Chapter One

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Anne's POV

We hear the gun butts hitting the door. I turn to my parents giving them a slight reassuring smile. We all knew this would happen and honestly I think some of us were waiting for it to be over with. To live in hope rather than fear. It was terrifying, to be in a situation like ours. To fear that if you so much as made the slightest noise, you could ruin everything. That's how I felt. Because normally, I ruined everything. But now, to be out of captivity, to roam free in the wind and air and feel the sun against my skin, no matter how hot or cold, I will love it. I will savor ever single second of it. I feel as though I took the sun and nature for granted before, when I was free. Now I will never.

Peter comes back from his room, things packed and ready to go. He comes over and plants a kiss on my cheek, and I wrap my arms around him in a tight hug.
''Peter,'' I say quietly, my hope and courage fading with every thought, ''if we don't make it out of this.. I just want you to know, you were my sunshine. Even when I couldn't see it from the skylight.''
''Shh,'' he says quietly, ''we will make it out of this. And when we do, I'll..'' He can't finish. The Nazi's break down the door and we are ushered into the main room quickly. I glance around at our hiding spot, savoring every memory.
And we are pushed out of the place I now called home, I was accustomed to seeing every day.
This was it. What we all dreaded.
*~*~*~*~*~*
''No!'' I scream in realization of what's going on. This camp seperates men and women. Peter and Pim are gone.
I try to manuver through the guards, but they're rough.
Peter is also trying, but Pim is just freely walking. No guards noticed him.
''Anne!'' Peter shouts. ''Don't forget what I said!'' And then Mr. Van Daan drags him away.
Pim notices me, and once he calls my name, I break free and run to him, throwing my arms around him. ''Anneke, you must obey your mother. No matter what, alright? We'll see each other soon. Don't worry.'' He tells me, tightly squeezing me before letting go and letting me rush back to Mother and Margot. 

We walk into this chamber, and my heart beat quickens. Is this a gas chamber? Are we going to die? I can't die. I just can't! 
Pim and Peter both promised to see me after the war, or whenever they could. I can't just die already.
Margot leans over and whispers in my ear, ''They're going to pick out the ones who can live.. and those who die.'' 
She leans back, her lips trembling as they come closer to us. It would be Margot first, Mother, then me. Margot looks down, so the officer lifts her chin with his gun butt. He nods to the man behind him, who scribbles down her number, I think. They do the same to Mother after a second, then go to me. My heart beat stops completely, when his eyebrows knit together in confusion, then soon relax, and he shrugs and nods to the man. We all sigh in relief. 
Mother and Margot and I then walk into a room cramped with other females. We are told to undress and wait. Looking around at the ladies, some are hopeful, eyes lowered but obeying, some ladies are crying; like Mother, and all are silent. And then there are girls like me and Margot. Slowly tugging on the sleeves as if they're gonna stick and never come off, not crying, not disobeying nor obeying, but seeming to do all three.
Margot, Mother and I finish undressing and wait by the chairs. They haven't told us what's happening next and--
My head is jerked up and I hear the sounds of scissors. They click a few times before I suddenly know that they're cutting my hair, shorter and shorter by the second. Once they're finished, they shove me away with a grunt. I meet up with Mother and Margot, but I can't exactly see them as the happy and upbeat people in hiding, or in our home. Already their faces have sadden, sunk in. I can't tell if it's due to the actual real light, or just how quickly stressed they have become.
Mrs. Van Daan walks next to us now, quietly. As she should be.

It has been a few months, and a while ago... Mother died. She died of exhaustion, Mrs. Van Daan told us. Margot and I cried for days, even a week. I hadn't seen Mother since she was transported into another camp. I've been feeling sicker and sicker lately. Margot has typus, it seems. I have been giving her all my food, all my warm clothing, everything. I watch her, all the time. I make sure no one touches her.
Then I went to get water for us. The water they gave once every few days was dirty but well-needed. Margot needed it. I couldn't lose her. She's my sister, the only family I have left.. that I know of. I still hope that Pim is alive. Except, after this war, how can I tell him that Mother and Margot both did not make it? How is Peter? Mr. Dussel? Yes, even at this time I am worried about Dussel. It feels weird, to be cut off from everyone. I would love to talk to Mother, or even Mr. Van Daan, just for the slightest second. I miss everyone.
I come back to our tent, of sorts, and see people crowding around Margot's bunk, like they are searching for prey. ''Move!'' I shout, kneeling next to Margot. I feel her cold hand, press my fingers onto her wrist. I feel nothing. I lay my ear on her chest. I hear nothing. Tears start falling from my eyes, but I'm not feeling that. I shake Margot's body once, twice, before I sob loudly. The people are snatching from Margot, her socks, her gloves, her hat. Everything I found for her. I hold her against me, looking out in the sunshine and calming myself down. ''You'll be watching me from the sunshine, Margot,'' I say shakily. ''That sounds amazing.'' I lay her down, sniffing and wiping my eyes, and just stare at Margot, not wanting to forget her, or this moment, how peaceful yet stressed she looks. 
I have lost everyone. I have lost myself, I think.

Peter's POV.

Mr. Frank and I were sitting on our bunks one night, in complete silence. This has been our free time for the past few nights, silence. I think I miss Anne the most. My mother, of course I miss my mother, but .. she's just, her. She's all out there whenever I find someone to talk to and be close with, but when I'm a lone wolf per usual, she doesn't even realize I exist. I guess that's why I like Anne. She doesn't pretend I don't exist. 
My father was sent off to another camp with Dussel, and all the girls are in one camp. From what some guards and men have talked about, their lives are worse. Everyone had to get their hair cut short, us men didn't, unless it was as long as a girls, they had to strip down and be disinfected, well, we did too, but they did ours in groups, not packed up. 
My mother loved her hair. I bet she's not too happy. News has spread that Americans are liberating camps. It is almost May, and I think our camp is next. But there's a march.. one I want to be in. Mr. Frank tells me not to, but I don't know. I want to survive, to keep my promise to Anne, but .. if that march means I may die .. I don't know. 
''Did you hear from anyone?'' Mr. Frank asks me. Some men have been paying guards with whatever they have to transfer messages to people they love.
I shake my head. ''Have you?'' I ask him.
He nods, slowly. ''I've been communicating from someone Anne is friends with. She is in the camp next to Anne's. She tells me that she's been trying to talk to Anne, but Anne never hears. She says she's seen Mrs. Van Daan, but that's it. Not Edith, or .. or Margot.'' 
Once he stops, his face turns sullen, sad. I finally realize what he means. Mrs. Frank and Margot have passed. Anne is alone. 
''And the girl thinks that Anne may have the same disease that killed Margot.'' He shakes his head slowly in disbelief.

Maybe I should be in this march. Anne's sick .. perhaps she will be gone like Margot. Although I don't want her to... I don't even have a religion, this is silly of me to think we'll be together in some afterlife... Maybe I do need a religion. I guess I do believe in God. Afterall, how did we get here? Anne thinks that God made the sunshine, the grass, the air, the wind, everything. It makes sense, but.. I don't know. It's weird, to believe in something for me. 
Anne told me I was her sunshine. I wish I could be with her now. I wish anyone could be with her. She can't be alone. I imagine that the clothes they were given are tiny and thin and torn. It's winter outside, freezing cold. We have to work, work, work, and get little sleep. We get time to sleep, just no one does. 
I hope America comes soon. Before anything bad happens to anyone else.

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