Imperishable Virtues

First Encounter

The sound of music and voices grew louder as she carefully stepped over the well-worn threshold of the building into a place unlike anything she had never seen before. She walked down a short narrow hall, its walls carefully draped in rich, dark-red silk the colour of blood, gold chandeliers hung from the ceiling, the hot candles dripping wax onto the slightly dusty wood floor laced with footprints of the people within, a slight hint of musty perfume hung in the air, left there from an unknown era. She took in the sights of this hall, the grandeur and majestic beauty, before stepping out into the dark open space ahead.

dark wooden Tables and chairs of every shape and size dominated every inch of the room, crammed into the tightest of corners. like the pubs that stood in the main square of her house in Berlin, but this seemed a million miles away, in another country, another time. More red silk were draped over the wall, hung from the high ceilings almost as if it were cascading like a waterfall to the shiny dark wood floor beneath. The slightly shabby, well-worn chairs matched the walls, and sat round the dark wood tables were many people, many ages, in a haze from the musty smoke of many pipes and cigars. Most were men, though some women were around, serving drinks around the table from the bar in the corner, face painted in heavy makeup. She knew these men were not hiding away from the Nazi's, most were wearing business suits, most probably having snuck in after a days work at the bank in central Berlin, though most, she suddenly realised from the stars stitched to their clothing, were Jews.

She backed away slightly, suddenly questioning herself to why she came in here in the first place, a forbidden gathering, forbidden people. if the Nazi's came in at this moment she would be in more trouble than her mind could even concieve. She panicked in the moment, turning round ready to head back to the door before she was spotted by anyone, bumping into someone behind her.

" im so sorry!", Raina said, still half panicked, she looked to see who she had bumped into. She looked no older than Raina, her almost black hair was curled perfectly around her heavily made up face, friendly blue eyes stared at her from beneath dark lashes .

"Don't worry about it", the girl smiled, brushing down her tight-fitting ,short silk corset-dress that matched the curtains, "by the way, you will get a much better view from the back of the room than standing here, im Adelle by the way, i hope you enjoy tonights show".

"show?", Raina's stomach dropped at the thought, this was a secret jewish gathering, and looking around at the women in the room, a burlesque performance, she had heard about them from her father's mouth, he and the Fuhrer conducted the majority of the attacks and raids against them, if he saw her here... it didnt even bear thinking about. Her face paled.

The girl, Adelle, searched her face with concerned eyes, too close to Raina, she felt like she was being slowly suffocated, "Are you okay?".

Raina snapped out of her thoughts, turning her head quickly in Adelle's direction and faking a smile, hoping she wouldn't become suspicious of her actions or see her panic at the situation she had stupidly put herself in, it was too late now, she couldn't leave without making a scene, showing who she really was and what rules her family stood by. She nodded.

"Im okay, umm...do I stand anywhere at the back?".

Adelle nodded, still looking at her in a concerned way, "You don't seem like the type we usually see in here", Raina's stomach dropped at these words, was it that obvious?

Adelle's eyes continued to search her face, then she shrugged like it wasn't important, smiling. "hope you enjoy the show",

she smiled at Raina kindly and walked towards a dark wooden door just behind where raina was stood towards the entrance of the room. Raina breathed a sigh of relief, though this quickly disappeared after dwelling on the words the girl Adelle had just said.