Once I saw the smoke rise, I knew my life was coming to an end.
It was 1939 and me and my husband along with many other Jew in our village were being evacuated to the ghettos.
"Keep up Rebecca" my husband Levi called to me. I rushed to his side. Back in the village me and my husband were the leaders. People looked to us when they were in distress and right now we have to lead the group behind the German soldiers.
Once we arrived in the ghettos we were split up and fed the same thing in very little portions every day. Me and Levi stayed together through the whole experience. Walking through the streets of the ghetto was like walking through a landfill. The streets were filled with garbage and human feces. The apartments were overcrowded with multiple families in each one. Every night I watch little girls and boys smuggle in more food for their families. Some got caught and did not come back.
Trying to survive in the ghettos was very hard with diseases floating around. Kids were becoming orphans everyday. Me and Levi never got the chance to have children due to being so busy providing for the other is our village back home. Having a child was my biggest wish and biggest fear at the same time.
Once we first moved into our apartments there were people screaming and crying. People trying to find their relatives and even more crying over the body of their dead ones. The scenes were brutal. Everywhere I looked it got worse.
Me and Levi didn't spend much time in the ghettos. Once we got there a couple days later we were forced into a small cattle car filled with Jews. There were over 80 jews per car and it was very cramped. There wasn't even room to lay down and rest. Once we were loaded in the cars we sat there for who knows how long. What felt like days was actually a couple hours. The car was very unsanitary and there were no restrooms so we had to do our business in front of everyone and it smelled absolutely awful.
Once we finally got moving it finally hit everyone. We were going to a labor camp where most of us would never come out alive. I look around this tiny cramped space and see children clinging to their mothers who are trying to comfort them. I make eye contact with a mother across the car with a clinging child on her side and tears in her eyes.
What feels like days pass of just the countryside and beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Finally we stop and the doors open. An SS member comes in saying
"If even one of you comes up missing i will kill all of you dead."
Everyone who was plotting something sat back down for fear of death. The SS gave us portions of bread and we all quickly gathered to get a peice. Once everyone had one the doors were closed and we were back in the dark, sticky room.
We sat in the same spot for hours, everyone groaning to get out. Finally we start moving again. More and more people start freaking out.
"They're gonna kill us straight away!" someone said.
"What are they gonna do to the children?!" a mother yelled. My husband stood up and tried to get everyone to calm down.
"Everyone please we can't think this negative. We have to keep our heads up." Levi said confidently. Everyone looked at him like he was insane.
"How can you think positively at a time like this!" a man yelled.
"We are on a cattle car to our death and you're telling us not to "think negative" who do you think you are?!" another man said. Me and the mother from earlier made eye contact once again but this time was different. Her eyes were dulled. Her grip is not as tight on the child. She was giving up.
I look out the small cattle car window seeing something in the distance. I squint to try and get a better look. It was a fire but not just any fire. A big one. I stumbled backward and rushed to my husband's side.
"There's a fire." I said shakily. He pulled me into his grasp and held me close. I look back out the window and see a big shaky steel sign.
"Auschwitz" I whisper. Levi pulls me closer, fear in his eyes.
Once the cattle cars stop we sit for about an hour until an SS officer comes and opens the door.
"Out! Everyone out!" he screams. Everyone scrambles out of the car. A weird smell fills our nose. Burning flesh. I look around seeing an expression of horror on everyone's face. I see children clinging to their parents, wives clinging to their husbands, and some didn't have any expression. I make eye contact with the woman from the cattle car, her eyes dull and her face stone cold. Her child is trying to get her attention.
"Mommy! Please, I'm scared!" the little boy shouted. She still didn't budge looking straight ahead. I turn my gaze back to the sign with shivers going down my spine.
As soon as we walk through the gate we are surrounded by barbed wire. Up ahead I see two lines of people. Me and Levi walk closer together.
"Women and children to the left! Men to the right!" I hear someone call out. Automatically I look at my husband who has a fearful expression.
"I'll be ok. I love you" I say looking at him. With tears in his eyes he kissed me one last time.
"I love you." he says as he walks to the right. That was the last time I ever saw him.
I walk to the left alone. As we are walking we get closer and closer to the fire. At this moment I realize, I'm not gonna make it out of here alive. We continue walking and it keeps getting hotter and hotter. I look up and see a big fire pit. Women and children being burned alive. I watch in horror as I see more people being thrown into the pit.
At this moment I flashback to all the great things in my life. Being a great leader for the village, taking care of the children in our village, and most importantly meeting the love of my life. I was next
"Hurry up!" a German officer yells. I walk to the officer and he quickly grabs my arm and throws me into the fire. Once I hit the fire I automatically scream in pain. I struggle for a couple minutes before I finally take my last breath. My unborn child dying with me.
