They stood frozen to the bone, hands clenched into fists as they heard the rough language of the invaders swarm through the building. Anne's father was the first to speak. Quietly, he said, "Go, Margot, the window." Margot, Anne's sister, turned slowly, not making a noise, to face the sealed window. She, being closest, flipped the lock open and pushed the glass up, far enough for even Mr. Van Daan to fit through. "Hurry now, all of you. I'll stall for as long as I can." He whispered, his voice hushed.

"Otto, no." Anne's mother replied, her voice broken. "I'm not letting you stay here alone. Not with those monsters down there!"

"Edith, please, just go. Go with Anne and Margot, with our friends and be safe. I promise you, I'll be fine." He took her hands in his own, rubbing circles on her skin to comfort her.

"I'm holding you to that promise." She said, eyes swelling with tears.

"Mother, hurry." Margot's voice broke their trance with each other. She stepped away from her husband, the sound of the thundering footsteps of the men growing louder as she dashed for the window. With one desperate look over her shoulder, she vanished, the window slipping shut behind her. Mr. Frank's eyes drifted closed at the sound of the hidden doorway slamming open.


"Anne, be quiet, please." Mrs. Van Daan said, pulling on the young girl's sleeve. Anne had been skipping down the dark street, her shoes clip clopping with every step.

"Can I help being happy? We are outside!" She rejoiced.

"Hush, Anne, or they'll come and take us away. Just like father." Margot's words sunk in most and she slowed down.

"They didn't really take Father away, did they, Mama?" She asked, bright eyes staring at her Mother's dull expression. Her head lifted slightly, a small, forced smile stretching across her face.

"No, Father's just fine." She assured. Anne, content with her answer, turned around smiling up at the dark sky. But Margot watched as her mother's shoulders slouched and tears fell from her eyes.

"Mother?" She placed a hand on her shoulder. She didn't respond. She didn't say anything else that night.


"Peter, in the shadows. Be careful." Mrs. Van Daan scolded.

"Sorry." He apologized, again, his eyes wandering from building to building.

"Foolish Peter." Anne laughed.

"You're one to talk – skipping around here like you were-"

"I was just having fun. You're just looking around some lost puppy."

"Stop bickering, you two. Honestly, I should have listened to my father and not had children at all.." Mr. Van Daan mumbled to himself, walking ahead of the group. Anne giggled slightly. Mr. Dussel pushed passed the two, stumbling his way to Peter's father's side.

"'Tis why I never had children. Loathsome, annoying little things.." Peter shook his head in disgust at the adults attitudes. Loud, clanking footsteps silenced them all. Anne barely understood them, but was able to place a few words.

"....schmutzigen Juden gefunden wurden....widerlich..." Dirty Jews found. Disgusting. Anne clung to the soaking wet wall behind them, completely silent. As the footsteps grew closer, Margot seemed to panic. She grew very pale and her eyes grew wide, pupils dilating. Anne stared in wonder. And suddenly, Margot screamed and ran from the wall, water splashing up from the ground beneath her feet.

"They won't get me, they won't get me.." Anne faintly heard her say.

"Wer geht es?" The voices were closer now, more alert.

"Run!" Mrs. Van Daan exclaimed, pushing everybody away from their hiding place, tugging her husband behind her. Anne's mother stayed in her place, silent. "Edith, what are you doing? Go, run!" She cried, turning back for her friend, but Mr. Van Daan pulled her back. "Edith, Edith!" Her voice faded as strong hands grabbed at Mrs. Frank's flesh. She was gone in the blink of an eye.

"Hurry, Anne!" Peter called, grabbing her hand as they turned a corner. "Hurry!"

"But, Mama! She's still back there!"

"She'll be fine, Anne! She's going to see your Father, now!"

"She'll be with Papa? Let me go with her – I want to see if Father's safe!" The group had been separated, now in groups of 2, for Margot had disappeared. That's when they heard them – the gunshots.

"Go, Anne!" She was thrown ahead as Peter turned, his body slamming into another man.
"Peter!"

"GO!" He screamed, pushing desperately against the body, trying to keep it away from her. Tears filled her eyes as she turned on her heel, running away. Down a street, a left, a right, a dead end. She froze, stumbling and turning back around, coming face to face with the barrel of a gun.

"Just one left." The man's thick accent was heard, the gun making a clicking noise. She stood in fear, like a dear caught in the headlights, as the gun went off with a loud BANG. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting, but felt nothing. No pain. Had she died already? She opened her eyes. Peter's angelic face was in front of hers, blood trickling down his lip. She screamed in realization. He'd saved her. Peter smiled.

"I love you, Anne." He whispered, eyes rolling back and body limping to the ground. She was glued to the spot, her feet nailed down, preventing her from moving the slightest inch.

"Lucky." The monster said, kicking Peter's body and grabbing a hold of Anne's hair. She cried out. "You get to live a little longer." She was dragged down the cold alley way. She turned, staring at Peter, lying motionless on the floor.

"Peter.."
"Quiet! You have no right to speak, you parasite!" The man snapped, tightening his grip and throwing her in front of him, making her walk ahead. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks as she was forced passed every single body of the ones she'd come to love. And the ones she already had. Margot was first. She was laying on her back, eyes closed, seemingly peaceful. Mr. Van Daan was found, curled in a ball with his wife a few feet away, on her side. Mr. Dussel was against a wall, the blood splatter clearly visible. And mother, mother she saw last. She was on her stomach, eyes still wide open and empty, only the cloud of death swimming in them. The shimmer of hope Anne still had left was for her father. Was he alive? Would she ever see him again? She'd hoped and prayed that someday, she'd see her father's smiling face again.


Anne didn't walk out of that dreadful place – she ran. She ran from it all, afraid they'd change their minds and pull her back in. She ran in zig-zags, thinking they'd maybe been tricked, that this might just be shooting practice. But it wasn't. She'd reached a very, very crowded train station. She scanned the faces. Where are you, Papa? She asked everyone she passed, but nobody knew of her father's fate. She wormed her way out of the crowds, wrapping her arms around herself. She looked to the sky – the sky she once saw as beautiful and full of life, but now was only a dull gray. Her hope of finding her father had diminished, when something broke the silence around her. A voice.
"Anne?" She turned her head slowly, eyes widening and tears falling immediately.
"Papa!" She cried, throwing her arms around him. "Oh, papa!"
"Anne." He said gently, holding her. For once, she felt safe. Completely safe, like no one could get her. No one. She was finally home.