Chapter 13
Lotte watched them until they had disappeared in the dark and then turned to Uwe. “Now what?”
“Come with me,” he answered and set off into the forest.
Lotte followed Uwe deeper and deeper into the trees, crawling up inclines or sliding down ravines, but constantly moving into foreign territory. She soon lost orientation, but every time fear snuck up on her, she glanced at Uwe’s broad shoulders in front of her and felt safe. By now, her new birthday dress was covered in dirt, as were her plimsolls. They turned out to be a blessing, protecting her feet from the sticks and stones that littered the forest floor. Just when she wanted to drop down in exhaustion, Uwe stopped in front of a small hut in a clearing that Lotte had never seen before.
“Where are we?” she asked.
“Deep in
