Chapter One

Ivan Braginski tossed and turned restlessly in his sleep, before finally rising from his large bed. He had risen to sirens and screaming in his part-time home in East Berlin, becoming aware something was very wrong Ivan fled to his window. His sweating palms only made himself believe it was an air raid - could a nation not have gotten the memo that the war was over? He tore open his curtain, imaging the worst. What he saw was far from anything his dark mind could ve created could prepare him. It was Sunday, August 13th, 1961, a day that would forever haunt Ivan Braginski. The day a prison was built around East Germany, the day he and everyone occupying East Berlin became prisoners overnight. Ivan had known the border police were planning this, Yong Soo and Kiku Honda had predicted this since the end of the second world war. The were all aware that the police force made the wall to separate both sides, and they had no intention to let someone survive if they came close enough to the West from the East. East Berlin had become a prisoner to the Soviet sector of Germany, they were inside their game now, and escape would be impossible.
Ivan crept from his bedroom to find his friend, Yao Wang, a Chinese man who came over with him in tears. His dark lengthy hair was tangled as if it were mocking guns and roses, his normal slight smile replaced by growing sobs and shouts. Ivan could only join Yong Soo in comforting Yao, who continued sobbing relentlessly.
Yao! Listen to me, you ll make it out. Trust me. Yong Soo could only shout to him, that seemed to be enough to cause Yao to stop, everyone was grieving during the overnight switch. Ivan couldn t remove the large lump growing in his throat, he hadn t realized who awaited him on the other side of the wall. Ivan had lost thought of who he had lost now, Francis Bonnefoy, a man Ivan had admired and loved for a very long time. Although separate they were together. And now, they remain apart.
Ivan rose up from where he was comforting Yao, Yong Soo simply looked at him with a solemn expression. Ivan simply nodded before sliding boots on over his pajamas and tossing a coat over himself, exiting the apartment that Yao and Ivan both occupied. Ivan nodded to his neighbor, Kiku, who had heard Yao s sobbing and had awoken as well. Skipping stairs on his trip down, he swiftly exited the building, moving quickly towards the now raised wall. Men and women from both sides of Germany running towards the wall, their voices filled with agony and cries of why. Ivan scanned the length of the wall, he could see families and couples torn apart by the new barrier. Ivan couldn t remove the through of Francis as intimidated civilians cleared the path of Ivan, who stood ways above many others and often scared children on their way to school. As Ivan snapped from his haze and turned to the sudden sound of cries.
Je d teste ce mur! Ivan recognized the voice and surveyed the area quickly, looking all across the West border. Ivan caught a glimpse of two fading bodies, one with shoulder-length hair that shone in the dim morning light, his uniform was a dashing violet along with maroon pants that dulled out the violet with brown boots. The man beside him wore a dapper black suit with a fitted jacket, messy blonde shaggy hair that appeared dull and unkempt. Ivan had noticed the first figure as Francis, Ivan could only fall slightly forward and hold out his hand dejectedly. Ivan s first love was across a border, that would cost him his life.