Eliana (holocaust story)

Chapter 16

Mama and I hurried back towards the end of the line to find Tziporah and Shira. We quickly found them and hoped in line with them, our numbers were right before theirs.

“What is this?” Shira asked, worry etched into her tone. “What are we doing?”

“It’s called a selection.” Mama explained quickly before Tziporah or I could respond. I think she wanted to be the one to tell this to her. “Basically when it’s your turn, run as fast as you can to the white line on the ground over there.”

“Why?” she whined. “I’m tired.”

“Listen to me, you are running to prove to the officers that you should be allowed to live.” She snapped in a quick, sharp tone. She needed to get this through Shira’s head and make her understand what was at stake. “We are running for our lives.”

My sisters and I glanced at each other. We could tell she was not going to tolerate the complaining now. She was truly terrified for our lives but she would try as hard as she could to keep us alive.

As the line slowly moved, I noticed people were being sorted into three groups. One group to continue living, one to be sent to the ovens but I had no idea about the third.

Emmett asked anyone that went into this third group a question. I was curious as to what he was asking but I knew I would find out for myself soon enough.

I assumed an hour and a half passed before it was mamas turn. When she stepped up to the starting place she had her shoulders squared and she showed no physical signs of fear. She knew this would make her seem stronger and more able.

She ran and I was sure I had never seen her run that fast before. I hadn’t even been sure if she could move like that.

As if she were on autopilot, she stopped right at the chalk line fifty yards from where she started.

My heart squeezed in hope that they would find her in good enough condition. I knew she was an older woman but I prayed that it wouldn’t make a difference based on her run.

Emmett asked her a question, as he did everyone else. I couldn’t hear what it was. But he gestured for her to go in the smallest third group, which stood behind him.

I didn’t have time to try to look at that group and figure out what it was because it was my turn.

My stomach clenched in fear, my palms were sweaty and my heart was already beating erratically from my fear and a sudden rush of adrenaline.

Taking a deep breath, I took off. I did not let myself think about everyone watching me. I tried to forget that this simple distance decided my fate.

So I sprinted, as if I would be able to run away if I were fast enough.

I pushed myself forward each time my feet hit the hard and solid ground. Each step, I made myself go faster than the one before. I hadn’t even known I could run this fast.

The issue with this was that it would be hard to get my legs to stop exactly when asked them to. But I didn’t get the chance to try.

Right as I reached the line, Emmett stepped in front of me. He caught me before I could slam into him. I wasn’t sure why he had done this exactly.

It had been so easy for him to just grab me and stop me, it was a bit discouraging that my force didn’t seem to have an effect on him. Maybe I would’ve enjoyed knocking him to the ground.

He watched me with amused eyes, a slight chuckle escaped him. I wasn’t sure if he found my desperate run amusing or this situation funny. All I knew was that I hardly saw the humor.