City Wall | K.Sn

| 7 |

I quietly slumped down into Tania's bed, ready to work on the project she and I had been given for Social Studies, something about how communism is better than capitalism and therefore it was better to live in DDR (East Germany) than BDR (West Germany).

"This topic is sickening," I commented as I dropped the project file down beside me and just closed my eyes, enjoying the fact that there wasn't any cameras or microphones hanging around appartment 7B.

"Anna!" Mark's voice screamed as he opened the door and I immediatelu lifted my head and looked at him with a frown, "sorry," he quickly excused after earning an utmost hard glare from his sister, who was sitting by her desk, "I need to know... the escape mission."

"Only the baby made it," I sighed and he frowned at me, "they got one up on the wall that managed to get the baby, the other six was shot in the Death Strip. The one on the wall was shot too, must've protected the baby from the fall somehow."

"How do you know it was just the baby?" Mark questioned and my eyes slowly widened as I looked to Tania, who just deeply sighed at me.

"You know Mark would find it more wunderbar than I would," Tania sighed making me snicker at her use at the so foreign word in her mouth.

"Do you frequently sneak out to the West or what?" Mark hissed and I immediately clasped a hand over his mouth before forcing him to sit down beside me.

"Across No Man's Land, there is a boy our age, living in West Germany," I whispered and Tania turned in her chair.

"Lianna fancies him," she outed and I gasped at her.

"I most certainly do not!" I warned her and reached over to slap her thigh as a knowing smile just spread on her face.

"Whatever you say. But you look lovestruck each time you rush back into 7A," she remarked and I just rolled my eyes at her.

"But we're sending letter back and forth with a white balloon when the guards don't look," I continued in a hushed voice to Mark who slowly had a smile spreading on his face, "he went down to check on the two that got over the wall. Wrote to me it was only the baby and they're hiding it for now until it becomes unrecognizeable to the Eastern authorities. I think they'll give it a new name as well."

"Anna... that is so wickedly cool," Mark let out a small laugh of disbelief and I just nodded before looking over at Tania, who sent us a glance and rolled her eyes.

"But you do realize how incredibly dangerous their friendship is, right?" Tania questioned and Mark just shrugged at his sister.

"Makes it all the more exciting, don't you think?" Mark questioned and I immediately nodded in agreement, "besides, it's only Anna that can get in trouble of the two, and she's such a good liar that I highly doubt it actually."

"Very kind of you to say that," I commented to Mark, who simply winked at me before looking back at his sister with an excited smile.

"Can you two at least stop your small escape business?" Tania asked us in a pleading voice, "Lianna nearly got caught last time, and it's just a question about time before they find the small staircase between her room and the bathroom in 8A, and once they do they'll deport her just like they did with the Merkel family."

"Tanny... don't you think you're overreacting a bit?" Mark softly questioned as we both looked over at Tania with a worried expression.

"I'm worried," Tania corrected, "they don't see us as small naive kids anymore, and you both know that. We can't go around and act like we did when we were younger, saying the things about the Soviet we used to. We need to adjust to how they percieve us now," she reminded and I let out a small sigh before looking down at my hands in my lap and glancing at Mark.

"No way," Mark shook his head immediately, not looking away from his sister who was about to retaliate with soething, "I don't care what they do to me, but if I at least can help just one baby," Mark stated and looked to me, " then I will be happy now matter how they kill me, fast with a shot or slowly with torture."

"You're insane," Tania shook her head at her brother.

"And you almost sound like one of those spy swines that report anyone who says anything that could be seen as wrong against the communistic beliefs," Mark retorted as I just sat there.

It wasn't new for Tania and Mark to argue about these kinds of things, it had been like that ever since we turned 15 two years ago. Mark had immediately gotten an idea of taking on this heroic role of helping people escape. Tania had become fearful and constantly scared someone would share a false rumour about her to the authorities, that would get her arrested within seconds.

But I. I laid somewhere in the middle. I wanted to help people escape the world I hated so much, but I also wanted to keep a low profile and just live life as a normal teenager in DDR. After all... there wasn't much a 17-year-old girl could do to change anything here.

"Calm down Tania! Why are you so scared about the things I do? It's not like I drag you into anything!" Mark exclaimed as he stood up from the bed and Tania immediately stood up from her chair and stared hard at her brother. Her red hair suddenly seemed more red than usual.

"I'm scared that my brother will get under investigation and suddenly disappear for, who knows how many, months on end!" Tania retorted, "What makes it even worse is that Lianna already is under investigation and is being watched over and listened to everytime she goes home our outside of this complex's door. One step out of line and you could end just like any other person who just as much as said 'no' to a Stasi officer."

"Are you two done soon?" I spoke up and both looked to me, "for a starter I don't want to be reminded about the constant survelliance I am under. Secondly, I just want this project to be done with."

"Right..." Tania muttered with a small nod and flattened down her skirt as she sat down in her chair again, "sorry... let's continue."

"I'll go divide our money from the escape mission," Mark looked at me and I just nodded before he left the room.

I let out a quiet sigh, not even sure if I wanted to take the money.