Save Me

Protect Me, Please

My feet crunched on the gravel, each step only making me more determined to get away. The moon lit up the sky providing me with a hazy view of where I was going. I sucked in more air with a gasp trying to push myself forward. Yet the more I persevered, the more my body screamed at me to stop and just give in.

But I couldn't stop now.

I looked back for two seconds to see how far back my enemies were. To my horror, two massive bulldogs came flying my way, a snarl moulded into their faces. The officer’s expressions were scarier, a growl coming from them both.

"You'll never get away you filthy Jew!"

Just when I turned back to look where I was going, a huge branch stabbed into my foot causing me to go flying over the fence of a stranger's farm.

I covered my mouth immediately to prevent the whimpers and screams that made their way up to my throat. I looked up from where I was to ascertain where I had landed.

A bunch of heavily untrimmed grass rose up around my location, concealing me in its lusciousness. I gazed in the direction of the two officers, their torches flashing, swiping near me in the grass. I kept my head low trying not to make a single sound.

"Heil Hitler!" The two men saluted as another man appeared among them.

"Where is she?" His husky voice gave me goosebumps, my heart raced aggressively. I had to do something to get out of here. Slowly, not to make any noise, I turned myself around and found a massive two-story house which was pitch black on the inside. There was a barn just a few meters away, the door was wide open just welcoming me into the dark embrace.

Perfect, I thought.

I moved onto my feet, the pain suddenly shot up my leg and spine causing me to want to scream. I looked down to see a large wound on my foot with a big chunk of skin missing. I covered my mouth at the site. The blood was everywhere on the grass around me as well as on my grimy dress which hung around me like a dishcloth.

I had to ignore the pain.

I lifted myself up again, just enough to run but be hidden in the long grass.

Running was tough, I kept looking back to see where those awful Nazi men were.

They both look puzzled as to where I had disappeared!

That's a good sign.

I continued to limp my way into the barn. Eventually, I was too far away for them to hear my heavy breathing as I stumbled into the barn door.

It was then that I realized. I looked down at my foot and saw that the blood was gushing. If I didn't bandage it soon, it was going to get infected.

I stumbled further into the barn, it was too risky to turn on the light, hence, I tried to feel my way around with the little assistance that the moonlight gave me. Eventually, my hand touched a liquid substance that I wasn't familiar with.

I prayed that it wasn't something gross as I brought my other hand over to inspect it. I felt the container, it was rough like a stone. The liquid was watery. I bent down slowly to sniff it.

It had to be water.

I ripped some cloth from my dress dipping it in the water. I sucked in some air holding my breath as I dabbed the wound. The pain was so intense I felt light-headed.

My eyes shot open just as the light began to flood the barn. I looked up from where I was, to see a man. My heart skipped a beat and I struggled to breathe, I wanted to cry. It wasn't fair, I managed to get this far and now everything was over.

Everything that I fought for? A helpless wounded sheep who was booted from the land in which I grew to love passionately and yet hate with all my might.

He seemed baffled to see me. I searched for a swastika but there wasn't anything, not even a Nazi uniform.

Rather he was dressed in a black robe, his hair spread untidily across his forehead. His eyes were half closed but I could clearly see they were deep blue as he captivated me in his gaze.

I didn't move.

I didn't blink, for fear of getting shot.

It was painfully silent however, I wasn't about to break it.

"Your cut will only get worse if you use that water, it's for the cows to drink," he spoke. I followed his gaze. My cloth was no longer just soaked with water but now it was mixed into a concoction with my blood.

I didn't speak, I didn't want him to figure out who I was.

"Are you a Jew?"

I felt my head go light and the room sped around me.

"Wait, wait, wait," he rushed towards me as I held my head to steady myself, despite falling to my knees.

"Get back," I violently whispered pushing myself back against the water trough in hopes of creating a distance between us.

"It's ok, I can help you, but I need to get you inside, OK? You're going to have to walk a little, but you can put your weight on me."

How could I trust him?

Something in his eyes was like a key to a locked door.

That door being salvation.

I only nodded in response letting him put his arm around me lifting me up onto my feet. I winced in pain as pressure was applied to my injured foot. He gently helped me towards the house without too much pain. He opened the doors with little difficulty leading me inside and closing the door with his foot.

"Pier!" The man yelled. I jumped trying to escape again yet his clasp around me only tightened. I began to panic, but he only looked at me with a reassuring look nodding his head to indicate I was safe. I stopped struggling and allowed him to guide me through the house.

He assisted me down a corridor into a room, it was only then, I looked around to observe the house and its decor. I was in awe of the beauty of everything as they complimented each other with perfect colour and style coordination. He led me to the bed. Another man rushed in with fresh water and towels, he was shocked by my presence in the room and a little disgusted by my presence by the way a frown began to be carved out on his forehead.

His seemed to dismiss it quickly though, laying the towels on the bed as the mysterious man lay me on it.

"Pier, I need you to get my first aid kit." The man nodded, rushing off beyond the entrance of the room.

"Now, I need you to not scream. If it helps, I suggest you put something in your mouth to muffle the noise," he stated sternly, my eyes immediately shot open. I scrambled up about to throw my fist at him.

He grabbed a hanky that was in his pocket and gave it to me as I lifted my hand. I looked at him confused.

"Use this."

He handed it to me as I took staring into his eyes for some kind of venomous attitude he was hiding, but generosity was all I could read in his eyes. I dropped my arm, grabbing the hanky with shaky hands as quickly as possible for my fragile self.

"Pier what took you so long?" The man's attention was drawn away from me again as he yanked a small size tool box out of Pier's grasp. He placed it on the bed, opening it and looking for something.

He clicked his tongue when he brought out a pristine white cloth along with a vile containing a thick liquid. He lifted my dress up to my knee to get a better look at my foot. He proceeded to soak the clothing with the liquid.

"I won't beat around the bush, so this is going to hurt a lot." He swung his head to me, a small piece of his black hair falling onto his forehead, that was now beginning to produce droplets of sweat. He looked down at the hanky in my hand before returning his eyes to me.

I shoved the hanky in my mouth, nodding to say I was ready.

But I had no idea what I was in for.

He placed the cloth on the massive gush wound. Immediately, I wanted to cry out. The pain was like a thousand knives all stabbing into my foot, followed by a digging feeling like it was trying to excavate all the bone blood and muscle out of my foot. The pain wasn't just uncomfortable, it was unbearable. I wanted it to stop.

Tears welled up in my eyes, I let out a large scream. However, just as he said, it was muffled by the hanky in my mouth. While one of his hands was focused on applying pressure to my wound he grabbed my shaky hands and squeezed them in reassurance. He looked at me briefly smiling at me, however, his smile was only small as if it didn't come from deep within.

He dabbed the clothe a few more times. Then he gave the cloth - now bloody and horrible - over to pier who was wearing gloves as he took it and ran off again. He rummaged through the little box again grabbing more with clothes, one was damp and was more soothing than painful to my wound. He placed it over the affected area before lifting my foot by the ankle and bandaging it up.

Once he was done he closed his box, placing it on the bedside table beside the massive queen bed. He got up and ran over to a room that seemed to connect to this one. He returned once again with more towels, lifting my lower body to replace the ones now tainted with my blood.

Pier returned this time with a tray. His gloves were removed from his hands.

The man took the tray from his hands dismissing him.

"Close the doors please Pier."

Pier only nodded and closed the doors after him.

He came towards me, I sat up quickly which I regretted quickly I scrunched my face as the pain was duller but still present.

"Be careful, a wound like that is very serious. You should take it slow for the next couple days."

I moved my eyes away from him and to my hands as I fidgeted anxiously.

"Cat got your tongue?” he questioned a small smile on his face. I continued to stay silent. “You are safe here, I promise.”

I didn’t want to say anything my mind was still processing the previous events. I continued to shuffle through them to understand what was happening. More importantly why this young man would even bother to save a peasant like me.

“It’s awful how you pour Jews are treated.”

He knew. My face went pale in fear. Would he tell those dreadful officers where I was? I wasn’t going to admit I was a Jew, but my eyes told it all as I locked onto his orbs fearing transmitting from every pore in my body into the atmosphere.

"I knew when I saw you in the barn. Anyway, that's not important, the Nazi's are constantly checking my house after my father left the country. He left to get out of fighting for Hitler, he I mean we both don't agree with this whole Jews are the enemy. I never thought I'd ever get the opportunity to help one."

He smiled at me still holding the tray and standing by the bed as if he didn't really know what to do. He smiled at me for what felt like a few minutes before snapping out his faze.

"Oh sorry," he excused himself placing the tray on my lap. It had a small bowl soup with a bit of bread on the side.

"Do you live here alone?" I questioned looking back at him, curiosity pulling at me to know more about this mysterious man.

"Ahh yes, kind of. It's just me and Pier," he rambled on a little. I nodded comprehending what he was saying. I grabbed the spoon provided next to the bowl by my hands were so shaky from the adrenaline before that I couldn't seem to pick up enough soup without spilling it.

"Here let me," he offered gently removing the spoon from my hand to scope the soup out and towards my mouth. I proceeded to place my lip on the end as he tipped it back down my throat. The warm liquid slid down my dry throat, soothing my voice.

"Anyway, what is your name?" he pushed the hair from my forward to behind my ear. His grin seemed to transfer to my face.

"I'm Aliza Hart," I whispered quietly. "And you?"

I don't know why I asked, this man made me curious. Do good people still exist? Or is the world as full of lies as I had grown into presuming?

Before I could get an answer, a maid burst in out of the blue. Her face covered with worry, her breath was quick as if she had run a marathon before approaching us.

She looked at me worry in her eyes as they spoke a clear warning.

They were here.

My heart race quickened again for the fifth time as I began to panic for what is to happen to me. Maybe trusting him wasn't a smart idea. My head ran wild with scenarios of what to do and what would happen if I did.

"Which take her to 'the room' I'll take care of them." His emphasis on 'the room' only made me more nervous, it seemed nothing could calm my nerves anymore. Not even his soft hand that helped me to my feet and towards the woman as we rushed away. I looked back at him one last time, the sweat clear on his brow but his reassuring nod only led me to believe I was in safe hands.

For now, anyway.

"This way dear," the maid stated her voice was gentle just like my mother. She held tightly onto the arm I wrapped around her shoulder, assisting me to this mysterious room.

We went down a few flights of stairs until we reached the downstairs kitchen. A soft scent of the soup I was eating before floating in the air filling my nostrils with its sweet smell. Yet I was still far from calm.

Once we got to the room it turned out to be a cellar for vegetables. She sat me down on a chair in the room. She began to frantically search for something among the shelves of food.

Suddenly she lifted what looked like some kind of tool with a curved end. I didn't know it was called but was able to decipher its purpose as she pried it into the wooden floorboards. Her face was covered in worry as she struggled to lift the board.

"Come on, come on."

I began to feel frantic as she continued to struggle. I tried getting up but the moment the agony of my foot shot up my leg I realized I wasn't able to move without her help. It wasn't until the board finally flipped up followed by another one that the panic seemed to dim down.

The hum of voices upstairs made me tense immediately as I tried working out who the owners of the voices above were.

"Quick dear, get in here you'll be safe."

She rushed back to me as I stood up and waddled over to the hole in the ground. I looked down to see a sizeable who enough for one person to sit in. I wonder what this was used for before? But there was no time to search for answers.

As quickly as possible, she helped lower me into the whole. I was unable to stand so I crouched down, dropping myself into a seated position.

"Now I must close this, don't panic you'll be fine. We'll get you out as soon as the coast is clear," she reassured me squeezing my hand. I nodded to say I was ready. She applied the wood back in place over me.

Now I was in a hole, little light made its way into the whole. I could only hear traces of the outside world. The maid scurried off and closed the door behind her, but the same voices from before continued to get louder.

"Well, well, well, Ezra you have done a good job of hiding any Jews here. Now tell us where she is and you can live untouched."

"Ha untouched? What about my conscious? If I gave you any Jews that I had, once again IF I had any here, what makes you think I'd hand them over." That was his voice, I could recognize it from how caring yet fierce it sounded.

"Take him upstairs," that same husky German voice. I shivered at the idea of them being so closely followed by a quickening heart as their footsteps grew louder.

I was praying that they wouldn't enter this room. But my prays were too late when a loud creak echoed through the room down to my hiding place.

"I assure you, I have nothing to hide."

"Get him out of here," the Nazi yelled followed by shuffled footsteps that gradually faded into the distance. It was quiet all I could hear was the sound of my own breathing which I tried to keep as quiet as possible.

I could feel the presence of another individual above me. I didn't move. The steps walked along until they were right above me. He stamped loudly on where I was causing the floorboard to crack a little.

I inhaled quickly, letting out a small gasp that caught my vocal cords allowing a small squeak to escape my lips. Immediately I covered my mouth closing my eyes. The harsh footsteps halted. Did they hear me?

I couldn't see evidence of the damage from my end, so I presumed it was cracked on the surface above. I remained deadly still, adrenaline beginning to pump through my veins awaking my alert system. I could feel my heart become rapid in pace, but I was determined to stay completely and utterly still until the steps faded again.

It was silent for a while. There was a loud scream coming from a woman, I tensed feeling the horror pulse through me. I was blind to the events above the floorboards. However, nothing was getting me out of this safe spot until I've had the proper signal.

The feeling of another presence was replaced with the hopeful thought that they left. There were. No gunshots to be heard. Not even a few words from those in this house. I longed more than anything to hear that man's voice. Despite hardly knowing him I felt an unearthing trust for him that developed as I thought of why he didn't just kill me when he had the chance.

The sound of applied force was heard from above. A small amount of dust fell like snow from the floorboards as they loosened. I was born, it couldn't be them. It's been too quiet. I fell it to fight mode. I pulled my body close to the furthest corner of my hiding hole ready to face my fate. One board flew up and I shot my head up ready to punch the intruder only to see Pier's face giving me a look that I couldn't seem to read.

Was the coast clear? He avoided eye contact with me as he lifted the boards, lending me a hand as I pulled myself up and out. Unfortunately, my foot was still very much in extreme pain.

"Is it over?" I questioned as Pier allowed me to use his shoulder to exit the room and climb the stairs. The silence was only allowing my mind to manifest a panic in my heart. As we pulled up to a corridor where I enter he suddenly let go of me.

"Nicely done."

That voice. That awful voice. I looked up to see the house to light up the horror of a Nazi face as he flung his gun out and shot Pier.

"Good job sir, you worked well," he snickered as he stepped over to me with a menacing grin as if he won. His two companions stepped from either side. I looked at their feet to see a pool of blood. My heart froze when I saw the owner of the substance.

It was the maid from before and, to my terror, Ezra was only a meter away from his head faced down while his body bathed in his own blood. I ran over to him, turning his body over to see his face tainted with his own blood. I looked at the back of his head to see a gash wound deep enough to be fatal. Despite the way his face was and the condition he was in, he managed to still look dashing in this bathrobe that was now soaked in the crimson liquid.

My fingers gently danced across his face, tracing the features. I felt a strong pang hit my heart as the shock slowly began to wear off. The truth smacking me in the face almost knocking me down.

“I love you,” I whispered pulling his hand up to cup my face.

“How you possibly fall in love, you disgusting rat,” the officer spat as he kicked me in the stomach, pulling me by my hair to get me to stand. I screamed in pain trying my hardest to fight his grip on my head.

"How could you?" Tears stung at the corner of my eyes as I shot every last bit of venom I had in me at the officer.

"What can I say? He broke the rules, Hitler doesn't like rebellious people. So, we took care of him."

The way he emphasized took care made me sick to the stomach.

"You filthy revolting-" before I could finish my insult he clicked his finger and his men seized me by the arms dragging me away from Ezra's body as it lay lifeless. I watched as the house soon disappeared from my sight that was fogged with the tears I had previously fought. A massive wooden club made contact with my head forcing me into the oblivion of unconsciousness.

My last glimpse of the moon was beautiful, but short lived as I knew what was to come for me once I awoke to greet hell.