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May 3, 2008 14:22:53 GMT -5
Post by .Naomi Chesed. on May 3, 2008 14:22:53 GMT -5
Finally, a promise thunders in the soul,
There is no death, You shall be free, there is deliverance, there is another land! -Mary Naylor
Naomi stood shivering outside, the clothing she was wearing barely covering her it was so worn. She wasn't sure how long she'd been a prisoner, but she could feel it all taking it's toll on her. She was weak, tired nearly all day. The food they were given (when it was deemed they 'deserved' to be fed) was only a bowl (not always filled) of watery soup and a hard bit of bread. She'd gotten used to the dirty feeling now, hardly ever able to wash in the one wash bin of her barracks. Her face, which wasn't sunken yet as that of many of the prisoners, was always covered with new dirt, little tracks created down her cheeks after every night when her tears fell. She had no one for her now. Her mother was surely dead now, separated from she and her little sister when they hard arrived at the camp. And Shani, a sickness that had been plaguing her since their arrival took her in the night. She only pulled through now with hope that her brother was still alive somewhere.
She felt like she was floating as she made her way through the snow toward the warehouse like building where she worked, sorting clothing and shoes. Her own shoes that she'd been given were worn, the snow seeping into them, making her whole foot numb. She was zoning out as she walked, her tired mind playing tricks on her. She kept seeing her old neighborhood..and as she continued walking she saw her mother ahead of her. She stopped walking, staring with her wide brown eyes. She swallowed, "Mother.." she mumbled, not even aware of the other women and girls moving around her, continuing to go to their work, keeping to themselves as guards moved around the outside of the group.
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Alone
May 4, 2008 13:34:29 GMT -5
Post by M.P. Emrys Astor on May 4, 2008 13:34:29 GMT -5
Military police officer Emrys Astor had just been transferred to this concentration camp, but it made no difference really. Whether it was this camp or the previous camp, it was always the same sad story, the same mass grave. It nearly made Emrys sick to think that he was a part of all this, but what could he do? That was probably why he chose to be in the military police. That way he could at least check the officers whenever possible. He didn't really approve of what they were doing here in the camps, and he just wanted the war to be over so that he could go home and get back to his studio and make his art.
He was fairly certain that he would never be the same after this, that he would withdraw even more into his artwork, but there was nothing he could do about that. The damage was already done, he'd already seen the horrors, he'd already stood by while innocent people died. No, he would never be that Emrys Astor again. He'd never again be able to sit on the street and sketch the people that walked by without seeing the condemned walking to the crematorium or the gas chambers. He'd never be able to look at the countryside and admire its beauty, for he would forever see the mass graves and pillars of smoke. He'd probably spend the rest of his life in his studio, painting the scenes that kept haunting them. Maybe someday, they'd be put on display and he could, in his own way, help make sure that this never happened again.
All of this was once again running through his mind as he walked across the camp, trying not to look at what he called the living dead, intent on getting to his quarters. It was then that he heard a voice, a woman's voice. It had said "mother," and as Rys was fluent in her language, he understood it. He turned to look at her, and she seemed to be looking at him, "Pardon me?" he asked in her language. She looked to be in her early twenties... His own daughter would be about that age now... If she were still alive...
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May 4, 2008 15:01:42 GMT -5
Post by .Naomi Chesed. on May 4, 2008 15:01:42 GMT -5
Naomi took a slight step toward the woman her mind was making up, tears forming, creating the little tracks down her cheeks. She was about to speak again to the woman she so wished was there before she heard a man's voice. She blinked and the illusion disappeared and a man was in her place. She got very still as she took in the fact that he was one from the German military. Her eyes widened, the fear taking place of the sadness that had settled in them. She took a little step back, her eyes darting to the women still making their way forward while she had been standing still. Was he going to take her away?
She licked her dry lips, her breath coming out in quick puffs, hanging in the cold air. She dropped her gaze down when she found herself staring at him, "I-...I'm s-sorry, sir..." she said, speaking quickly in a mumbled way, her voice shaking, though it could have been from the cold and not fear. "I j-just thought...I'm sorry, sir.." she said again, wondering if she should continue on with the other woman or stay until he told her to get to work or until he took her away.
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May 4, 2008 15:39:52 GMT -5
Post by M.P. Emrys Astor on May 4, 2008 15:39:52 GMT -5
Rys stared at her as she came toward him, and then seemed to realize that he was not her mother. It made his stomach clench to see how afraid of him she was. He sighed as she spoke, shaking his head. "You thought I was your mother?" he asked quietly, "I suppose the cold has been known to make people see stranger things." he said.
"There's no need to fear me, child. Not today." he said, glancing around to see that all the other officers were occupied. "H-how old are you?" he asked, unable to help himself.
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May 4, 2008 15:53:47 GMT -5
Post by .Naomi Chesed. on May 4, 2008 15:53:47 GMT -5
"N-not..you exactly," she amended, "I saw no one but her...I felt I was alone except for her," she told him, becoming silent again quickly though, not sure she should really..converse with him over this. If it were known her mind was playing tricks on her, would they find her unfit for working? Led with the next group to their deaths. She wasn't sure what to do with herself, wanting to rush with the other women and get away from this German military man.
She grasped her hands to keep them from shaking, though her whole body was shaking. How could he say not to fear him? She was not naive to what they were doing. He could very well drag her off and shoot her. She was surprised as he asked her age, wondering if he was planning something else to do with her. "I am twenty...sir," she said quietly, focusing on his boots.
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May 4, 2008 16:16:55 GMT -5
Post by M.P. Emrys Astor on May 4, 2008 16:16:55 GMT -5
"I see..." he said, not knowing what to say or how to comfort her, because nothing he said could help, especially coming from a German. He could tell that she would like nothing better than to get back to work, even if that work was some of the most difficult work imaginable. He didn't blame her for still being afraid of him, even though he'd told her not to be.
"Twenty?" he asked quietly, more to himself than to her. She was exactly the age his dear Carina would have been. It made his heart ache to think of his daughter. In his mind, he saw a vision of his own. A flash of light as three cars fell off of the top of a ferris wheel, then a sickening crash. That day had haunted him even worse than all of his days now. He shook his head to clear it, "And your name?" he asked her.
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May 4, 2008 16:28:20 GMT -5
Post by .Naomi Chesed. on May 4, 2008 16:28:20 GMT -5
She watched him silently, giving a tiny nod as he repeated her name, even if he wasn't speaking to her. She didn't like him being silent for so long, and she noticed the brief distant look he had as he seemed to be elsewhere. She worried over what he was thinking about, her hands grasping onto each other tighter. She had been so careful since arriving to avoid being picked out from the crowd, but not she was being questioned and she felt sick about the whole situation. She had seen too much in her time here to feel settled at any point. She let her eyes shift around her, before glancing up at him again briefly, focusing down again when his eyes seemed to return to what was going on.
She was silent a moment when he asked for her name. She was so close to giving her actual name, but stopped...giving the number she'd received upon arriving. "63289," she stated, focusing on his feet still.
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May 4, 2008 16:48:02 GMT -5
Post by M.P. Emrys Astor on May 4, 2008 16:48:02 GMT -5
Rys waited patiently for her name and gave a sad chuckle when she gave him her number. "No, not your number, dear, your name. The one your mother gave you." he said. "I told you, there's no reason to fear me at the moment. I just want to know your name, child. You... You remind me of someone I knew once..." he said sadly. He would have given anything to have Elsa and Carina back.
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May 4, 2008 16:53:19 GMT -5
Post by .Naomi Chesed. on May 4, 2008 16:53:19 GMT -5
She lifted her eyes to look at him briefly as he chuckled, licking her lips again. She couldn't understand why he wanted to know her real name. She shook her head slightly, "It's impossible...to not be afraid of anyone anymore.." she stated, "I can't trust anyone..not even myself.." She frowned as he said she reminded him of someone he knew..someone he'd already killed maybe? A shiver went through her, making her whole body shake more, wanting to get out of the cold..get out of the snow. "N-Naomi.." she said finally, clenching her teeth to keep them from chattering.
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May 4, 2008 17:17:40 GMT -5
Post by M.P. Emrys Astor on May 4, 2008 17:17:40 GMT -5
"I understand." he said, "And in your position, I wouldn't trust anyone either. Heavens, I barely trust anyone in mine!" he gave another little chuckle. It wasn't that he found any of this amusing, just that it helped him to chuckle.
"Naomi? That's a pretty name. The pleasant one, yes?" he asked. Every second he looked at her, she reminded him even more of Carina. She had black hair, just like his daughter had had, though Carina's had been curly. Her face was the same shape, as were her eyes, but Rina's had been green, not brown. "And where are you from, Naomi?"
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May 4, 2008 17:45:36 GMT -5
Post by .Naomi Chesed. on May 4, 2008 17:45:36 GMT -5
Naomi gave a stiff little nod, wondering why he'd even knew her language. None of the others even bothered, screaming at them in German. She didn't understand this man at all. She didn't like having a conversation with him..she didn't like him being pleasant with her. She shifted uncomfortably, her teeth chattering occasionally before clenching them again. "Germany," she responded, 'Frankfurt..." She shifted slightly, looking up at him again briefly.
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May 4, 2008 19:05:11 GMT -5
Post by M.P. Emrys Astor on May 4, 2008 19:05:11 GMT -5
A sigh escaped Emrys's lips as he watched her get uncomfortable because he wasn't hurting her or shouting at her. Would she prefer he do those things? She couldn't accept the little amount of nicety he was giving her? Was it because she knew that at some point in the future he would most likely do nothing to prevent her death, that he'd just stand by and look away? Did she also know that he didn't really have a choice? That he couldn't interfere, or he would join her?
"Frankfurt? I went there once... A long time ago." With Elsa, to visit her aunt, "Lovely place... Why didn't you leave?" he asked, "I mean, when things started heating up? Why did you stay?"
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May 4, 2008 19:37:14 GMT -5
Post by .Naomi Chesed. on May 4, 2008 19:37:14 GMT -5
She could never be comfortable with him. She probably would have preferred he shout and hurt her, rather than act as he was. She had come to think of these people only as monsters, not even human...much like how they thought of their prisoners. She knew that this man would not save her..would not take her out of this place so she did not want him to act nicely to her now..only to be her angel of death later. She wanted to get to work, her heart beginning to race as the last of the women began to file past.
"My father...he was a doctor. He wanted to stay for his patients. He tried to get mother to take us all away but none of us would leave.." She swallowed hard..how much she wished they had left when they'd been able to. "So we stayed..and soon he never came home.."
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