Amelia - A Really Short Story Based In Poland 1939
Lodz , Poland, 1939
"Go Amelia, you must go," Amelia’s father whispered.
German soldiers and their dogs were approaching the farm house.
"Please Papa, I don't want to," Amelia pleaded.
The soldiers began laughing and the dogs barked wildly.
"It's not safe for you, Amelia. You must go and find somewhere to hide. I'll talk to the Germans and then I'll come and get you. I promise." Amelia’s father bent down and smiled at her.
"Where shall I hide?"
Her father held out her coat and she reluctantly slid her arms in.
"The old milking shed. Hide up in the loft, they won't look there." Her father looked deep into her eyes and then hugged Amelia tight. "I love you Amelia with all my heart. Now, go," he said, letting go.
Amelia began to cry and then hugged her father back. She felt like her father was saying goodbye. But he did promise to come and get her.
Her father was her only family. She had no one else. Her mother died three winters back from a severe fever. They had a son before Amelia was born, but he died of a fever too, his name was Demetrius. Her father never spoke of his lost son; she thought he found it too hard to talk about him.
"Amelia, please go," her father urged. Then thunderous knock came at the door.
"Open the door," a cold German voice demanded. "Open the door or I'll open it myself."
Amelia gave her father one more hug and then hurried out of the kitchen. She made her way to the milking shed at the other side of the farmyard.
It had snowed heavily three days ago and the ground was covered thick with it. Her feet turned cold as she only wore thin sandals. She stopped at the side of the farm house and peered around the side.She saw four German soldiers and two large dogs. They were still waiting at the front door of the farmhouse.
Amelia then heard the door creak open. The German soldiers and their barking dogs barged their way inside even before the door was fully open. Amelia heard her father shout out in pain as a soldier hit him across the face
When she heard the door close, Amelia ran towards the milking shed. Her heart then sank when she found the doors had been padlocked shut with a heavy metal chain that was threaded through both handles.
Amelia remembered that there was a window at the side of the building. As she made her way around to the window she then heard shouting coming from inside the farmhouse. Amelia heard her father cry out in pain again. She stopped in her tracks and looked back at the house.
Then suddenly it began to snow again. Heavy flakes soon gathered on her face and on her head. Amelia turned to the window and found it locked too. She searched the snow covered ground for something to smash the window pane. Her fingers grew colder and went numb as she searched on her hands and knees.Relieved,she finally felt something metal.It was one of her father’s spanners.
With her hand shaking with numbness, she smashed the window pane were the lever was. She threw the spanner back into the snow, pulled up the lever and opened the window.
As she was half way through the window Amelia noticed that the shouting in the farmhouse has stopped.
"Is there anyone else here?" the German officer said, as he removed his gloves.
The three other soldiers began to search the house with the dogs.
"No, only me," Amelia's father replied.
A look of distrust and disgust spread across the German officer’s face. He hit Amelia's father with the back of his hand. Amelia's father yelped with pain as he fell to the floor.
"Don't lie to me you dirty Jew," the German officer screamed. He hit Amelia's father again and this time he drew blood.
"There's no one here. My wife and son died years ago. What do you want?" Amelia's father looked up to the German officer as blood dripped down his face.
"Food, women," the German officer smiled. "What right has a Jew asking an officer of the Kaisers army what business he brings?"
"It's my house."
"Not anymore."
Amelia's father winced as the soldiers tore apart his house. Pots and pans smashed, furniture was broken and the cupboards and pantry were being stripped of food. The dogs were barking loudly and the soldiers laughed and joked.
"There's a girl somewhere, sir," a German solider said, as he came down the stairs.
"So, you were lying," the German officer said. He gritted his teeth and struck Amelia's father hard across the bridge of his nose. There was a light cracking sound as his nose bone snapped. He yelped in agony as the soldiers turned their heads towards the door. They heard a window breaking in the distance.
"Bring him outside," the German officer demanded as he left the farmhouse.
Amelia had climbed the ladders and hid herself in the loft. She huddled up against the wooden wall and found a crack in it. She peered through and could see the courtyard and the farm house. The door opened and out walked the German officer and he looked angry. Amelia's father followed and he was being escorted by two German soldiers. Her father’s face was bleeding badly and Amelia began to cry.
The snow still fell heavy and her father stumbled and collapsed to the ground. One of the German soldiers shouted at him and slapped him across his face and laughed. The German officer turned to her father, he then got the two soldiers to make her father kneel on the ground.
The German officer shouted at her father repeatedly and her father just bowed his head and didn't say anything back. Again and again the German officer shouted. The officers frustration finally snapped and he withdrew his gun and pointed at Amelia's father's temple. Amelia's face was dripping with warm tears and her heart was beating fast against her chest.
The German officer screamed at the top of his voice and her father still said nothing and kept his head bowed. The German officer sighed and shot Amelia's father dead. His lifeless body slumped to the ground and the snow around him turned red.
"Don't scream," a soft voice said.
Amelia spun around and her face was pale white and her eyes were sore with tears. A young German soldier was standing at the top of the wooden ladders.
"If you do, he will send Michael and Peter to join me. Was that your father?"
Amelia nodded as she began to shake.
"I am sorry for your loss." The soldier slowly sat down next to Amelia. "What is your name?"
"Amelia," she replied gazing into nothingness.
"My name is Heinrich," he smiled. "Your father lied saying he was alone. Michael found your bedroom. We all heard a window smashing. I was sent to check it out. I'm sorry but your father’s fate was sealed from that moment."
Amelia lowered her head and sobbed. Heinrich put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a chocolate bar.
"Would you like it." Amelia shook her head. "Is your mother and brother really dead?"
"My Mamma died of fever. I never knew my brother. He died before I was born."
"All of your family is gone," Heinrich said leaning his head against the wall. "I think this war will take away a lot of families from one another."
Amelia raised her head and looked at Heinrich as she wiped her eyes. "Do you have any family?"
"A mother and father, yes. I also have a younger sister. Her name is Maria; she must be a similar age to you."
"What's going to happen to me?"
"Well, I should really tell my superior that I have found you. You're a bit too young for his taste. But Michael and Peter would like to enjoy you. Then you would be moved to a workhouse or camp. Depends how my superior feels."
"Will he kill me?" Amelia said. She couldn't get the image of the German officer shooting her father out of her mind.
"His mood changes by the minute." Heinrich stood and offered Amelia his hand."Come with me".
Michael dragged the body of Amelia's father away and tossed it against a pile of logs. Peter and the German officer stood smoking in the courtyard as they waited for Heinrich to appear with the girl.
"He's taking his time," Peter said, as he exhaled cigarette smoke into the air. Falling snow fell on his face as he tossed the cigarette onto the ground.
"Maybe he's getting in their first," the German officer replied.
"Do you want me to go and find him?" Michael asked as he stood next to Peter and he gave him a cigarette and lit it for him.
"No need, look." The German officer nodded towards the old milking shed and making his way through the deep snow towards them was Heinrich.
He came alone.
"Well, where is she?" Peter said angrily.
"There's no one there. No sign of anybody. There's a tractor and some small rusty farming tools. I think it must have been a milking shed a long time ago," Heinrich shivered. Peter's eyes narrowed has he offered Heinrich a cigarette. "Take a look if you don't believe me."
"Who's living in the bedroom then?" Michael replied. “What about the smashing window”.
"Go, look for yourself," Heinich said nodding towards the shed. "I can't find anyone. The windows being broken for some time”.
"You're certain?" Peter said with distrust in his voice.
"Stop bickering or I'll shoot you all just like the dirty Jew," the German officer snapped. "Get the food and let's go before this snow gets worse. There's another farm a few miles from here. Maybe they have women to enjoy."
"Go Amelia, you must go," Amelia’s father whispered.
German soldiers and their dogs were approaching the farm house.
"Please Papa, I don't want to," Amelia pleaded.
The soldiers began laughing and the dogs barked wildly.
"It's not safe for you, Amelia. You must go and find somewhere to hide. I'll talk to the Germans and then I'll come and get you. I promise." Amelia’s father bent down and smiled at her.
"Where shall I hide?"
Her father held out her coat and she reluctantly slid her arms in.
"The old milking shed. Hide up in the loft, they won't look there." Her father looked deep into her eyes and then hugged Amelia tight. "I love you Amelia with all my heart. Now, go," he said, letting go.
Amelia began to cry and then hugged her father back. She felt like her father was saying goodbye. But he did promise to come and get her.
Her father was her only family. She had no one else. Her mother died three winters back from a severe fever. They had a son before Amelia was born, but he died of a fever too, his name was Demetrius. Her father never spoke of his lost son; she thought he found it too hard to talk about him.
"Amelia, please go," her father urged. Then thunderous knock came at the door.
"Open the door," a cold German voice demanded. "Open the door or I'll open it myself."
Amelia gave her father one more hug and then hurried out of the kitchen. She made her way to the milking shed at the other side of the farmyard.
It had snowed heavily three days ago and the ground was covered thick with it. Her feet turned cold as she only wore thin sandals. She stopped at the side of the farm house and peered around the side.She saw four German soldiers and two large dogs. They were still waiting at the front door of the farmhouse.
Amelia then heard the door creak open. The German soldiers and their barking dogs barged their way inside even before the door was fully open. Amelia heard her father shout out in pain as a soldier hit him across the face
When she heard the door close, Amelia ran towards the milking shed. Her heart then sank when she found the doors had been padlocked shut with a heavy metal chain that was threaded through both handles.
Amelia remembered that there was a window at the side of the building. As she made her way around to the window she then heard shouting coming from inside the farmhouse. Amelia heard her father cry out in pain again. She stopped in her tracks and looked back at the house.
Then suddenly it began to snow again. Heavy flakes soon gathered on her face and on her head. Amelia turned to the window and found it locked too. She searched the snow covered ground for something to smash the window pane. Her fingers grew colder and went numb as she searched on her hands and knees.Relieved,she finally felt something metal.It was one of her father’s spanners.
With her hand shaking with numbness, she smashed the window pane were the lever was. She threw the spanner back into the snow, pulled up the lever and opened the window.
As she was half way through the window Amelia noticed that the shouting in the farmhouse has stopped.
"Is there anyone else here?" the German officer said, as he removed his gloves.
The three other soldiers began to search the house with the dogs.
"No, only me," Amelia's father replied.
A look of distrust and disgust spread across the German officer’s face. He hit Amelia's father with the back of his hand. Amelia's father yelped with pain as he fell to the floor.
"Don't lie to me you dirty Jew," the German officer screamed. He hit Amelia's father again and this time he drew blood.
"There's no one here. My wife and son died years ago. What do you want?" Amelia's father looked up to the German officer as blood dripped down his face.
"Food, women," the German officer smiled. "What right has a Jew asking an officer of the Kaisers army what business he brings?"
"It's my house."
"Not anymore."
Amelia's father winced as the soldiers tore apart his house. Pots and pans smashed, furniture was broken and the cupboards and pantry were being stripped of food. The dogs were barking loudly and the soldiers laughed and joked.
"There's a girl somewhere, sir," a German solider said, as he came down the stairs.
"So, you were lying," the German officer said. He gritted his teeth and struck Amelia's father hard across the bridge of his nose. There was a light cracking sound as his nose bone snapped. He yelped in agony as the soldiers turned their heads towards the door. They heard a window breaking in the distance.
"Bring him outside," the German officer demanded as he left the farmhouse.
Amelia had climbed the ladders and hid herself in the loft. She huddled up against the wooden wall and found a crack in it. She peered through and could see the courtyard and the farm house. The door opened and out walked the German officer and he looked angry. Amelia's father followed and he was being escorted by two German soldiers. Her father’s face was bleeding badly and Amelia began to cry.
The snow still fell heavy and her father stumbled and collapsed to the ground. One of the German soldiers shouted at him and slapped him across his face and laughed. The German officer turned to her father, he then got the two soldiers to make her father kneel on the ground.
The German officer shouted at her father repeatedly and her father just bowed his head and didn't say anything back. Again and again the German officer shouted. The officers frustration finally snapped and he withdrew his gun and pointed at Amelia's father's temple. Amelia's face was dripping with warm tears and her heart was beating fast against her chest.
The German officer screamed at the top of his voice and her father still said nothing and kept his head bowed. The German officer sighed and shot Amelia's father dead. His lifeless body slumped to the ground and the snow around him turned red.
"Don't scream," a soft voice said.
Amelia spun around and her face was pale white and her eyes were sore with tears. A young German soldier was standing at the top of the wooden ladders.
"If you do, he will send Michael and Peter to join me. Was that your father?"
Amelia nodded as she began to shake.
"I am sorry for your loss." The soldier slowly sat down next to Amelia. "What is your name?"
"Amelia," she replied gazing into nothingness.
"My name is Heinrich," he smiled. "Your father lied saying he was alone. Michael found your bedroom. We all heard a window smashing. I was sent to check it out. I'm sorry but your father’s fate was sealed from that moment."
Amelia lowered her head and sobbed. Heinrich put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a chocolate bar.
"Would you like it." Amelia shook her head. "Is your mother and brother really dead?"
"My Mamma died of fever. I never knew my brother. He died before I was born."
"All of your family is gone," Heinrich said leaning his head against the wall. "I think this war will take away a lot of families from one another."
Amelia raised her head and looked at Heinrich as she wiped her eyes. "Do you have any family?"
"A mother and father, yes. I also have a younger sister. Her name is Maria; she must be a similar age to you."
"What's going to happen to me?"
"Well, I should really tell my superior that I have found you. You're a bit too young for his taste. But Michael and Peter would like to enjoy you. Then you would be moved to a workhouse or camp. Depends how my superior feels."
"Will he kill me?" Amelia said. She couldn't get the image of the German officer shooting her father out of her mind.
"His mood changes by the minute." Heinrich stood and offered Amelia his hand."Come with me".
Michael dragged the body of Amelia's father away and tossed it against a pile of logs. Peter and the German officer stood smoking in the courtyard as they waited for Heinrich to appear with the girl.
"He's taking his time," Peter said, as he exhaled cigarette smoke into the air. Falling snow fell on his face as he tossed the cigarette onto the ground.
"Maybe he's getting in their first," the German officer replied.
"Do you want me to go and find him?" Michael asked as he stood next to Peter and he gave him a cigarette and lit it for him.
"No need, look." The German officer nodded towards the old milking shed and making his way through the deep snow towards them was Heinrich.
He came alone.
"Well, where is she?" Peter said angrily.
"There's no one there. No sign of anybody. There's a tractor and some small rusty farming tools. I think it must have been a milking shed a long time ago," Heinrich shivered. Peter's eyes narrowed has he offered Heinrich a cigarette. "Take a look if you don't believe me."
"Who's living in the bedroom then?" Michael replied. “What about the smashing window”.
"Go, look for yourself," Heinich said nodding towards the shed. "I can't find anyone. The windows being broken for some time”.
"You're certain?" Peter said with distrust in his voice.
"Stop bickering or I'll shoot you all just like the dirty Jew," the German officer snapped. "Get the food and let's go before this snow gets worse. There's another farm a few miles from here. Maybe they have women to enjoy."
No comments have been added yet.
