Chapter one
Karin walked slowly down the creaking stairs into her basement, the sound of the flickering lights stayed for a short moment. She reached for her rusty microphone. Karin stood over her machine and turned on her rotary printing press and watched as today's newspaper printed.
Dec 21, 1942
"Nazi Germany has become a place of hate, everywhere there are people arguing and fights to progress- "
Talia stopped reading and placed the newspaper on her father's desk and continued helping her mother in the kitchen. Agnes Dinger, Talia's mother, used to be great at cooking until her 3rd year in high school. Agnes was burnt in a kitchen fire and suffered head trauma and mild third-degree burns, her burns have healed for the most part but the mead trauma and major loss of blood led to memory loss of lots of things, including her cooking skills. Despite her terrible cooking Agnes still loved her mother, not so much her stepfather, Nicolas.
Nicolas married to Agnes about 3 years after Talia's father, Rune Lagowitz, died.
5 years ago
"Captain Lagowitz, there's a reported fire in the Dinger Gymnasium."
Once Rune and his fire squad got to the gymnasium, the owner informed them of two workers still trapped in the worker's lounge. Rune ordered everyone in to look for them and any possible explosives.
After about ten minutes, the two workers came from the hack of the building explaining how they were slacking off and went to the lake nearby, the building exploded shortly after. The police found everyone's body except the captains, the reporters questioned, and the other firefighter's families criticized Talia and her mother. Still, months later, they couldn't buy from the market because of all the negative comments and the owners banned them from coming and purchasing anything ever again.
They moved to Frankfurt in secrecy to get away from all the hate towards them, Nicolas was the first person to show kindness to Agnes after the incident. They got married three years later and bought a house together.
Talia skipped dinner to write in her room, she's been working on her writing skills ever since her father died. That day she promised to herself, more her father, that she would become a reporter and spread the full truth on things without exaggerations and assumptions.
"Why don't you go outside and make friends, it'd be good for you."
It was Nicolas, he never understood Talia's distance from other's, but he still made an effort to push her out of her comfort zone.
" I'd rather not, humans are awful" Talia says as she scooted her step father out of the room and locks the door. She had an Interview with Karin Haloth for an internship as a junior reporter in the morning.
Dec 22 1942
" Reported threats against Germany have been Receive-"
Talia drops the newspaper in her mother's lap, kisses her and bikes down to the Daily Typewriter's office for her first interview. "Hi, im here for the internship for the jun-"
"Here fill this out and return it for the final review"
Talia took the stack of papers and filled them out, when she returned them she got sent to the 5th floor. The interview finished as fast as it started, Talia did in fact get the internship and she started the next day.
When Talia arrived home she turned up the radio and sat beside the radio to listen with her mother and Nicolas.
"We have just received word of a serious threat, there is a possible bombing towards us in the next hour, please go into a cellar or hide somewhere safe. For your own safety stay away from windows and keep inside at all times."
Terror struck all three of their faces, they have heard the rumors and possibility of this happening but it never really behooved them until now that they were in serious danger. They moved into the cellar with the radio and a few of their most valued items.
After a few hours of hoping and crying, the radio came on.
"We are currently contacting higher authorities but currently they are saying that the bomb was a failed attempt and it is currently safe to go outside."
Talia's mother and stepfather left the bunker and went to take a look, as Talia was about to leave, the radio had another announcement.
"Please do not leave your Bunkers the previous announcement was incorrect, lock and close all of your doors."
Talia had to tell her parents but they were too far out, she started walking towards the bunker door and called for her mother and Nicolas. She started climbing up the stairs, Talia fell and hit her head against the rail and passed out.
An hour later she woke up and remembered, her parents. As Talia sat up she noticed her head was bleeding. When she climbed up to the surface she saw burnt down buildings, small fires, and ashes everywhere. Talia calls for her mother but no one answered, she even called out for Nicolas, still no answer.
After crying and devastation she headed for a hospital, then realized there were none, everything was burnt down to ashes. Talia decided to walk over to Berlin, the next town over.
In Berlin it looked as if nothing even happened, Markets were open, people were walking around in the streets, everything looked normal.
A couple of hours after her entrance into Berlin she passed by a food cart and realized how hungry she actually was. Unfortunately her family is kind of poor and anything she did have was burnt in the explosion, thinking about it made her sad. As she began to approach the cart to negotiate with the owner a tall boy with blonde messy hair, maybe one or two years older than Talia, charged toward a small dog which was headed in her direction. The dog jumped in her arms and whined so loudly you could almost hear it in the loud and busy streets of Berlin.
The blond boy was still running towards her, without thinking Talia took off with the dog in her hand. Making three rights and two lefts she ended up in a dead end but there was a small little hole the dog could probably squeeze through to get away, but as she just finished getting the dog through the blondie found her and trapped her in a corner.
The boy took a moment to catch his breath " what is wrong with you!"
"I'm not the one chasing down a puppy!" She shoved her way out of the corner.
"That thing stole my bread like a thief, thieves deserv-" he peered down at her bloody arm "What's wrong with your arm, let me take you to the hospital. My mother works there, she's the best"
" Thanks but I can go alo-" the blonde kid picked her up and ran without hesitation to a small but bright building with a sign reading 'Hospital-Krankenhaus'.
After their trip to the Hospital the blondie introduced himself "By the way, My name is Nabi Schwant"
Talia peered over at the boy and giggles "you can't be serious, right? What kind of name is Nabi?" she fell over in laughter.
"Hey! It's a wonderful name for an amazing person, thats why its not common." He stuck his tongue out and blew raspberries at her.
" Would you stop acting like a toddler, I have to find a police officer."
"Why would you need to do that?"
" Its none of YOUR concerns, is it?" her voice was very demeaning.
"Well I did just save your life sooo..."
"No you did not, I could have gone to the hospital myself!" she was the one blowing raspberries now. "Fine! My home town, Frankfurt, was bombed and it doesn't seem like anyone knows yet. I can't find my parents either."
"Well what are you standing here for, go find someone! This is serious, Berlin could be next!" He seemed serious this time.
About 30 minutes after searching for someone they finally found an Officer with a black bulletproof vest. He smelled like alcohol and old cigarette buds, the closer they got the taller he seemed. Talia tugged on his sleeve "um- excuse me but I just came from Frankfurt it was bombed and I can't find my parents either"
The officer looked over at her and squatted beside her "yeah I know, I was just sent a notice from my commanding officer." "I can't help you about your parents though, I'm on break and this city is on lock down. Nobody is allowed in or outside of Berlin. "
Talia was furious and devastated, how was she supposed to find her parents now? She didn't even have a place to stay, she came to the conclusion she needed to ask someone if she could stay with them for a while. But the only person she knew here was Nabi.
Nabi, what a weird name. Nabi's name was actually given to him by his great aunt, he never liked her, but even so he still wears his strange name with pride. Nabi, despite the irony of his name meaning poor, and his family were indeed pretty wealthy.
Talia was nervous, hoping this would come out positive she opened her mouth " Hey Nabi, can I ask you something?"
" Yes, you can stay at my house" He was hoping that's what she was asking, otherwise he would look ridiculous and maybe a bit perverted.
"How did you-? Nevermind."
"Follow me, were not that far away from my great aunts cabin" They walked for about fifteen minutes, something you should know about Talia is that she hasn't got a smidge of patience.
"Are we there yet" she whined. It hadn't even been 10 minutes and she was already complaining, it was going to be a long trip for the both of them.
END OF CHAPTER 1