The Days I Remember

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I’ve asked myself again and again whether it wouldn’t have been better if we hadn’t gone into hiding, if we were dead now and didn’t have to go through this misery, especially so that the others could be spared the burden. But we all shrink from this thought. We still love life, we haven’t yet forgotten the voice of nature, and we keep hoping, hoping for … everything.

- ANNE FRANK,

            I woke up to the light streaming in through the window hitting my face. I look around thinking I was at home and soon my mother would walk through the door to make sure I was awake. But of course that wasn’t the cause. No birds singing, it was just sound of the train moving and people in the cart.

I was in the Cattle Car still, my sister still sleeping and thankfully alive was right by me.  I longed for my old bed and to wake up so the sound of my parents hush voices as they talk about things but at last this was real.

It seemed to be another morning. Not really like another morning. It seemed be a really depressing morning but the Sun already up and alert to great everyone on new day. I hope today wasn’t going to be as crazy as yesterday was. But I guess that I was going to have to get use to this. There was a huge chance that I will never go home again.

 I miss having normal days whatever those were. I was hoping maybe we would be able to go back home but I had a feeling that was going to happen and that we would be most likely stuck here or whatever we were going for a very long time. I wanted to stay positive but to tell you the truth, I don’t think I can stay positive going through this. I don’t even know if I will get through whatever I was going to go through alive but I was going to try.  I rather try then let them even get to chance of winning. I wasn’t going to give up easily and I was going to back down but I had to think of plane.

The light let me see at least some of what was going on in the cattle car. It took moment for me to adjust on what happen here but soon came back to me. My body was stiff from not really moving and I couldn’t really stretch not want to wake my sister up. I took in the scene before me.

Nobody else was awake, everyone was still sleeping. Everyone leaning against each other or head against the wall. It almost seemed peaceful but it wasn’t it. Dead bodies were around everyone. Stacked against the wall. Most of the dead were children younger than Emma. I couldn’t look at the bodies anymore or even want to think about it. The smell of the cart was unbearable and I didn't get how I could still stand the smile. Or how anybody could sleep through it. I suppose if the body needed rest, so you had to sleep even if it wasn't at home in your warm inviting bed.

The train started to slow down. More people woke up as the train slowed down. Emma yawned and grabbed my hand not really awake. I wonder if she thought this all was a bad dream. I wished I could tell that it was. Maybe it would make things okay. I heard dogs barking viciously. The door opened and I had to cover my eyes. It was almost blinding the sun as the door slowly open with a creek. It seemed forever sense I last saw the sun. It seemed to be Welcoming but on the other hand, I was too tired to care.

"Everyone out now" said a man voice yelled at the group of people.

 I didn't see what he look like but he was probably a solider. The Sun messed up my sight as I walked with Emma, still holding her hand and I pulled her with me outside.  Following others as we came to a long barbwire fence as far as I could see and a lot of big barracks, buildings. I could see people just like me wearing Black and White stripe uniforms.

I wondered if we would be wearing those. In the distance there was two buildings that smoke seemed to be coming out of. It wasn’t white smoke as use to sometime when having a fire. No it was pitch black smoke as if something was burning. I wondered what was burning, as if they were cooking a meal for us which I didn’t think was possible. Whatever it was it smelt awfully and I didn’t want to know what it was. And I hope we wouldn’t find out the truth either.