Eliana (holocaust story)

Chapter 16

I vaguely heard Mud barking off to the side and I assumed he had let someone else hold on to her.

“Still going strong, I see.” He mused. “You still haven’t changed. I will admit that I am impressed.”

He set me on my feet but he did not step away from me. He just looked me over, only mere inches away from me.

I wanted to look around for Felix and see his reaction to this but I didn’t dare. I would be too obvious right here under Emmett’s observant eyes.

Besides, I figured I knew his reaction. Felix would be angry.

“So, Elaine,” Emmett addressed me quietly, bringing my full attention back to him. It irritated me slightly that he couldn’t get my real name right. “Do you play an instrument?”

“No, sir.” I put emphasis on his tittle out of my anger. I paid no mind to the random question, I didn’t want to let thinking about that confuse me. “I do not.”

Someone shoved me roughly, I assumed another officer due to my disrespectful and acidic tone. But I stayed on my feet. Mud was growling, but it wasn’t at me.

“I’m handling this. I don’t need assistance.” Emmett turned and said to the officer in an annoyed voice. He looked back at me and pointed towards one of the larger groups.

As I walked to my group, I examined the people. It appeared that we were the stronger and healthier ones. Everyone in this group was standing and no one seemed incredibly sick.

Rivka and Esther were in this group as well.

“What group are we?” I whispered to Rivka, needing to know now.

“We get to live.” She replied simply. She didn’t seem terribly happy or relieved… she was just numb. And I understood why, we would get to go on living here with no real freedom. She didn’t see this decision as a reward.

Before I could ask anything else, someone tapped on my shoulder. I was half expecting an officer to tell me that I was in the wrong group, but it was Tziporah, smiling slightly at me.

I embraced her, relieved that we were in the same group.

Mama was not though. She was in that little group.

What was her fate?

“Shira’s turn.” Tziporah pulled away but kept hold of my hand as we turned to watch.

Shira stood, shaking and pale. Her eyes were wide with fear. Then she started running.

She looked fine at first. Sure it wasn’t horribly graceful looking, but she was moving fast. I could tell she was desperately trying to just reach the end line.

Then suddenly, she tripped on a stupid pebble and crashed to the ground. She wasn’t even able to catch herself, she didn’t have the strength left for it.

“No,” I whispered. I unconsciously took a step forward. “Get up.”

Tziporah seemed to move with me. We clutched each other others hands tightly, we didn’t want to believe that this was really happening.

She got up after a moment of lying on the ground and tried to walk quickly to the finish line. I could tell she was crying.

Emmett did not even ask her if she played an instrument or not, he just pointed to the other large group.

This group was much different from either of the two others. People were coughing and vomiting. Almost no one stood up, they all knelt or lied on the ground.