Scared and alone

Scared and Alone

It is 1943, in Poland...

I was only five when the German army (Luftwaffe) invaded and attacked Poland. We were sitting at the table eating and talking about what to do if the Luftwaffe were to attack. I was terrified and fretting over how to hide in case they were to intrude into our house.

I was in my own world, feeling abandoned and frightened. I was suddenly shaken on the shoulder and became very alert, everything deathly silent. Suddenly, my mother screamed and told me to run and hide, "Stay quiet and don't be seen" she whispered in my ear as she grabbed some food and gave it to me and said "Run!" Then I heard an ear piercing scream and my mother's body went limp and dropped dead on the dirty floor. I screamed in terror and ran as far away as I could and hid in my cupboard.

I waited for a long time in complete silence, alone and afraid. I heard distant footsteps come through the house and I started to tremble in fear as the footstep became nearer and nearer to my room. Holding my breath, scared that if I were to breathe out he may hear me, Remembering what my mother told me before she was murdered in cold blood in the hands of a selfless German soldier: "Run, hide, don't get caught, be quiet and still."

At the thought of my mother, I struggled to stop it but I couldn't hold back, I shook violently and trembled and started to sob, knowing I no longer had a mother in my life. I heard footsteps run towards the cupboard that I was hiding in, and suddenly the door got yanked open and I found myself being faced with a gun pointed to my head. I heard distant guns firing around everywhere, and blood curdling screams erupting everywhere. By then I knew that I was about to have a horrific end to my short life.

I started to think, my name is Abira and I am five years old. I was born on the 7th of February in 1938. My mother's name is Alisha and I never knew my father. I would always ask my mother, "who is my Father and where did he go? Why did he leave us?"

Suddenly I was knocked out of my thoughts by a gunshot and a scream. Expecting it to have been me being shot, I instinctively let out a rattled scream and reluctantly started to shake. Much to my dismay, the intimidatingly threatening soldier that found me and nearly killed me fell atop my small, frail, much too weak body. I became wounded from the sudden weight forced upon my body and began franticly trying to steady my scarce breathing. I attempted to push the buff man off of my helpless body, but to no avail, the man being to strong and heavy for my weak, shaking arms.

Being so small and frail, I posed no threat to anyone. Looking for a way to leaver the buff man from my stick-like frame, I saw another man dressed in the same uniform as the man atop me. Thinking "Why me, why do I have to go through this alone?! It's not fair!" I struggled to get out from underneath the intimidating dead body of the soldier that confined me to my uncomfortable, vulnerable position on the dirty floor. The other soldier was holding a rifle, similar to the one pointed toward my head less than a minute ago.

The other soldier standing in the doorframe slowly strolled over and stood above me. He placed the gun on the floor, and to my surprise, levered the dead, limp body of the perished soldier off of my suffocating body and threw him to the corner of the room. Then, picking up his gun, he lifted me up by the arms and told me that he was here to help, and told me to calm down and get to safety. Bewildered, I asked in a shaky voice, "Why are you helping me? I'm a Jew, and you're German." He chuckled, which scared me, because it was a very hearty, deep throaty chuckle. He then asked for my name "Abira" I replied in a shaky, unsure voice. "That's a nice name, Abira."

He then stopped in his tracks and knelt down in front of me and asked what my mothers name was. "Alisha, but she d-died, the other s-soldier k-killed her." I stuttered, and began to sob again. "Abira, do you know who I am?" The man questioned me in a soothing voice that seemed to calm me down. "N-No, who are you?" I began to calm down. "Well, honey, I'm not German, I'm actually Jew. My name is Ashton, and I am your Father. I'm glad I got you back, and I got to the right house fast enough."

"Why, W-Why did you l-leave me and ma alone?" I stuttered unsure to my apparent father. "Honey, listen. I had to leave to protect you and you mother. I fled to Germany to join the Luftwaffe, to ensure that you and your ma had money for food, water and clothes, and a house to live in, with a roof over your head." He paused, "And as soon as I found out about the objective to kill all Jews, I had to go through with the mission. When we arrived in Poland, I went directly here and found your ma dead, and you with a gun pointed to your head." He bent down to my level and gave me a big hug. "Now that I have you back, I don't ever want you to get hurt again. Come with me and we'll find a safe place to hide."

THE END