Chapter 21
The next morning, Lotte had to endure roll call without Irmhild by her side. The missing comfort of a friendly soul constricted her chest, and she was cold – inside and out. It felt as if the very flame of her own spirit had been doused with Irmhild’s death.
White snowflakes danced to the ground, covering the camp with a soft blanket. A kindergarten song came to her mind, calling on a white snowflake to make the long way from the clouds down to earth and settle on the window, painting flowers and leaves on the glass.
Schneeflöckchen, Weißröckchen,
wann kommst du geschneit?
Du wohnst in den Wolken,
dein Weg ist so weit.
Komm setz dich ans Fenster,
du lieblicher Stern,
malst Blumen und Blätter,
wir haben dich gern.
But today, Lotte didn’t welcome the white flakes as she
