Amit & Adam

Chapter 7 - Underground

I had a dream that night, I was lying in a grass field, there was no Nazis, no ghettos, just the sky and me. But I soon came to realize I wasn’t alone, I was with Adam.

He was in his own normal clothes. No ugly Nazis uniform, he looked like any other boy. I looked down to see I was wearing a white cotton dress; it flowed just past my knees. I had no Star of David on; I was just a girl again. I wasn’t labeled as a Jew anymore.

 laid beside Adam, he smiled, I couldn’t help but smile back, “I think I-"

"Wake up. Wake up." He said, not sounding like himself at all.

I suddenly opened my eyes, to see a woman holding a toddler girl, "Could you please move, my daughter needs to use the toilet."

I rolled out of the way quickly as she hurried out the door, I sat up I looked round the room of strangers. Father and Tomas were in the corner huddled up together. Everyone suddenly awoke to a gun fire, I rushed to the window to a man fall to the ground, dead.

"He must of tried climbing over the wall." A man grumbled as if it was nothing.

It had become such a normal event now that no one reacts anymore, people have become so desperate to escape they even die doing so. I tried to get back to sleep, to return to my wonderful peaceful dream, but it didn't happen.

I quickly got ready in the morning; the women in the ghettos taught me how to tied an head scarf and leant one to me.

"See, you look like a real worker now don’t you, little lady?" One of them commented.

I smiled wearily, “Thanks..?"

They erupted into laughter as I walked down with them, I found Karin she looked at me,"Oh we match."

Her headscarf was blue; mine was white with blue spots.

I barely noticed until she mentioned it, maybe I was still dwelling on what happened yesterday and that dream.. That beautiful dream, realizing what I crave the most. To just be free, to be let be, that’s what all Jews ask for.

"Did you find Joshua?" I asked finally as we reached the factory.

She nodded,"Yeah, he got into trouble at the factory so he was pulled behind."

"Really? Until late at night?"

She nodded, “Well partly.. He found something."

I leant in closer, my eyes widened with surprise.

"Really? Is this a joke?" I asked in disbelief.

"No, but you have to swore to not tell Adam. Or it might be found and goodness knows what they'll do."

I looked down hesitantly, I wasn’t too sure, he was looking after us. I looked round to check if there was any guards close by.

I whispered, “But Adam won’t say anything, he could help protect it. You know, put them on the wrong track if they do discover it."

She swiftly turned away, not saying anything. Why she annoyed with me? I didn’t think too much about it, all I knew was Adam was our only savior.

"Where is it?" I asked curiously as we left work at the end of the day.

She took my hand as we walked back through the walls of barbed wire and bleakness, "Hurry."

Karin took me round the corner to the soup kitchens, we went inside, I was confused.

"Wait? Its here?" I asked.

Karin led me to a hidden staircase  leading underground. Where there to my pleasure, there was classrooms, a library, even a symphony orchestra.

"This is.. Amazing." I said speechlessly.

There was books, stationary, posters, everything you needed to learn. I never felt so happy, children rushed past.

Karin smiled, “We could maybe help teach a lesson too, if you like."

I nodded, “Yes, I never thought I would be.. Yes, that would be wonderful."

"But Amit, please don’t act so spirited or the Nazis may think there’s something up." She told me.

I spotted Tomas, I waved to him, he was with a group of boys and ignored me as he walked into the classroom.

"Is there a lesson on now?" I wondered.

Karin peered over, “It may only be for the young ones."

Joshua pasted by, I smiled, “So this is where you've been hiding."

He sighed, “I want to make something of myself while were here, rather than working my arse off all day for those Germans."

Thinking back now the last time we talked was in our old school, it's quite ironic that were in school now, but the situation is rather different.

Karin frowned, “If only mother heard you say such language."

"Well she can’t 'cause she's dead." He said bluntly before going back upstairs.

She turned away from him, I looked at her, “I’m sorry, I'm sure he doesn’t mean it. I don’t have a mother either."

Her eyes were teary before smiling sadly, “It’s true though, if she knew this would happen, I'm sure she's glad to have passed."

"What about your father? Aren’t you with any adult?" I asked concern, I never really thought about Karin's relatives before except Joshua.

"He died of cancer a few years back, so were’ve been by ourselves ever since." She replied bravely.

I hugged her suddenly, "You got me now too, okay?"

She nodded a tear trailed down her cheek, “Thank you."

Everyone seemed so high in spirits, but the passing of each day, were growing weaker and weaker. The long hours of work and the rations of food are barely enough to last one day, never mind a month.

There are also no way of washing ourselves or change of clothes, all our posessions were snatched off us when we arrived, so there really was no point in packing. Like my father's watch and menorah was taken off him, my necklace with a photo of my mother in was also taken. I miss it incredibly so much, it was the only thing that made me feel close to her.

Also me and Karin don’t go outside anymore during the night, it's laid with rotting corps and blood from previous victims of the Nazis, it smells horrific.

They've built the wall taller too, so which makes it now impossible for any Jew to escape at all. Smuggling food in now is our only way to survive, many young children do this and if they get caught, they're shot. Children as young as five.

I've shed so many tears that my eyes are now dry, that I can’t stand to do anymore. It's not getting any better and I'm scared of what is to come next. I know Adam wants to protect me, but people are still dying, starving and I can’t see how he can help anymore.