A girl called A-18352: The Story of a Child of Auschwitz

September 1st 1939

As I walked along the sidewalk of my little home town, I enjoyed the sights along the walkway. The bakery on my right, the little library straight ahead, in my opinion my home was perfect. My light blond hair was done up it two braids and swayed as a light breeze blew, carrying the scent of freshly baked bread.  As I started to head home a pair of hands grabbed my shoulders and spin me around. I was going to scream but I found myself staring into the gray-blue eyes of my fourteen-year-old cousin, Haya. She had the most ridiculous grin plastered on her face.
"Did I scare you Little Kotek? Hmm did I?"
Little Kotek is the nickname she gave me but I don't know why she would call me Little Kotek(Little Kitten). Then again, I don't know why she would do anything.
"No you didn't scare me at all Haya. Not one bit,". I lied she had terrified me.
Haya crossed her arms and lowered to my level with a smirk on her face.

" I know when you're lying to me Katarzyna. I can read you like a book, in my opinion, you were scared out of your mind when I grabbed you,"

I nodded slightly and she started laughing. I was pretty embarrassed.
"You screamed when Ewa snuck into your room and slammed the door," I argued, desperate to reclaim my pride. She rolled her eyes and lazily placed her hands on her hips.

" Yes I did," she agreed. " Little Kotek, come with me, I have somewhere to show you!" she exclaimed.
She grabbed my arm and nearly yanked it off as she dragged me along.

"But Mamusiu(mommy) said to come straight home after school." I protested "
"Aunt Olga can wait, little cousin, come on,"
"Haya, where on earth are you taking me,"
"You'll see!" my obnoxious cousin sang as we approached the woods at the edge of our town.
"Wait! Mamusiu said we can't go in there, wild animals will eat us!" I shouted.
"Who cares, come on." she squealed
"Are you out of your mind!" She stopped, faced me with her eyes crossed and sung, "YYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS " then continued to drag me into the woods. I couldn't help but smile. My idiotic cousin could make anyone smile at her antics.
Haya dragged me into the wood down a beaten trail, suddenly she veered left off of it.
"Haya why are we going off the trail it's not safe?" I protested. Haya just continued to pull me along until we came to a small clearing. My eyes widened at the unearthly beauty of that place. A six-foot-tall waterfall fed a stream surround by colorful flowers and berry bushes. I was stunned this place even existed let alone it being so close to where I lived.
"Do you like it Little Kotek," she inquired. All I could do was nod. She smiled warmly and asked if I wanted a drink of water.
"Sure Haya,"
She went over to one of the many bushes and pulled out a flask that she undoubtedly stole. She then went over to the waterfall and filled it up.
"Here the water is safe to drink," she said as she handed me the flask. It was the best water I ever had, I drank it all in one sitting. Haya just giggled. "I didn't think you were that thirsty Little Kotek,". I then imitated her idiotic smile to the best of my ability. My cousin just rolled her eyes and said we better get home and grabbed my then commenced dragging me away from that bit a paradise.
"I know a short cut," she grabbed me and headed south through thorn bushes and weed, the hem of my dress tearing in the process. She veered right and we burst through the woods and into my back yard.
After racing to the door we tried to sneak upstairs!
"Just where do you girls think you're going," Mamusiu had caught us. " Where we're you! I just sent your father to for you we had both been worried sick!" she demanded. I just look at the floor I had never been in this much trouble with Mamusiu. "Good God, you can't scare us like that!" She raged.
         "Mamusiu..." I began but she cut me off, "I don't want to hear it. I told you to come back a long time ago and you deliberately disobeyed me!" She scolded.
"Aunt Olga, I took Little Kotek to my special hideout. I forgot to ask you." Haya said confidently staring into Mamusiu's pale blue eyes. The door then opened  "Katarzyna, Haya where on earth have you been!" my father demanded "Well?!"
"Haya ran off with her," Mamusiu answered for me. Father just sighed and went upstairs. Haya has lived with us long enough that my parents knew what to expect from her. "Mam," my little sister Ewa was pulling at Mamusiu's dress. "Katarzyna", Mamusiu said sternly"Haya this better not happen again." With that she stalked back into the living room with Ewa on her hip.
"We got off pretty easy huh Little Kotek?" Haya sighed.
"Easy? Haya, she was furious,"
   "At me not you Katarzyna," she remarked.
We cautiously crept into the living room. Ewa was rocking her doll, seven-month-old Fayge was chewing on one of her blocks while Mamusiu was knitting a sweater. It was very peaceful. I looked out the window, it was dark with barely a star in the sky. Then I heard this awful sound. It was like something was cutting through the sky at superhuman speed. My sisters stopped playing and Haya had a quizzical look on her face. Boom!Boom!Boom! I see flashes of light in the distance. "
"In the cellar now!!!" Mamusiu screams.
Haya grabs Ewa and Fayge and we rush Down the stairs into the cellar. I couldn't help but wonder what there was to bomb east of our house, the closest place east of the town was... Warsaw.

Oh God "They're Bombing Warsaw!"I shrieked
"Shhhhh be quiet," Hays warns.
Her laughing eyes and comical grin were replaced with a expressionless stare. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with fear as she tried to hush my screaming sisters.
Mamusiu finally headed down the stairs carrying a suitcase and a box of candles. She went over and pulled a loose board off the wall and motioned us to crawl inside the resulting hole. Inside was like a solid concrete fortress, shaking as the bombs hit the ground.
With shaking hands I helped Mamusiu light the candles she had brought down and sat next to Haya against the cold concrete wall, fearful that the ceiling would collapse. My cousin saw the tears that were running down my cheeks. She held me tight and rested her chin on my head.
"We're going to be okay Little Kotek. You said so yourself that they were bombing Warsaw,"
As she said this, for some reason, I felt safe in her arms as my world was starting to collapse. But Haya was wrong, nothing was going to be ok anymore, and I think she knew that.