One day Johann realized two years had passed since his trial and sentencing. Twenty-three years left to go. It felt like a hundred forevers. On days like this one, hope seeped from his body in rivulets, leaving nothing but emptiness behind. His mind clogged with bleakness and despair, crowding out every memory of happier times.
If he started to forget the world he’d left behind, did that mean they’d forgotten about him, too? He worried there wouldn’t be anyone left remembering him, should he ever return home. A dry sob erupted from his throat as he tried to ground himself.
The grief over losing his beloved Lotte still weighed heavily on his heart, even after such a long time. Thoughts of her had kept him going in Voronezh, but after his trial he’d been determined to let her go, not wanti
