*Disclaimer: This story is based on the characters portrayed by Ralph Fiennes & Embeth Davidtz in the movie "Schindler's List" and is purely fiction. I do not support Nazi ideology. *

Chapter 1: The Dream

Something is chasing her down the hallway… its fast, ugly and dangerous… almost like the devil himself. Fear grips Helen and a chill runs down her spine. She tries to run faster but her legs weights her down. She's out of breath, lost and terrified.

'Where can I go? Can anyone help me?'

Helen tries to scream but nothing can be heard. She realizes she is all alone with the beast.

Towards the end of the hallway she makes a quick right turn and finds herself in a large bedroom with huge French doors connected to a balcony. Helen runs out to the balcony and sees nothing but darkness. As she panics she can sense the beast running towards the bedroom door.

'It will come in any minute and rip me into pieces.'

She squeezes her eyes shut.

'If death is my only option, I might as well kill myself rather than to be killed.'

She climbs up and stands on the ledge of the balcony. A growl is heard entering the room.

'Forgive me Lord.'

She feels something trying to grab the hem of her skirt.

"NO HELEN! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

She jumps.

Helen's eyes snaps open. Her heart is racing so fast she can actually hear her own heart beat. Confused and disoriented, Helen starts to panic.

'Where am I?'

All she sees is white.

'Am I dead?'

She squints her eyes and look sideways.

'It's so bright in here.'

Helen realizes she's in a room. It must be morning, judging by the brightness of the sunlight flooding into the room through the window. Helen takes a closer look and sees she is lying on a metal bed with white sheets cocooning her small body. For sure this wasn't her basement room in the villa. Everything seems so clean.

Then the smell hits her, the faint scent of alcohol and medicine. As she reaches out her right hand, she sees a thin hose under a layer of beige color bandages covering the top of the hand. Her eyes follow the hose up to a large glass bottle hanging above her head.

Now she definitely knew where she was.

She's in the hospital. She wasn't dead.

Helen feels a stinging pain around her forehead. She groans and tries to move her right arm a bit higher to touch her head but stops immediately. Along with her consciousness came the sense of pain. It was waiting for her return as well. The pain starts attacking her and it's merciless. Helen screams, or so she thought, but nothing comes out of her mouth. Her throat is dried and sore too.

'Dear Lord… please end this agony!'

'Please just kill me!'

Helen waits for something to happen. Nothing. No one comes to her rescue. Silence fills her small hospital room. God was not here.

This reinforces Helen's belief that God has deserted her… just as he did with her people. God did nothing while her people were dying, tortured, shot and killed. God did not answer the Jewish people's prayer for survival. God did not grant her the freedom to escape her horrific reality. Now that she wants to die, God lets her live.

'What do you want of me?'

She closes her eyes in anguish. Tears start running down her cheeks. Let them flow. Nothing matters now.

'I failed... I failed to die…'

Nothing has changed. She still wanted to die.

Suddenly the door swings open, catching Helen by surprise. A short middle age woman in a nun's habit glides into the room with a metal tray in her hands. Her eyes meet Helen's and she shines a warm smile, something Helen hasn't seen in another human being in a long time.

'A nun? Where am I? Am I not in the camp hospital?'

Once again nothing makes sense.

"You are awake now! Praise the Lord, you had all of us worried so much."

The nun gently puts the metal tray down on the small bedside table. Helen can see syringes and glass bottles of liquids inside the tray. This nun is medically trained.

"I'm Sister Anna, it's so nice to meet you."

Sister Anna takes Helen's left hand and gently pats it. Helen stares at her with wide eyes. She carefully studies her face ... she doesn't look familiar and is certainly not one of the camp hospital staff.

"You are in pain aren't you?"

Helen nod slowly. Sister Anna nods back and reaches into the tray. After a shot of morphine Helen feels an immediate sense of relief. She closes her eyes and Sister Anna starts gently wiping her face with a wet towel. For a brief moment there is peace.

"You are lucky sweet child, your face was saved with just a few scratches. In a few weeks the swelling will go down and the bruises will fade away. But the rest of your body wasn't so lucky… it's truly a miracle you are still with us."

Is it a miracle?

Helen opens her eyes to find Sister Anna staring at her with a stern expression on her face.

"Promise me you will never commit such sin again… ever. Can you do that?"

In Sister Anna voice Helen feels her own mother scolding her for what she has done. Yes, it was a terrible sin. The worst act of all. Probably worst than being murdered. This stranger is truly wishing Helen well. Such wave of love is overwhelming. Helen's eyes start to well up and again her face is covered with tears. Sister Anna gives her a gentle hug and Helen quietly sobs.

"You are given a second chance to live. Don't forget this blessing."

Helen nods. As their eyes meet again Helen tries to mouth the words "thank you" to Sister Anna.

"No need to thank me child, you should really thank the man who saved your life."

Helen stares at her.

"If it wasn't for him you would have bleed to death. I still remember the day when he rushed through the doors, carrying you in his arms, blood all over him while screaming for help."

Sister Anna's face cringes in pain. Immediately Helen thinks of Herr Schindler. It must have been him. She can't remember for sure if he was visiting the Commandant that day, but only he could have arranged to send her to an upscale Catholic Hospital outside the camp. It must have shocked Herr Schindler to find her in such condition. Helen feels terrible. Her head starts spinning. She wants to sleep.

Sister Anna must have read her mind. She starts gathering her things and fixes Helen's bed.

"I need to inform Doctor Schmidt that you are awake. I will be back soon with some food. You have been unconscious for the past 2 weeks. You need to eat something."

Helen nods and slowly closes her eyes. As she falls asleep she hears Sister Anna walking out of the room. Just before she drifts into unconsciousness Helen thinks about Herr Schindler. Perhaps I am saved. He didn't abandon me. I did make it into his list.

He will come and save me. There was a reason to live now.

I will live.