire, the energy going into her flailing limbs. Annoyed, they slap her face, jerking it painfully.
Numb, they drag everyone to the main square. Black hair. Red. White. Looking, a tear falls down her cheeks. It’s the boy! Hoping to get his attention, Anna calls out,” Levi!”
Nothing. Not a single movement. It hit her like a bullet to the chest. He’s dead.
“Oh no.”
She can’t handle it, her body already shaking, she turns to cry before the sight of children being shoved into the railroad cars sends her spiraling. A spark. A fire. It returns.
Her eyes have their blaze as she head butts the soldier holding her. With a quick motion, she shoots them, pure adrenaline giving her the strength to fight. She shoots and shoots, screaming with tears pouring down her cheeks. They can’t lose, they sacrificed so much to fight the Germans. Why do they hate the Jewish? What have the Jewish done to deserve this?
Nothing. They did nothing! Hitler, the SS, they hate the Jews for no reason, only because they aren’t the perfect image he wanted. She couldn’t understand. Why do they have to fight?
Click. Click-click-click. She has run out. She’s done for. Looking around, she finally notices. She’s cornered but she’s happy, she protected them as much as she could, she can finally leave this cruel place. With a smile, she winks, forming a gun with her fingers and pointing it in front of her.
It has been a month, hiding in the bunkers with the others and tending to the Rebellion’s fighters’ wounds, and Anna lost her senses, her body numb to the war outside. Her fire dwindling, but she holds on, hoping to brag to the boy about her achievement. At the same time, she feels like she should give up, there is no more use in fighting, she knows how it's going to end.
Anna doesn’t think she could last any longer in this situation. She hasn't ate anything in awhile and her lips are so dry and rusty from thirst, she can barely feel her tongue or even talk. Her cheeks burn as well as something else inside of her. She’s been feeling nauseous for a while, pain rippling through her body, stronger than what she can fight off now. If she doesn’t get medical help now, she could die of starvation and disease, but they need her help.
Crudely sewing a wound shut, she exhales and dismisses them. Cold tickles her bare limbs as she listens. There’s nothing. Wait, there’s nothing. Standing up, she grabs her gun and forces herself up the stairs, the protests of the elderly women falls on deaf ears as she stations herself on the steps, gun at the bunker opening. Her ears ring with anxiety as she struggles to keep her breath steady. Did we lose?
German gibberish is exerted from the other side and she freezes, her hands already shaking. The thumps and the pounding cause her to flinch every time. With a might swoop, the soldiers break through. She shoots. She misses. Their laughter only fuels her anger as she lunges at them. A quick quarrel ends, their training and strength definitely overpowers her, her own gun already pointed at her temple.
Like a lioness, she scratches, kicks, bites, screaming her head off, hoping to distract the Germans long enough for people to understand and escape. It didn’t work. Their outcries reach her and she regains her fire, the energy going into her flailing limbs. Annoyed, they slap her face, jerking it painfully.
Numb, they drag everyone to the main square. Black hair. Red. White. Looking, a tear falls down her cheeks. It’s the boy! Hoping to get his attention, Anna calls out,” Levi!”
Nothing. Not a single movement. It hit her like a bullet to the chest. He’s dead.
“Oh no.”
She can’t handle it, her body already shaking, she turns to cry before the sight of children being shoved into the railroad cars sends her spiraling. A spark. A fire. It returns.
Her eyes have their blaze as she head butts the soldier holding her. With a quick motion, she shoots them, pure adrenaline giving her the strength to fight. She shoots and shoots, screaming with tears pouring down her cheeks. They can’t lose, they sacrificed so much to fight the Germans. Why do they hate the Jewish? What have the Jewish done to deserve this?
Nothing. They did nothing! Hitler, the SS, they hate the Jews for no reason, only because they aren’t the perfect image he wanted. She couldn’t understand. Why do they have to fight?
Click. Click-click-click. She has run out. She’s done for. Looking around, she finally notices. She’s cornered but she’s happy, she protected them as much as she could, she can finally leave this cruel place. With a smile, she winks, forming a gun with her fingers and pointing it in front of her.
Art by Elizabeth Tran
“Bang.”
They shoot and, like a swish of a bird’s wing, she falls. Black envelopes her before the screams come back.
They shoot and, like a swish of a bird’s wing, she falls. Black envelopes her before the screams come back.