Mike stood stoically, MP40 in hand, he gazed down the line to see Waffen-SS and other Wehrmacht Soldiers lined up in a row with their weapons, Mike looked confused before he turned round to see a line of prisoners walking across the wall opposite him, his eyes conveyed shock and fear as he realized what he was about to be a part of. The SS-Officer Brenner came marching alone with a small smile and a glint in his eye.
Mike looked away from him, when something caught his eye, the girl from the gate was standing directly across from him, she looked terrified and small and he felt his heart break for her. She too knew what was about to befall her and the act that Mike would be forced to commit against his will. Their eyes met, static energy passed between them. Mike could feel it to the very depths of his bones.
Brenner stood to the side.
"Weapons at the ready!" He called.
Automatically the troops cocked their weapons as the prisoners looked on fearfully.
The girls eyes never left him. It was like she was staring into the very core of his soul, the soul that was about to ripped apart with this heinous act that he was about be to apart of. Mike felt a solitary tear making its way down his face. Although his face had the same blank expression.
"Aim!" Brenner said once more.
Her head turned away from Brenner, to look at him directly and Mike felt like he was being stabbed repeatedly
"Mike…" she whispered, her voice carried over with an echo. She gave him the smallest hint of a smile, to convey to him that it was okay and that she forgave him.
"FIRE!" Brenner shouted
Bullets flew in tandem, striking their targets savagely, blood erupted from the impact points, their bodies tumbled to the floor, the light leaving their eyes as they did so. Mike's hands wobbled as smoke made its way from the barrel of his weapon. He fell to his knees, he no longer cared. No longer cared for the Reich. No longer cared for his own life.
She Was Dead.
He looked to his collar to see the SS lightning bolts, he screamed in sheer terror upon seeing the symbols of hatred. He pulled at his collar in an attempt to rip the offending archaic symbols from his uniform.
Mike sat bolt upright in his bunk, sweat poured down every inch of his skin. He held his head in his hands and ran them through his hair which was damp with sweat. It was just a dream he kept repeating to himself. Just a dream. But it had felt so real, so tangible, Mike looked over to his weapon that was sat by his chest of drawers. It made him want to vomit just by merely looking at it. Nevertheless, he set about getting ready for his shift, amongst the other Wehrmacht soldiers who too were either getting ready for bed or getting ready for their own shift within the walls of the camp.
Only now did Mike realize there was singing from outside. With the distance sound of boots treading through mud. The sound of tank treads could be heard as they groaned and clanked along. Mike looked out to see Tiger I's and Panzer IV tanks
Mike was able to make out the words
SS marschiert in Feindesland,
Und singt ein Teufelslied.
Ein Schütze steht am Wolgastrand,
Und leise summt er mit.
Wir pfeifen auf Unten und Oben,
Und uns kann die ganze Welt
Verfluchen oder auch loben,
Grad wie es ihnen gefällt.
Wo wir sind da geht's immer vorwärts,
Und der Teufel der lacht nur dazu!
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
Wir kämpfen für Deutschland,
Wir kämpfen für Hitler,
Der Rote kommt nie mehr zur Ruh
Mike moved away from the window, god he hated that song, absolutely hated it.
"Wilhelm, where are they off to?" Mike questioned nodding out the window to the Panzers and Waffen-SS alongside them. Wilhelm came up to stand beside Mike.
"That's the 3rd SS Panzer Division. They're off to the Eastern Front" Wilhelm supplied who now lowered his voice to a whisper "Good Riddance to them" he said, Mike merely nodded in response, looking out the window once more to see the Division retreating further down the road and along with that the singing as well.
Wilhelm, Like most Wehrmacht soldiers hated the SS simply to due to how they believed themselves to be better than they were. Now the camp was left with a dozen Waffen-SS Soldiers including the Commandant Brenner. Mike shook his head before going to get ready for the long day.
Eleanor woke up on the wooden cot, her eyes sprang open, blood was making its way out of her nose, she wiped at it absentmindedly with the back of her hand as she shook herself out of the stupor of sleep and made her way down the building and outside.
The dream she had played on her mind, watching as Mike was forced to commit an act of ultimate evil. But she forgave him because she knew it was not of his doing. It still haunted her though. She shuddered to think if it really did happen.
Neither of them knew that their minds joined and shared the dream together.
They were forced to eat outside, they received their poor quality and even worse quantity of food which Eleanor tore into ravenously, shouts of panic could be heard and she lifted her head to see someone dash over the warning wire in front of the fence line, cries of no could be heard as the prisoner made a mad dash for freedom.
The poor woman had barely reached the fence when an MG-42 from one of the gun towers gunned her down like she was nothing. Silence fell over the assembled crowd as they held a small respectful silence. Eleanor bowed her head along with the others. Her head turned the other to see a commotion around 30 yards away, there stood five poles and five prisoners.
"Please, please not this, not this!" he cried his eyes wide open in terror, he was quickly silenced by a punch to the face by a Waffen-SS guard. She noticed that upon their chests were a yellow star.
She watched as they tied their arms behind their back before being hoisted by their wrists so they were dangling from the poles, the screams and whimpers were all too horrible and Eleanor looked away, unable to bare the screams of pain.
"Poor Bastards" someone said beside her.
"Who are they?" she asked, it was the first time she spoke since arriving. Apart from when she spoke to the Ebony Haired Soldier at the gate, whispering his name to him telepathically. It was as if the name called out to her from the darkness of a void.
"They're Jews" he replied sombrely.
"What did they do?" she asked again.
The man laughed bitterly "Do? They didn't do anything, this is what the SS like to do for fun" the man spat
Eleanor turned to look at them once more, she felt remorse for them as they hovered there, hoisted by their wrists that were tied behind their back. She knew from that position that over the next hour their shoulders would slowly begin to dislocate, she shuddered at the thought, she needed to divert her attention elsewhere lest she be sick.
That's when she spotted him, he was stood by the camp gate on guard. She looked to his eyes and found only sorrow there, he masked it well, but she see could see into the very depths of his soul. that's how she knew he was different. She could feel it even taste it.
Mike felt himself being watched, he tore his eyes away from that particular scene of brutality. He scanned the crowd, most of their attention was upon the Jews who were suffering. His eyes roved this way and that. Scanning, searching. Until he found her. She was starring right at him. He heard the voice again.
"Mike" it whispered.
"Am I going crazy?" he wondered in his head.
Eleanor's mouth twitched upwards into a tiny amused smile that made his heart race.
"No, I'm talking to you in your mind"
Mike decided to roll with it despite the fact he thought that he was basically going insane.
"Okay then, if you really can talk to me in this way, reach up and scratch you nose" He said to her smugly, directing his thoughts at her and to his astonishment she did just that, her small hand fell back to the side.
"Told you!" she said, he could hear the faint echo of a giggle in his mind, a small smile was adorning her features and honestly he had never seen something so adorable.
"So, What's your name?" he asked her.
"Eleanor" she replied simply.
"I'm Mike… oh dammit you knew that already, I'm an idiot" he said, he resisted the urge to slap himself on the forehead
His mind echoed with her laughter.
And even in this place of death, suffering and sheer evil. He had never heard anything more beautiful.
(A/N) Now that I have established everything I can finally get into my stride. The camp this story is set in was known for that method of torture it was barbaric. Also prisoners across all camps in an act of madness would dash across the warning wire to try and escape and some did it just so they could die. No-one deserves to suffer like that.
That SS song is a real song, here is the full translation
SS marching in enemy territory,
And sings a devil song.
A shooter stands on the Wolgastrand,
And he hummed softly.
We whistle down and up,
And the whole world can be us
Curse or praise,
Degree as they please.
Where we are, there's always progress,
And the devil just laughs!
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
We fight for Germany,
We fight for Hitler,
The red never comes to rest
And the word Panzer means Tank in German and was also the name for a series of light and medium Tanks
As always review! And until next time guys, peace!