Two updates in two days! I am on FIRE this week! The snow day had a lot to do with it, but that aside, I do hope you enjoy.
The sun streamed into Ludwig's room and bathed him in its warm light. He lay in his bed fast asleep, completely relaxed for the first time in months. The sheets were cool against his skin. His blond hair stuck out in every direction on the pillowcase. His breaths were deep, even. His bare chest rose and fell in steady rhythm. The window was cracked open, and a sweet breeze wafted into the room. Ludwig was in a sweet and dreamless sleep, oblivious to everything outside of his pleasantly blank mind. Sleep was a beautiful thing indeed.
The shrill ringing of the alarm clock on Ludwig's bedside table dragged him from this rare moment of peace. He groaned irritatedly and slammed his fist on the top of the clock. The screeching of the clock ceased immediately. His arm fell limply over the side of the bed, and he sighed heavily into the pillow.
"I hate mornings," Ludwig growled. He flung the bedclothes to the side and rolled out of his bed. The floor was cool against his bare feet. He shuffled across the bedroom and pulled his uniform out of the closet. He went through the motions of dressing with his eyes half closed with sleep. A button here, a zipper there, fingers combed through mussed hair. He left his room to cross the hall and wake up his brother, who always had issues with waking up on time. However, he knew that Gilbert would need some help pulling himself out of bed this morning.
Ludwig knew he couldn't possibly be up by now. After all, he had taken the night with the girls for Ludwig. For this, he was extremely grateful. Last night was some of the best sleep that he had gotten in… Well, he couldn't remember the last time he had slept so well. His brother had done him a great service, but he wished that he could have been there still. They were going to take the girls to the convent tonight, just after sunset. Ludwig was a little jealous that Gilbert got the final night, but it was alright. He hadn't had as much time with the girls as he had, so he didn't mind all that much.
Ludwig's jacket was still half open and flapping to the side with each step, but he was still slow with sleep, so he didn't care. He rapped heavily on the door. He called loudly so that even through his sleep, Gilbert would be able to hear. "Wake up lazy, you're going to be late!"
There was no answer. Ludwig rolled his eyes and called again. "Hey, dummkopf, get up! I'm not about to wait for you for two hours, I've got things to do and so do you."
Still, no answer. Confused, Ludwig put an ear to the door and strained to listen for anything on the other side. The only sound was the muffled ringing of the alarm clock. There were no stirrings or footsteps, nothing but the constant ringing.
My brother has got to be deaf, he thought to himself. "Hey," he called louder, "Do you hear that alarm or are your ears full of cotton? Get up!"
Nothing. Ludwig frowned. This wasn't normal. Something was wrong.
Ludwig banged on the door with his fist. "Gilbert, open the door!"
Still nothing.
Ludwig pounded both of his fists against the wood of the door until his skin flushed red. "Gilbert, this isn't funny! If you're in there, you had better open this door right now!"
The beeping of the alarm continued, undaunted by Ludwig's growing rage.
Ludwig bit his lip, took a quick glance around the hall to make sure he was alone, and faced the door again. He squared himself up in front of the door, balled up his fists, took a deep breath. With a loud grunt, he kicked his foot up and slammed it against the door. The doorframe splintered and gave way, and the door swung open to reveal something that made Ludwig curse in fear.
The room was untouched. The bed was made, bags in the corner, alarm blaring incessantly. Gilbert had not slept here last night.
Ludwig took one look at the state of the room and stormed out, down the hall, and out of the hotel. He made a beeline for his jeep. Once he slid into the drivers seat, he shoved his keys into the ignition and started the engine. He pulled out of the parking area quickly, then drove as fast as he dared toward the house where the girls were hidden.
My idiot brother has done it again. I can't believe he stayed there again, after I expressly told him to be careful not to fall asleep again! Putting everyone in danger… He had better hope that I find him before anyone else does, or I swear, I'll kill him myself.
-x-x-x-
Gilbert rolled over to his other side. He was slowly waking up after a long night. The floorboards were cold and hard, and his back was sore. A blanket ended up over him somehow, he couldn't remember how or when it got there. He was stiff, oh so very stiff.
A quiet groan escaped his lips when he rolled onto his back. Note to self: Don't ever sleep on the floor again. He sleepily rubbed his palms over his face, then let his arms fall back down onto the floor with a thud. He lay there with his eyes closed, still half asleep. A soft bump near his head made him crack one eye open. It was Monika, and she had just jumped out of bed.
"Hey there," Gilbert muttered. Monika smiled and ruffled Gilbert's hair with her bare foot. He playfully smacked her foot away with one hand, and she giggled as she crossed the room toward the window that he had covered with a sack back when they had first started using the house as a hiding place. She took a finger and peeked out of the corner of the makeshift curtain. Golden sunlight covered her face, and Gilbert frowned. Don't tell me that I've overslept again!
"What time is it?" he asked. His words still slurred together, and he pulled himself up into a sitting position. Monika replaced the curtain and replied, "Probably eight. Maybe later."
Gilbert muttered a curse under his breath, then quickly added to Monika, "Don't repeat that." She giggled and sat down under the window sill, legs crossed underneath her sky blue nightgown. Gilbert smiled. He remembered when he had bought that. The woman who sold it to him remarked about how beautiful his child must be, and how lucky his wife was to have such a caring and patriotic man such as himself for a husband, and that he was so handsome to boot. Although he hadn't acted like it, Gilbert was thoroughly embarrassed, and left the shop the second he had payed for the clothes. He could laugh about it now, and it was just another opportunity to take himself just a little bit less seriously. Not that he took himself very seriously in the first place anyway.
Once he spotted his wadded up uniform jacket behind him, he shook it out and slipped it on. It was a little wrinkled from being used as a pillow all night long, but that was the least of Gilbert's worries right now. He glanced over at the bed to his right. Miriam was still fast asleep.
Gilbert redirected his attention back to dressing, then shook his head. Ludwig is going to kill me, he thought over and over. I can't believe that I slept over here again and put everyone in…
Monika was looking out the window again. She was frowning at something outside.
"What is it?" Gilbert asked as he stood to his feet and started to slip his boots on.
"I don't know," Monika said. "Some weird sound down the street."
Gilbert furrowed his brow and crossed the room. He stood just behind Monika, one hand on top of her hair, and looked out of the window himself. He listened intently. For a moment, nothing. Then he heard it.
All of the blood instantly drained from his face.
He would know that sound anywhere.
It was the sound that he had been dreading.
Gilbert crossed the room in two steps. As he shook Miriam awake, he spoke quickly to Monika over his shoulder. "Put your shoes on, we're leaving now!" Monika, now terrified at Gilbert's voice, obeyed. "What's going on?" Monika asked. Gilbert shoved Miriam's shoes onto her feet for her, and she, upon seeing the panic in Gilbert's eyes, began to cry. He hastily kissed her on the head and moved on to throwing everything that the girls owned onto a sheet. He then tied the corners into a knot, making a quick bundle. "Gilbert! What's going on!" Monika's voice was strong, but shook out of fear. "Tell me!"
Gilbert took a moment to breathe and gather his scattered thoughts. "That sound you hear? Those are jeeps. And they're coming this way filled with the bad men I was talking about last night, now do as I say. You and your sister will hide under the bed. You make no sound, no matter what. Someone comes up here, you don't make any noise. Don't come out until I come for you, and only then. Do you hear me?"
Monika's eyes went as wide as saucers, then hardened when she looked to her crying sister. She looked Gilbert in the eyes and nodded. "I understand." She gave Gilbert a quick, strong hug, which he returned desperately, and went to her sister. She helped her whimpering sister get off the bed and onto the floor, then she took the bundle from Gilbert's hand. He spun around and stood by the door, listening.
Everything in the room was quiet. Even Miriam had gone silent. The air was taught with fear. No one breathed.
Gilbert could only hear two things. The sound of his pounding heart, and the sound of the jeeps.
The rumblings of the motors grew louder. They were coming closer. Gilbert's heart raced faster and faster until he knew that it would tear out of his chest at any second.
He could hear the jeeps drive right next to the house. Please keep going, please keep going, please keep going, he prayed. He strained his ears to hear. He stared through the closed wooden door at where the front entrance would be, at the bottom of the stairs.
The engines were just underneath them. Gilbert's breath caught in his throat. Please keep going, please keep going, please...
The engine sounds died.
Muffled German voices took the places of the roar of the jeeps.
They were on the street, at the very stoop of the house.
Keep walking, keep walking, walk away from here, please…
The creak of the front door. Footsteps. The voices were clear and loud. "Search the house!" they called. Gilbert couldn't tell how many there were, but there were at least three as far as he could tell.
He looked back behind him. The girls were safely hidden under the bed away from any prying German eyes.
He faced the door.
He took a deep breath through his nose.
He drew his pistol from its holster on his hip and held it loosely in his right hand by his side.
He clenched his jaw.
Sorry, Ludwig.
Gilbert Beilschmidt put his hand onto the knob, turned it, and slowly opened the door.
Oh my gosh, my heart was pounding writing this. Still is I think. I can't deal. This is unhealthy. Ugh. Someone help me.
Thanks for reading, leave a review if your heart is so inclined, and sorrynotsorry for the cliffhanger.
What will happen next? Tune in next update to maybe find out, maybe not. You never know with me.
UNTIL NEXT TIME, this is where I leave you.
Much love as always,
Harley