This is a story that I wrote. Its still in the process of editing, so its not perfect. I hope you like it.

A story about the Holocaust: Fiction


Freedoms Final Call


“Come on get up”. My little sister begged.
There was an immediate urgency in her voice.
“What’s wrong?”
“We have a telegram; I don’t think its good news.”
I immediately took the telegram from her trembling hands. The envelope was pale yellow with a huge header in red cursive. The penmanship was neat and tidy, but rushed in a sense of hate. I opened up the message and began to read the words written. The date stated March 1938.
“When did you get this?” I asked erratically
“I got it just now, while you were resting. What’s wrong? What do we have to do now?”
“We must leave right away.”
I re-read the letter in disbelief three or four more times. I felt scared but I could show my sister any fear.

Rut, or Ruth in English, my sister, is a very bright ten year old girl. She reminds me of my mother more then our papa. They died when we were younger from an unknown disease. Ruth’s hair is a fair shade of auburn. Odd, for a Jewish child to have such colored hair. Her eyes are as dark as the night. Those were our papa’s eyes. As for me, my name is Riva, Rebecca in English. I am quite different compared to my sister. I’m Slightly taller then Ruth and I have dark shoulder length hair and the same dark eyes.

“We have to leave, but I don’t think we can take the train.”
“Why not?” Ruth said confused.
“Because the letter says that all Jews have new restrictions, and… to leave Austria. They are collecting Jews and sending them far away. My best bet is that they are sending the Jews to a concentration camp in Auschwitz.” On the bottom of the letter is says –Die endlosung der Juderfrage- . That means the final solution of the Jews.”

“What’s a…a…whatever that camp thingy is?”
“It’s a place where Jews get sent to die, just for being Jews. Do you remember hearing about the Dictator Hitler?”
“Yeah, so?”
“Well, he’s the one that wants to kill us all. He doesn’t like Jews. This has been an issue all throughout Europe since 1933.We have been learning about all this at school for a couple of years now, well, ever since WW2 started. It was only time before Austria’s Jews weren’t safe anymore.”

It was late at night when Ruth and I gathered up our little belongings. We ran through fields and forests and hid under bridges and stairs.
“Where are we going? It’s dark out here and I’m tired and hungry.” Ruth complained.
“We’re going somewhere… anywhere but here.”

With that, there was a still silence. It seemed like we are dodging people and places for hours. We were getting tired and hungry as time went on.
“There is a place up ahead that we can go and be safe.”
“I’m tired, can we stop now?”
“Soon.” I said reassuringly.

As soon as those words escaped me, a tall man in a sea green Uniform with a red band on his right arm, approached us.
“Halt! What are you two girls doing wandering out here at night at two a.m?”
“We are on our way to see our grandmother. She’s ill.” I lied.
I could feel my sisters body tighten against me, her breath was steady, but deep.
“Are you Jewish?” the guard asked.
I sighed. My breath got caught in my throat and I shivered. “Yes.”
“Where is your yellow star?” He demanded. “The decree states that you must not be out after eight p.m.”
“But our grandmother” I paused…. “I don’t understand what you mean. Why do we have to have a yellow star?”
“Because you’re Jewish and it’s the law.”

I didn’t like the idea that I had to wear a yellow arm band with a star to declare to the world that I’m a Jew. It wasn’t exactly something that I wanted to announce to everyone.
“Come with me!” the soldier said.
He grabbed my arm and pulled me away. Another Nazi, protruded from behind him in the darkness. That soldier picked up Ruth by her arms. I could see her body flailing in the air.
“Let her go.” I cried. Suddenly there was a sharp pain that ran through the back of my head. I felt a cold wet sensation flow over my body. I knew I was falling. My body hit the ground and all was dark.
I awoke to the bright sunlight on my face. I looked up and saw my Ruth’s dirt stricken appearance. “Where are we?” I asked in a confused daze.
“After the soldier hit you, they brought us to a station. Now we are in a train heading somewhere. I’m scared Rebecca.”
“I know Ruth, we will be ok…I promise!”
I sat up right and looked out a small crack in the wall. I could see dry and barren land with trenches. I turned to look at my sister. I held her close to me. There had to be at least 80-100 Jews in there.

The train came to a slow stop. The door was yanked open and the first thing we heard was “Out! Everyone out now. Leave your belongings where you are.” By a German soldier. We left our things with out contempt and lined up in rows to be sorted out. The men were separated from the women. My sister and I were fortunate to stay together. It was a very quiet process. Only gun shots and Nazi’s yelling could be heard. While we were lined up, a guard was inspecting us. I saw out of the corner of my eye, a woman that tried to run. She was shot and killed then and there Ruth let out a yelp; tears came streaming down her face. She came to me and held me close to her. The Nazi’s spoke to each to in her German then pointed the gun at us.

“Step away from her and get back into formation.”
“Rebecca don’t leave me-…..” Ruth’s last breath was drawn. She was shot full force in the forehead. I saw her fall to her knees; her eyes were wide open with a sense of grey emptiness. She then fell forward, blood flowing down her angelic face.

“NO!” I cried. I reached down to touch her one last time, but held my place. Time stood still. Ruth was gone. Shot down, by a man who knew nothing of her. Her limp blood-spattered body lay there. I wept silently. The guard sneered at me, and kicked her dead body. Anger brushed through me. I wanted to turn the gun on the guard himself, but I had to think about Ruth and what she would have wanted me to do.

I took every day as a challenge. Young men, women and children were shot just because the guards felt like it. After being at the camp a while it was beginning to be unbearable. A new “shower” was placed in the center of camp. People took off all of their clothes and walked into this room. Only they never returned. Gas was polluting their souls and the rest of Jews in captivity. Three days after being here, I felt sick. Sick of the laws, the Nazis, the starvation, and the marching.

All we did all day was march in columns of two. I felt weak and tired, like I couldn’t move. I just wanted to die. I was alone now and the memory of me promising Ruth that we were going to be alright clouded my brain. I let my sister go, without telling her I loved her.
Being at the Auschwitz camp was horrible. We were beginning to starve. 1 slice of bread and a cup of water was all we got in a whole day. My body seems to be deteriorating. My hair as it once was dark, started turning a shade of grey.

Anybody that died in all the years of me being here, were thrown or stacked at the very end of the barracks row underneath the watchtowers. They were stacked like lumber, naked, deprived of their dignity. This same process happened with Ruth. It tore me up inside. I knew that their bodies were picked up and taken to a crematory to be burned.

Years passed and I saw people come and go. I held on to what I knew was out there waiting for me in the free land. On January twenty-seventh The Soviet troops marched into our camp. The Jews that were still alive and able to stand, cheered and hollered. We rejoiced because we knew that we are liberated and free. It seemed as though now I was free, everything seemed to appear better. The world outside of the wired fence was like another Earth bound Heaven.


Written by:CARLY