I had collected all but one of the souls left for me on Himmel street. The last one being Rudy, oh crucified Christ Rudy... The boy who painted himself black, the one who left the teddy bear, the one who always wanted a kiss from his next door neighbor. For some reason I couldn't take his yet. Being Death I've learned not to make feelings to humans. Humans die, whether they are young at the moment and will live a long life they will die eventually. I had made one of those deadly connections with this one.
"Rudy?" Liesel announced, running up to the boy on the ground. If I wasn't already dead I would of said the moment between Liesel and her best friend killed me. Liesel continued to cry and shake the dead boy lying there. The shaking of the dead humans do I will never understand.
"Jesse Owens..." Liesel trails off. Coming to the realization nothing will work. It was then the boy finally got his lifetime wish. She leaned down and kissed him. After lying there for a moment, Liesel then ran off. She would soon see the departed bodies of Mama and Papa. While she ran, I leaned down to take Rudy's soul. But I was stopped.
A beat. A barely audible noise. A heart beat.
It was then I picked up there was no souls left for me here. There was no Rudy Steiner here for myself to save. It was a moment that to this day I still don't find plausible. Some how Rudy was alive. I took it upon myself to bring notice to this. The LSE man in his mid forties did not appreciate the stone to his head though.
Liesel was too busy crying to hear the "He's alive!" coming from the man's mouth. She was dead to the world at the moment. Her best friend, her mama, papa... all gone. She was abandoned yet again. Gradually she pulled herself away from her beloved Papa. Liesel was taken by another man of the LSE to a more clear sidewalk. She was told they would take her somewhere safe monumentally. She did not expect a strained voice to speak to her next.
"I told you I would get that kiss someday Saumensch, I just wished it wouldn't of been in this situation."
Rudy's voice wasbarely there, but Liesel heard it. Looking up she saw her best friend standing above her. Ripped, dusty clothing and bloog dripping slowly down his forehead. Standing up quickly she slapped him on the arm lightly.
"You Saukerl!"
But her angry quickly dissipated and she fell into Rudy's arms. He stumbled at first, but caught the crying girl and held her.
"I thought you were dead."
"I did too."
Soon they were escorted to Frau Hermann's home. Where they would spend the rest of their childhood. During the car ride there Rudy and Liesel sat close together in the back.
"I thought I was alone again." Liesel whispered to Rudy.
"I'll never let you be alone." "Who would beat you in soccer?"
"Saukerl." Liesel told him, yet she smiled and huddled closer to him in the process.