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

Auschwitz

      
Our group was herded into the giant red brick barracks. There were triple deck bunks with seven women to a slot. "Children" cried on of the women,"There are never children here!" "How did they get past Mengele?!" another asked. Ewa clung to me as we found empty spaces in one of the middle bunks.
        The bunk was cramped but I was relived to be lying down. "Where are we?" asked Mamusiu. An emaciated woman next to her slowly leaned over and in barely a whisper said "Auschwitz," My Mamusiu put on a quizzical expression "This is one of the work camps?" The woman sobbed "You don't come to Auschwitz to work," she choked out, "You come here to die
, this is a death camp."
     Death camp? Mamusiu instinctively wrapped her arm around me and Ewa. "I don't understand." She said. The woman sighed "When you arrived, the SS man Dr. Mengele directed you to the right so you got to live." I was frightened, what about Tate and Fayge. "What happened to the other line, my children were directed there at first?"
The woman looked into Mamusiu's eyes "That line... was taken into the gas chamber and killed. Your girls are lucky to be alive." Mamusiu gasped, tears threatened to spill down her cheeks.
Killed? "No," I yelled, "You are lying!!" Ewa latched onto me and buried her face into my shoulder. "Little one," the woman stated,"What I am saying is true, you'll live longer if you accept this reality". I was bawling at this point. Somehow Tate knew he was going to die, he saved me and Ewa.
Fayge was dead. My beautiful baby sister...dead, little Reuven...dead. I tried to process this reality, but how can I accept it. But I want to live so I must. Mamusiu was quietly sobbing next to me, her cheeks were gray from dirt mixing with tears. I fell asleep after what seemed like hours. With the sound of women moaning and rats scampering across the floor as my lullaby.