Paris Blues

Safety

The winter wind bit on my face as I hurried my pace to get to the school,ever since I ended things with Hans I had been spending all my time and energy at school because sadly outside that I had nothing else. My family was half way across the world, my fiancee was God knows where and my best friend was married with a baby on the way, I felt alone, I was alone. I arrived at the brown stone building and opened the lock,it was a small school so we did not have janitor. I was met with darkness as I walked into the room and I swore a figure in the darkness, I felt my heart rate increasing as I quickly turned on the light but there was nothing.

"Hello". I said with a shaky voice as my eyes travelled around the room.

"Is someone here?". I asked before I heard something creak from the cupboard, it felt like my heart was going to leap out of my chest as I slowly made my way to the cupboard and slowly opened it, I jumped back screaming at the sight before my eyes.

"No no please". The man said. He was tall and bony. His dark hair was filthy and dusty, the stripped pajama which had a number on the breast was muddy and hung on his dainty frame.

"Please I don't mean to scare you". He said attempting to calm me down.

"Who are you?". I asked moving away from him.

"Please don't be scared my name is Nikolaus, I'm not going to hurt you". He said as he put his hands up in surrender, I could see the fear in his eyes as his bony frame was shaking from the cold. I took a deep breath.

"What are you doing here?". I asked calmly and he looked around the room.

"What are you doing here?". I repeated myself and he still didn't answer.

"I'm going to scream if you don't answer me". I threatened and I saw his eyes widened as he shook his head.

"No no please don't". He said.

"I'm trying to run away". He said and I furrowed my brows.

"From whom". I asked.

"The Nazis". He said as he took out a necklace with the star of David and then it suddenly dawned on me.

"You're Jewish?". I asked and he nodded his head before looking at the floor. Although it would be dangerous I knew I needed to help him.

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I watched as Nikolaus hungrily devoured the chicken stew that I hadmade for him. We had managed to sneak into my apartment without being seen and I made him take a bath and gave him some of the clothes Henry had left in my apartment though they were a little to big on his skinny frame. Whilst he was bathing I made him some chicken stew to eat. We were seated at the table eating dinner.

"Sorry". He said when I saw that I was staring at him as he quickly ate.

"There's nothing to be sorry about". I smiled at him. I knew that he was starving. His thin frame and chapped lips were evidence.

"Where are from Nikolaus?". I asked as I rested my cheek on my hand. I watched as a look of sadness took over his face.

"I don't know anymore". He said wiping his mouth, he sighed before continuing.

"I was born and raised in Munich Germany. My family owned a little coffee shop. I was raised like a good German but the Hitler came and he took all that away from me". His voice was becoming shaky with each word. I held his hand and squeezed it for comfort.

"First he took away our rights, then our citizenship now our freedom even animals get better treatment than we do in that place". He said as tears rolled down his face and I wondered what place he was talking about.

"I'm so sorry". I said not knowing what else to say.

"Those Nazis will pay for what they are doing to my people, especially those that oversee that God forbidden place". He said angrily.

"What is this place that you speak of?". I asked and he turned his head to look at me.

"Auschwitz". He said and I furrowed my brows not knowing what he meant.

"What are you talking about?". I asked.

"It's a concentration camp where the Nazis keep my people before they...". He said and stopped as he swallowed hard.

"Before they exterminate us". He said as his voice broke and I gasped in horror.

"Hitler wants to exterminate us to the point of extinction". He cried as I rubbed his back feeling tears running down my face. I felt guilty that I was unaware of the extreme brutality of the Nazis, I felt guilty for complaining about my fiancee being away from me whilst others had their families murdered in most importantly I felt guilty because I had been sleeping with a Nazi.