Diary of Nameless citizen Prisoner (holocaust fiction)

Diary of Nameless citizen Prisoner number 8845-N (holocaust fiction)

Based on the book Night by Ellie Weisel

Monday 1944 

                 It was a quiet morning in Transylvania where I have spent all of my childhood. I was almost 14 years old in the year of 1944 during the final days of the 8 days of the Passover. There was much tense celebration among everyone as we tried to ignore the Hungarian police officers that mingle outside of our ghetto. This was almost impossible as their threatening presence was hard to ignore. We no longer gathered at synagogues to worship, but gathered in private homes to prevent provoking the them. Although, we didn't have to do much to provoke them. 

 Already on the 7th day of Passover the Jewish leaders in our community were arrested. From there on things had started to go downhill. We had already been prohibited from leaving our residences for three days for fear of being put to death. That is when Mosihe the Beadle came running up to our house shouting "I warned you!" and continued on to Ellie's house and across the ghetto. I knew from then on that the race towards death had begun.

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Not long after Mosihe rushed through the streets we were greeted by a still knock and shouting at our door. My mother hesitated for only a moment before the door burst open to reveal 2 police officers. We were quickly escorted out of our home, no chance to grab any of our belongings except a small locket that I always wore.

We were ushered to the nearest railroad station and were immediately loaded into small damp cattle cars, all the while Hungarian police were beating us and spitting and shouting. There was little air if any as more and more people were forced into the small space. We were all crammed like sardines as the car door closed, immediately enveloped into darkness. The only light was peaking through the small slits between the boards of the railroad car walls.

I quickly lost sight of my family as more and more of us were forced into the space. I wasnt claustrophobic, but the smell of sweat and warm breath was making my head spin. One of the Hungarian police hurled open the door and forcefully took any possessions that anyone had managed to grab. He spit and shouts that anyone who kept any of their possessions will be killed on the spot. Despite my fear, I stuffed my locket down my shirt and hugged my arms tightly against my chest to prevent them from seeing it. The locket contained my most prized possession, pictures of my mother and father and one of my younger sister.

To prevent suspicion I handed over my shoes, which seemed like a good choice because they took them and passed on through the crowd of people. I had gotten lucky this time, and hopefully I would again. 

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Friday 1944

The train doors shut and soon you could hear the engine roar as we started heading to our new destination. The crowded car was eerily quiet as all of us just stood rocking back and forth with the motion of the car. I could hear a soft whimper and sniffles from Mrs. Schachter. She had been crying from the moment we stepped into the car. No one dared comfort her, knowing that anything we said would be a lie.

The train stopped abruptly and the doors were thrown open. We were thrust into the anger stricken faces of the SS officers. They began to strike us, shouting and beating everyone within arms reach. All of us looked around dazed from the lack of food, air, and sleep thanks to Mrs. Schachter. The smell on us was repulsive and as we stepped into the arms of the angry soldiers another sickening smell curled it tendrils towards me and the cattle car. Flames licked at the sky giving the pitch black midnight a cold horror. We stared at the flames in the darkness holding hands and praying silently praising God for everything He has done for us and how lucky we are. "Please save us"