Eliana (holocaust story)

Chapter 12

She made a mad dash for the food, not looking back, never hesitating. She was faster then I had expected in her current state. The starvation must have been pushing her on with what last gush of energy she had left.

I thought she was going to make it there, maybe they’d take pity on her poor soul and let her eat. She meant no harm to anyone, she was only acting on pure survival instincts.

But then I heard the gunshot.

The bullet went into the back of her skull and she fell sideways to the ground, only mere inches away from the soup. She had been so close to her goal but it just hadn’t been good enough.

But now she laid limp on the ground, unmoving and dead. Blood seeped from the wound but I knew she couldn’t feel the pain. She was gone, taken away never to return.

Maybe, in heaven, God would let her eat all the soup she wanted. He’d bless her.

I had to think that way, despite any doubt I had. I could not lose hope as I had told Baba I wouldn’t.

I wasn’t sure which officer had shot her but quite frankly, I didn’t think I wanted to know. I didn’t want to fear any specific one more then I already did.

Myself and several others gasped in shock of the sudden murder. I should’ve expected it. That type of thing had to be normal here.

Shira was crying in my mothers chest. Some others cried as well.

Rivka and those who had been here longer had blank expressions, I wasn’t sure if they even cared. They had watched a little young girl get shot and they didn’t react because they had seen this before, they were used to it. Maybe they had lost so many that they were now numb to death. Maybe that was easier here then allowing yourself to feel too much.

I didn’t want to get used to this.

“Role call!” a guard yelled at us as if nothing had happened. To him, nothing had. One more pest had been taken care of. One less mouth to feed and one less person they’d have to kill later.

Everyone scrambled into role call positions. No one spoke. No one moved. No one questioned.

About half an hour into role call, an officer approached me. I recognized him as the man who had hit me this morning. He looked smug.

The smells of the food were making my stomach growl. I was so close but I couldn’t have any food or water yet.

“Well, Jude.” He was smirking at me. “What have we learned today?”

I forced myself to glare at the ground. I clenched my fists and grinded my teeth. I wanted to punch him in the jaw and get that stupid smirk off of his face. I wanted him to feel pain as I had.

But I couldn’t do anything, I would have a bullet through my mouth instantly or much worse. With this officer, I did not have any freedom or voice. I was his prisoner, I had to do as he asked and treat him with some form of respect as much as I didn’t want to.

When I didn’t answer, he chuckled darkly. “That’s what I thought, whore.”

“Brandt! Could you give me a hand?” Felix called near the food area. He must’ve noticed the officer with me. I mentally thanked him.

The officer sighed tiredly and left me.

When role call was over, we were allowed to enter the barracks to retrieve our bowls to get our dinner.

Almost everyone ran into the barracks, including myself and my family. The hunger drove us to use the last of our energy in a similar way to the girl who had been shot.