ATHOTS Chapter Four

In those days of Nazi Germany... even the best of plans were sometimes... no, not sometimes... almost always destroyed.

No sooner had the last words of that beautiful old blessing of promise and peace left the mouth of Rachel's father than the door crashed open.

It made a sound like thunder, that door.

And the thunder of the door was followed by a scream from Rachel's mother... and a shout from a man who wore the heavy, cruel boots of a Nazi officer. 

"Juden, out!"

He was tall with pale yellow hair and a marble-like visage. Cold, inhumane. He was a monster. A monster with icy blue eyes... eyes filled with hatred for innocent people who had never done him wrong.

Isaac never hesitated. Seizing Rachel's arm firmly with his left hand, he used his right to give the marble statue of a Nazi officer such a punch that his commanding stance was shattered. The officer lost his balance, stumbled, and staggered backwards. Just the tiniest of openings... Isaac took his chance, and Rachel had no choice but to follow, faster than she had ever thought possible, through the door and past two more of the monsters with pale yellow hair and hateful blue eyes.

Her mother spoke then... and these were the last words Rachel ever heard her say.

"Run, Rachel, run, my daughter! Run... and don't look back! Always remember that I love you!"

And Rachel ran. But not because she wanted to. Because Isaac was dragging her.

They were being followed and Isaac ducked in and out of alleys, Rachel stumbling along, clutching the suitcase with her free hand so tightly that her knuckles were white. Her fingertips were bleeding. 

"Isaac... please..." she cried out suddenly, jerking back so hard that she freed her arm from his grip. He stopped, turning back to stare at her, confused. She fell to her knees and begged him. 

"My mama, my papa... I can not leave them... Isaac... I beg you... Isaac... take me back... I need to... Isaac... please..."

He didn't answer. Reaching down, he pulled her to her feet and silently led her back through the alleys, threading down the narrow passageways, purposely choosing a different route. She followed him silently, tears spilling unheeded down her cheeks. Their pursuers found the alley where she had knelt in the snow and went on... towards the city borders... never knowing that those whom they sought were going straight back to where they had begun.

Rachel always wished forever after that she had not gone back. Her mother lay limply in the street, huddled into a ball. Her father stood by with his head bowed in mute submission and broken-hearted despair. He made no move to escape. He simply watched in silence as the Nazi officer kicked the body of his wife.

"She's dead," the officer spat in disgust and turned to Rachel's father. "Well, old man? Will you too free the earth of your worthless presence?" He laughed, and as he laughed, Wilhelm Cohen clutched at his heart with a groan and collapsed in the snow at the side of his wife. The officer looked at him for a moment, only mildly surprised, and not caring. He shook his head. 

"And so is the heart of a Jew," he spoke to a young private who stood a few paces behind him. "Weak, cowardly... and it gives out if they are frightened. Such people the world has no use for. Not such a strong people as we are. Come, we must go on, we can burn their bodies later."

The streets were swarming with Nazis and terrified Jews and frightened, confused Germans. The bodies of Rachel's parents lay unnoticed in the snow. They were gone, they were at peace... while the world around them was on fire. They were the lucky ones. Some might call them blessed. They no longer had any part with those who lived in terror.

Rachel darted from her hiding place, unseen by the crowd that swept around her while fires raged in the streets. She threw herself over the bodies of her parents and wept brokenly, until Isaac came and took her away.

They didn't run any longer. They simply drifted through the streets of the city, Rachel not noticing or caring where she went, Isaac too numb, too in shock to speak. The long, horrible night dragged slowly by as they left the horrors of the city behind.