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The Scar of Human suffering
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The Scar of Human suffering |
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Dawn Eclipse Senior Member
since 2000-01-31
Posts 637The Horsehead Nebula |
Her heart raced with a pulse like she’d never had before. She could see them… but she did not know if they could see her. As she stood in her hiding place, time seemed to have frozen. With every passing moment, she was in danger. With every passing moment, they could find her. That evil man had ordered the prosecution of her kind… of her people. Now, she was forced to live every day in hiding. Every day, she spent praying that no one would find her and her family, for if they did, all was lost. They had spent the past year hiding within the secret room in the basement. Each time one of them left, they were on a suicide mission. They knew the dangers, but they also knew that they could not remain hidden forever. They could not just hide from their fears. That was why she had left her hiding place. She had gone in search of others of her kind that needed help. There were so many out in the world. So many whom the hand of the war torn countryside was touching. None of them knew exactly why this was happening, but none of them could prevent it. There were just too many of them to stop. In the world there were those that were trying to help her. They were trying with all their might to help people like her… lost souls with no place to go. They were sacrificing so much as well. Many of them had lost their lives, and many of them still would. As she stood in the shadows of the alley, a silent tear slid down her cheek. Her little brother hadn’t known how dangerous it had been out here, he was too young. He had been playing in the street when an army man had come up to him. Not knowing he was in danger, he had continued to play, paying no attention to the man with the look of death within his eyes. He had taken her brother from her. He didn’t notice the armband, which he wore, displaying who he was. She would never see him again. They had taken him to a concentration camp, but which one, she did not know. She held her breath as the soldier walked silently through the alley and disappeared from sight. Quickly, she left her hiding place, attempting to get back to her refuge. Little did she know, she was being watched by unseen eyes from up above. The Gestapo had seen her… but had let her go for some reason. She ran through the streets, as quickly and as quietly as she could. As she entered her home, she breathed a sigh of relief. She was now within the safety of her quiet hiding place, which had remained undisturbed and always would. Suddenly, as she turned her back to the door, there was a loud banging. She froze in place, realizing all too late what had happened. There was someone that had followed her, and now she would pay the price for her ignorance. The banging continued until the door began to crack. Her mother and father held each other and her little sister close, in the darkest spot of the room. She, however, was unable to move. She was frozen with fear. They were coming. All her dreams of them one-day emerging from the cellar began to crumble in front of her eyes as the door was slammed again and again. Then it happened. They broke through. There was nothing anybody could do but to stand there. The officers moved in quickly, apprehending the four of them. They were taken from the cellar and separated. Her father was sent to a camp in Poland, her mother and sister to one in southern Germany. She was taken to one in Northern Austria. The years went by, and she endured so much. The cruel torture from the guards in the concentration camps. There, she met many people of whom she would see die before her very eyes. Some would die at the hands of the guards, some at the hands of disease and sickness. Each time she saw this, she felt as if a part of her was being ripped away and cast off into darkness. The war eventually ended, and she was let go. She survived the holocaust, but she would always have the scars. She was branded with a number from her camp, as well as the physical scars from the beatings she had endured. While she had been in the camp, she had found an old friend from school who had been taken away shortly after the start of the war. She had found hope in her friend, they had found strength. She winced at the memory. Her friend had died within the camp. The gas chamber had been her final destination. Her and many other people were herded into the chambers like a bunch of animals… and the bodies had been carried out carelessly by wagon. She had found another that she had known. One of the guards, had been her first grade teacher. They had spotted each other one spring day, and she could see the look of cruelty in the woman’s face. She didn’t care who she was, but rather that she had a job to do, and had to fulfil it. For days on end, she was to be tortured by that woman’s presence. She had beaten her as well. She was no longer the kind and gentle woman that had taught a first grade classroom. Now that she was out of the camp, she felt like she was leaving a nightmare behind her. All of the things she had seen would stay with her forever. But, for now, all she wanted to do was to return to Denmark and find her family. That was her first priority. She had dreamed of the day she would emerge from that awful place for as long as she had been in there. It was her dreams that had kept her alive. The experience had made her a stronger person. She returned to Denmark only to find her house in shambles. After they had left for hiding, they had been there, searching for them, and anything that would tell them where they had gone. As she walked through her house, her memories were coming alive before her eyes. She found a rag doll that her and her sister had often played with. Anna they had called her. She was the hero in all of their games, and their best friend. She set it aside and continued on. She entered her room and glanced around. On her dresser, she found her necklace. It was the one with the Star of David on it. Her parents had made her discard it when they left, for that marked her identity. She looked to her desk, and found a photograph album of her and her siblings. As she sat on her bed looking through the album, she started to cry. They had not known fear until the persecution of their people had began. The months went by slowly, and she began to put her life back together. She continued searching for her family, only to find that the Nazis had killed her mother and sister. Her father had returned to their home a few weeks after she had. He too had seen many horrors that he would be scared with forever. Their family was split by death, and they would always have to live with that fact. Her brother was never heard from again. This is what happens when humans get the idea of superiority over another. Lives are split apart and families are as well. Persecution of the Jewish race took place during World War II and the survivors will forever live with the scars of what a fellow human being can do to another. How many died, that didn’t have to? How many will have to be persecuted before we realize that it isn’t worth it? How many lives must be lost before we realize that human greed and ethnocentrism are horrors that no one should have to live at the receiving end of? How many times must we repeat the past before we realize that we did something wrong? The answers lie within. Sometimes the most important things can't be seen with the eyes, but are rather felt with the heart. Cassie |
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| © Copyright 2000 Cassandra Roseen - All Rights Reserved | |||
LoveBug
Moderator
Member Elite
since 2000-01-08
Posts 4697 |
This was a wonderfully written piece, very powerful, with lots of detail. It brought me to tears. I really like the last paragraph, and this line "How many times must we repeat the past before we realize that we did something wrong?" It is so true. Keep up the good work. "To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world" |
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Alwye
Moderator
Member Elite
since 1999-06-16
Posts 3850In the space between moments |
Very powerful work, Cassers. It is absolutely horrible some of the things humans are capable of. Of destroying so many lives, so many wishes, so many dreams. The only way to stop it is to get out there and change things though. Great job Cassers, keep writing! *Krista Knutson* "Every moment marked with apparitions of your soul...." ~*Sarah McLachlan- Do What You Have To Do*~ |
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Christopher
Moderator
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-08-02
Posts 8296Purgatorial Incarceration |
Good summation. A terrible tragedy that I hope we never see repeated. The racism and human hate evident during these times was apalling. Much better that we show pride and perserverance! |
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AngelDust Junior Member
since 2000-03-08
Posts 30Minnesota |
Wow Cassers... that was very, very, very good. Echoing what everyone else said, the holocaust was a terriable low point in our society as a whole. The only thing people can do is try and make sure something like that doesn't happen ever again. Great work Cassie! Screw AP History and post more! Boo AP! -Jeff Moen- "I'll lay around and wonder why you were always there for me" - Sugar Ray - Someday |
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Ruby dagger Member
since 1999-08-01
Posts 76Wyoming, MN, U.S.A |
Cassie, that was great. It just breaks my heart to think of all the people who died, and couldn't even get a chance to fight back, all of the innocents who had to die. Racism is the most horable thing ever. Luv ya Kelly Love breaths when you're out of breath, Love sits by the bedside when you're near to death, and Love still feels it when the feelings gone, Love lives on and on. Love is the right place. -Bryan White |
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Dawn Eclipse Senior Member
since 2000-01-31
Posts 637The Horsehead Nebula |
Thanks to all of ye! I had a sudden idea of a story to write, sadly, given to me by my AP book... I read the makers of America. But, it was horrible that so many people had to die because one man was capable of making a lie sound so believable. Jeffy, I agree with yah!!! BOO AP! Thanks for your replies! Sometimes the most important things can't be seen with the eyes, but are rather felt with the heart. Cassie |
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Dusk Treader
Moderator
Senior Member
since 1999-06-18
Posts 1187St. Paul, MN |
Poignant piece Cassie, the Holocaust was a low for humanity, one I hope we never reach again. It was a dark time for the world. You're showing some excellent talent in your poetry and prose, I hope to see more from ya! Abrahm Simons Put one foot on the path of life and tread the dagger's path betwixt dark and light. |
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Midnight Dew Member
since 2001-01-07
Posts 50Forest Lake, MN |
This was totally beautiful and touching. I can't even tell you how much this affected me. Good write! |
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