Chapter 1

"Oh, mother! How can people be so cruel to Jews?" That was the question I asked my parents whenever I saw Jews beaten in the street.

"Because they are Jews. Filthy Jews. They deserve what ever they get." And that was the answer I always got from my parents.

"But children? Teenagers my age? What could they have possibly done wrong?" As soon as I said that my parents looked at me like I had two heads.

"Young Jews become older Jews. That's enough now Gabriele. Come and eat dinner. I made your favorite desert tonight."

My family is a typical, loyal German family. My mother, Gertrude, is one of the best mothers a girl can possibly have. She is always in an apron cooking or with a broom in her hand cleaning something. She always has the same appearance though. The same tight bun on top of her head and old fashioned dresses down to her ankles. My father, Anto, is where I get my strength, courage and stubbornness. At work and in public he is always so stern, but at home, he is a totally different person. He will play board games and watch scary movies with my mother and I until late at night.

And then there is me. Gabriele. Seventeen year old, simple, blond hair, blue eyed Gabriele. I have always been told that I have the appearance of what a perfect German should look and act like. But the only problem is, I don't want to be perfect. I want to have my own personal characteristics that make me different. Instead of blond hair I wish I had long brown hair. At least then I would be looked at differently rather than the same as everyone else. And I don't always want to be so proper in public. I want to run around with my hair down flowing in the wind and fall down, scraping my knee. I want to be known as Gabi instead as Gabriele. I want to have an adventure that I will remember for the rest of my life. And that is exactly what I got.

It all started one day when I came home from piano lesson. After listening to father yelling at the radio about the war all night, I had had enough. I needed to get out of the house before I lost my mine. I pulled on my brown boots and black sweater and headed out the door. The chilled evening air sent a shiver down my bones. It had been years since I had gone for a walk by myself. But I was older now and monsters didn't scare me more. That is if you don't count the SS guards monsters.

As I made my way down the cobble stone street, I heard moaning coming from behind the hundred year old post office. It sounded like a person in pain. I slowly followed the noise until I was behind the post office and saw a young man about my age crumpled up on the floor. I gasped out in horror as I saw the condition of the man. He was terribly beaten up and had blood gushing down from his nose and lip.

"Here, let me help you." I wrapped my arms around the young man's body and propped him up against the wall. His head rolled around his neck as if he had no control over it. I noticed that he was wearing a yellow star on his jacket. My mother and father's voice kept saying "Leave him be! He is a Jew!" over and over in my mind but Jew or not he is still a human being. I took out my handkerchief from my pocket and dabbed his lip with it.

"No, I am Jewish. You can get into trouble for helping a Jew." The young man tried to push my hands away from him but I was to stubborn to listen to him.

"And I am a German, but what ever your religion is, you are still a person aren't you?" He nodded to me and finally let his arms fall down to the ground.

"Wait here. I am going to get my first aid kit from my home and I will be right back. I promise. Just stay here." Right after I said that, I stood up and ran as fast as I could back home. As soon as I was inside, I tip-toed my way up stairs to my room and snatched my first aid kit. I was almost out the door when I heard my mother calling me.

"Gabriele? Is that you sweetie?" I let out a sigh and answered.

"Yes mother. I just came home for one of daddy's large sweaters to wear. It's quite cold outside. I'll be back soon though."

"Alright. Just don't make any sense of contact with any Jews." I laughed to myself and shut the door behind me. Then as soon as I knew it, I was racing myself down the street again and rounded the corner to the old post office.

"Are you sure you want to help me?" The young man lifted his head up and looked at me as I poured alcohol on the cut above his eyebrow.

"I wouldn't just leave you here."

"Your really different from all the other German's I know." I stopped what I was doing and stared at him.

"Did I say something wrong?" He looked confused.

"No. Did you just say that I am different from other people?" I smiled at him.

"Yes. I can't name another German who would help a Jew." I was finally different.

"I'm Will by the way." I sensed he was flirting with me, but I didn't mind because he was unbelievably good looking. Behind all the blood, I could see that he had beautiful brown eyes.

"Gabriele. But you can call me Gabi. That's what my friends call me" I shyly answered as I tore open another band aid.

"Who did this to you? And why?" I dabbed away the blood from his hands.

"Just a group of German teenagers." He lowered his eyes to the ground.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why people are doing this." I gave Will a sympathetic glance. I knew that his mood was getting worse and worse so I tried to change the subject.

"I'm seventeen by the way. How old are you?"

" Eight-eighteen." A cold gust of wind blew by us and chilled Will down to the point of making him shiver. I took off my dad's sweater and draped it around his shoulders.

"Thank you." At last I had got to see him smile.

"Well, there you go. That should get you back to your house. I'll walk you back to make sure you get there alright."

"No, it's fine. I'll be alright. I don't think that it would look good if anyone saw us walking together." I nodded my head in agreement.

"Ok. Just be careful."

"I will. Thank you so much Gabi." As soon as he said that, he took my hand in his and gently kissed it as if we were in a royal ball as a prince and princess.

"Your welcome Will." I watched him walk all the way down the street to the poorer section of town until I couldn't see him anymore. I must have swallowed a nest of caterpillars because my stomach was bursting with butterflies.