Chapter Two: December 16, 1942

4:18 —School has let out for winter break.[1]

I yawn, tilting my head back to gaze at the sun. It's a month since Red disappeared. Many more have been "relocated" to concentration camps after her, including several of my friends. Only one of the Jews that have disappeared made it out of Denmark. She and her family had fled to Sweden via a fisherman's boat.[2]

As I think about them, almost drowsing in the cold sunlight, someone runs into me, hard. Seemingly by reflex, the person seizes my wrist and begins dragging me along. Several shots cracked out over the crowd around us. I was too stunned to pay any attention.

"Red?" The name slips from my lips. "I thought — everyone thought they took you!"

She merely grunts a reply, wincing as another crack snapped through the air. Barely two minutes later, we're crouching in a trash bin, squished together like peanut butter and jelly between bread. As for what parts of us were touching what... well, our entire position was highly inappropriate, to say the least.

Red doesn't seem too bothered, which I find rather disconcerting, although she was probably too preoccupied with the Nazis to pay much attention to anything as insignificant as positioning. Or stink, when it comes to that. A trash bin... it may make a good place to escape notice, but it's definitely a horrible hiding place... or maybe I'm making too big a deal about comfort....

7:32 —It's hot and cramped in here, but better than getting caught by the Nazis. I think I actually fell asleep through the first couple hours of waiting here.

Red has finally decided that it's quiet enough to risk checking for the Nazis. The rush of cold air pricks at my face, but the clean air makes me inhale it gratefully.

"It's clear," she mutters, raising the lid and climbing out carefully. I try to follow her example, but I'm stiff and cramped from crouching in the container. She winces as the bin thumps against the ground.

"Sorry," I mutter, my voice hoarse and cracked and less than a whisper.

"No, I am, I shouldn't've involved you. But then, when you recognized me, they would've taken you in for questioning. It couldn't be helped," she sighes, running thin fingers through her [color] hair. She has a German accent in her voice. It's faint, but it's there.

I take in a breath and wince; we're still in an alley surrounded by trash. "I need to go home and change. This stink is going to make me puke."

"You can't."

"...what?!"

"You can't go home. You've been seen with me. They probably think you're one of us... one of the Resistance."

The Resistance.

I'd heard of it before, the nuisance of the Nazis. My Jewish friends spoke of it with a reverence equal to a myth revived. My parents, who despised the Nazis even with their Christianity, would often visit old family friends to read the illegal newspaper, to drink with them and celebrate whatever triumph had been won, or to mourn whatever loss the Resistance sustained.

I can't connect Red to the Resistance. I can only repeat, "What?"

Red sighs again. "Come on. I'd better let Leader tell you."

And she takes me by my wrist and leads me through the alleys. Barely ten minutes later, we come to a stop in front of a dilapidated old house.

I stare at it. I'm still in my school uniform, I realize dully.

School. Was I going to see it again?

My family?

My friends?

In that instant, I feel utterly alone.

End Notes:

[1] 4:18 — School has let out for winter break. Like I said in chapter one, I have barely half an idea of how Danish schooling works, so there might not actually BE a winter break, and may very likely let out at an earlier or later time... I need to find a Danish exchange student to help me write these school-related parts! Dx

Again, sorry it's short. I think I've been pretty consistant with using present-tense, but if you find anything, review!

EDIT:
[2] She and her family had fled to Sweden via a fisherman's boat. Thanks to an anonymous reviewer for catching that (I accidentally put Switzerland 9.9")

Yay, reviews! I've tried not to stress the religion too much (my family's Christian, but my head is too logical to believe in vague stuff like religion, so I'm technically an atheist... possibly like Tobias...? -not sure- "-.-). and an after note, the fishing boat-transfer to Sweden I pickpocket-ed from Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (9.9"). It's not like the Jews sat on the boat (I doubt that any of them could've gotten away if they did that -.-). I think they were hidden under the floorboards, or something like that... 9-9 -needs to reread Number the Stars-

thnx for reviewing!