November 4, 1944

Dear diary,

“MOVE, DAMN YOU MOVE!” was the first thing I heard this morning when I came swimming back into consciousness. My head hurts, why does my head hurt… Don’t let me get ahead of myself, my name is Maribelle Rosenberg and I am 14 years old. This is my new diary, because in my haste in packing to get to the cellar of one of my Papa’s friends house, I forgot it. But all the fuss about going into hiding was worth nothing. Because here I am now, in Auschwitz, how I came to be here is slowly coming back.

“Come on Mari, you have to run!” said Zachariah.
“Ok, I’ll try, but why are we running?” I panted, as I grabbed the outstretched hand of my older brother, I felt safer already with his firm grip on my hand.

“We are running because they found us, we can’t get caught!”

“Where are Mama and Papa and Tabby?” I said my voice shaky. They were with us when we left.

“I don’t know, but what I do know is that I promised Mama and Papa that I would keep you and Tabby safe at all costs, and we already lost Tabby-” He said as he picked my up so we would cover more ground. “And I’m not losing you, too!” Then it hit me, literally, something hit the back of my head and I saw it was a rock, and then I heard another thud and I started falling, Zachariah’s head was falling, no he can’t die, 19 is too young.

“No! Don’t touch him!” I shrieked at the Green Police, standing my ground. I glanced over when I heard my name and it was my Baby sister Tabitha screaming with a tear stained face and I looked down and I saw Mama and Papa covered in blood and Mama 

was barely awake. I ran over to Tabby and picked her up and she clung to me for dear life and I started to cry because Papa wasn’t moving.

“Mari” Startled I looked down to where I heard the barely audible gasp.

“Mama?” I say starting to sob.

“Mari I want you to promise me that what ever happens to me that you will never let Tabby out of you sight because I don’t know if I’ll make it.” She tries to embrace but she is too weak.

“I… I promise. I love you.” I sobbed onto the back of my sister.

“I lo-“She suddenly stopped talking and I don’t know what else.

Well diary, me and Tabby are all right, but we are in deep despair because we know that Papa died, but we have no idea what happened to Zach or Mama. Tabby won’t stop crying and she won’t say anything, she’s in shock from seeing our father killed. I think that I would be to if I saw that, I’m wondering what they are doing with Papa’s body I can’t even believe the horrors that will await our bodies when we pass on.

I have to go now because I need to tell Tabby to work harder because they’re starting to walk toward her now and she can’t get sent to another camp or worse the showers.

Love always,

Maribelle