about politics while their children played ball or splashed in puddles in the courtyard.
Kamila and Jadzia discovered a small, deserted room that no one else seemed to want. It had a leak in the ceiling and the door’s lock had been blown out by gunfire. The girls cleared away the books and debris on the floor. The sun had begun to set and word from the other refugees informed them of the strict curfew.
As night arrived, only a glimmer of moonlight made its way through the cracks in the cold stone. Kamila scoured the room for anything soft. She found a few scraps of cloth and tried to rest her head upon her makeshift pillow. Meanwhile, Jadzia lit the only dry candle and went through the pile of rubble to gather something to burn. She found a few dry books but realized none of them were worth reading. She gathered the Nazi literature that wasn’t damp, lit a small fire on the floor, and tried to stay warm. A gaping hole overhead allowed a near-steady stream of water to fall to the ground in the corner and allowed the smoke from the fire to escape. With no window in the room, they felt as safe as could be expected.
Kamila finally gave up on the idea of getting sleep. She wedged a half-broken chair against the door as tight as possible and removed her clothes, placing them over the cracks in the stone. Kamila worked fast to gather their ration of soap and washed with the cold rainwater from the ceiling. Jadzia tried not to stare but noted how much weight her friend had gained since they first met. Instead of the frail girl who was hardly able to stand on her own, she was an almost vibrant and youthful woman. After Kamila dressed, Jadzia bathed just before the fire died out. Once clothed, and with no more dry books to burn, the girls sat with their backs to each other and did their best to keep warm. The stone floor was damp and freezing; neither of them slept soundly.
Chapter 2
Late in the night, when nary a sound was heard besides a crying child, something stirred in the dark. The girls hardly noticed the noise at first, but soon it was too close to ignore. Kamila awakened and peered into the blackness that surrounded them. Jadzia clamored for a candle and finding one, she lit it. As the fire’s light spread out across the void, the source of the sound became clear: two young men were standing quietly over them.
“You’re pretty,” one of them said to Kamila in German.
The girls shrunk back against the wall and reached out for each other’s hand. The two men, dressed as Russian soldiers, stepped closer. The larger of the two men drew a knife from his belt. Frozen by fear, the girls inched closer together and tried to scream but it was too late. The two men pounced and neither of the girls could make a sound.
Jadzia was dragged into the corner and slapped across the face by the one soldier.
“You’re next,” he said as he tied her hands behind her back and shoved a piece of cloth in her mouth.
Kamila struggled to break free of the other soldier but was overtaken by his companion. She tried to scream through the flesh of the soldier’s hand over her mouth, but it was use. She kicked and flailed as hard as she could while the men tore at her clothes. Finally, she landed a kick across the one soldier’s jaw but he reacted swiftly, striking her in the face so hard the other soldier lost his balance and dropped her. She landed on the cold slap and fell over unconscious, blood pouring from her mouth and nose.
The men ignored and discarded Kamila and rushed toward Jadzia, who had started to work herself free of her bounds. Before they could strike, a brilliant flash of blue light filled the room and in an instant, the men disappeared.
Unsure but unconcerned
Kamila and Jadzia discovered a small, deserted room that no one else seemed to want. It had a leak in the ceiling and the door’s lock had been blown out by gunfire. The girls cleared away the books and debris on the floor. The sun had begun to set and word from the other refugees informed them of the strict curfew.
As night arrived, only a glimmer of moonlight made its way through the cracks in the cold stone. Kamila scoured the room for anything soft. She found a few scraps of cloth and tried to rest her head upon her makeshift pillow. Meanwhile, Jadzia lit the only dry candle and went through the pile of rubble to gather something to burn. She found a few dry books but realized none of them were worth reading. She gathered the Nazi literature that wasn’t damp, lit a small fire on the floor, and tried to stay warm. A gaping hole overhead allowed a near-steady stream of water to fall to the ground in the corner and allowed the smoke from the fire to escape. With no window in the room, they felt as safe as could be expected.
Kamila finally gave up on the idea of getting sleep. She wedged a half-broken chair against the door as tight as possible and removed her clothes, placing them over the cracks in the stone. Kamila worked fast to gather their ration of soap and washed with the cold rainwater from the ceiling. Jadzia tried not to stare but noted how much weight her friend had gained since they first met. Instead of the frail girl who was hardly able to stand on her own, she was an almost vibrant and youthful woman. After Kamila dressed, Jadzia bathed just before the fire died out. Once clothed, and with no more dry books to burn, the girls sat with their backs to each other and did their best to keep warm. The stone floor was damp and freezing; neither of them slept soundly.
Chapter 2
Late in the night, when nary a sound was heard besides a crying child, something stirred in the dark. The girls hardly noticed the noise at first, but soon it was too close to ignore. Kamila awakened and peered into the blackness that surrounded them. Jadzia clamored for a candle and finding one, she lit it. As the fire’s light spread out across the void, the source of the sound became clear: two young men were standing quietly over them.
“You’re pretty,” one of them said to Kamila in German.
The girls shrunk back against the wall and reached out for each other’s hand. The two men, dressed as Russian soldiers, stepped closer. The larger of the two men drew a knife from his belt. Frozen by fear, the girls inched closer together and tried to scream but it was too late. The two men pounced and neither of the girls could make a sound.
Jadzia was dragged into the corner and slapped across the face by the one soldier.
“You’re next,” he said as he tied her hands behind her back and shoved a piece of cloth in her mouth.
Kamila struggled to break free of the other soldier but was overtaken by his companion. She tried to scream through the flesh of the soldier’s hand over her mouth, but it was use. She kicked and flailed as hard as she could while the men tore at her clothes. Finally, she landed a kick across the one soldier’s jaw but he reacted swiftly, striking her in the face so hard the other soldier lost his balance and dropped her. She landed on the cold slap and fell over unconscious, blood pouring from her mouth and nose.
The men ignored and discarded Kamila and rushed toward Jadzia, who had started to work herself free of her bounds. Before they could strike, a brilliant flash of blue light filled the room and in an instant, the men disappeared.
Unsure but unconcerned
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