I saw Peter once more. I was posted as a guard at a concentration camp to prove my loyalty to the HJ and to the Fuhrer. I guessed they believed that to be some sort of promotion; from patrolling the streets to making sure none of the Jews or traitors tried to escape. I can honestly say that I don't recall which concentration camp I was posted at. Time has warped and the details of my life has blurred to the point of non-recognition ever since that night I betrayed him and became the cause for Peter's arrest.

At the concentration camp, we were allowed to do pretty much whatever we wanted to prisoners. What were they to society? According to the Fuhrer and to the Nazi Party, these creatures were not people but some sort of animal. They were lesser than human for not being "on the right side", which means that the Nazis viewed Peter as lesser than human as well.

Peter will never be lesser than human to me. He is everything that I am not and everything that the Nazi Party will never be. He is HUMAN. A true human being with compassion and a sense of right and wrong. He has, or had, the inner strength that I never possessed and for that, he is above all of us.

But when I saw him, I could have been fooled. The love of my life, my childhood friend, was covered in torn rags with bruises adorning his dirt encrusted body. He looked as if he had gone through Hell, which is the case when one is a prisoner in a concentration camp.

My heart wept for him. He, Peter, looked so ill, so weak. The fire in his eyes seemed dulled by whatever he has been through. I nearly dropped my gun, ran over to him, fallen to my knees, and wept while cradling his body. It took all the willpower I ever possessed to not follow through with the command my heart sent to my brain.

If I had one wish in the world it would be to take Peter away from this horrid place; away from this destroyed Germany that has been beaten down into submission and turned into a prison by a blood-thirsty, delusional madman. I would nurse him back to health and everything would be better. I would bathe him and feed him and give him everything he needed. I would tell him how much I love him and I would make passionate and sweet love to him every night. He would receive all the love and attention I never gave him due to my cowardice and my pride. I would sacrifice life and limb for Peter. I wish…I wish I had done so before. I wish I had done so and never aided in his capture. Peter…how I regret doing that to you.

All these thoughts ran through my head in the brief glimpse that I received of his broken figure. My love, how I long for you. I took a step closer but the crowd of sick and tortured souls engulfed him and I lost sight of Peter. I looked left and right, broke apart several groups of people huddled together; whether they were family or not, I did not know. All I could think about was finding him and…that's where my thought ended. I do not know what I would have done if I caught up to Peter. I do not know what I'd say but I know shame would course through my body as it is doing right now as I recount this memory.

I lost Peter in the crowd and that was the last time I ever saw of him. I do not know if he lives or if he perished in that sick place. I only hope that the Nazis did not take everything away from him. I only hope that he still has a beat in his step and a song in his heart. The song of freedom. The song if human strength. The music of the Swing Kids.

Now, I can only dream of Peter and who he was, who I was, and how perfect we could have been together for now and for all eternity.

Once again, goodnight, my love.