One again, IMPORTANT! I am requesting suggestions (if I may) on what catagories I should put this story into for the Papa Bear Awards. Drama, Comedy, General, Unique. I need to choose two out of the four. Please help me with this process. Thank you! Danke! :D
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Wagner continued to hear the escaped prisoner plead with the security staff. Feeling fet up, Wagner stood up and walked into the next car.
"Entschuldigung, aber ich spreche Englisch. (Excuse me, but I speak English.)" Wagner continued to make his voice sound horse. It would do no good if they arrested him as well on the count of being a spy.
"Bitte schön. (Be my guest.)" The security member shrugged.
"Are you a spy?" Wagner asked nervous. The man's head jerked up from its pervious position of hanging down. However two men continued to hold onto his arms.
"NO! No I'm not! I'm just an escaped Prisoner! Please tell that to these buffoons here!" The man pleaded before Wagner. Wagner turned nervously and translated the message, deciding to leave the "buffoon" portion out. The large man chuckled sarcastically.
"Aber, auf jeden Fall sind Sie, mein guter Mann! (But of course you are, my good man!)"
„Do you have anything to prove that you're a prisoner?" Wagner asked nervous.
"No. No I don't. But I'm not a spy! Really!" Wagner felt helpless. Everyone in the train starred at him, not understanding what was being said.
"Er ist kein Spion. Nur Gefangener. (He isn't a spy. Just a prisoner.)" Wagner shrugged. The men holding the prisoner seemed unconvinced. Whispering amongst themselves, Wagner heard the words, "Stalag Luft 13", and "verhören (interrogate)". He bit his lip, trying to think fast, if there was anyway he could help the man in front of him. However he couldn't think of anything.
"Los! (Move!)" Wagner turned as the two men who were holding the escaped prisoner pushed him forwards toward the front of the train. Feeling extremely guilty, Wagner moved back to his previous seat and sat down. He wished there was something he could do to help the poor man, who could have been himself… but there was nothing. I need to get back to England so I can put an end to this war once and for all. Wagner clenched his hands and jaw.
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Hochstetter stepped through the small opening into pure darkness. Using to lamp to help him look around, he saw absolutely nothing. It was a small opening, but no one was there, he couldn't even see what had spooked the dogs. Yelling in frustration, he left the cave and moved onto the next spot.
However as Hochstetter left there was a set of six eyes watching him from up above on an overhang. Each owner to a pair of eyes, silently snickering at the man below.
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Colonel Hogan sat at his desk. With no prisoners, and Burkhalter half convinced already that he was going to have to call Klink, there was nothing for him to do. Standing up, Hogan took a turn around his room, before sitting back down, this time on the lower bunk of his bed. Sitting a moment, he got back up. He felt completely restless. It was hard for him to disappear into the tunnels, without the possibility of one of the guards noticing. Sighing, as he was bored, Hogan grabbed a book of his small shelf. He normally didn't have time for reading, but as he lacked anything better to do, he opened the book. It was well worn, a favourite of Kinch's, Hogan recalled, and layed down on his bunk to start reading.
Hogan had barely finished page ten, when he heard a soft knock coming from below his floorboards. Knocking back, he received answer. Setting down the book, Hogan walked to the common room and opened the trap door to the tunnel, and climbed down, sealing the bunk behind him.
"You rang?" Hogan laughed, as a figured appeared before him.
"Um yes Sir. The underground has a package for us to pick up this evening." Sparky spoke, feeling nervous.
"A package? Alright. What kind of package."
"An escaped Prisoner, Sir. They have an agent meeting him at the train, but want us to pick him up tonight…with all the guards around and Hochstetter…." Sparky trailed off, trying to keep his speech still formal, as he couldn't relax around his CO anymore.
"Alright." Hogan sighed. "Tell them we will pick it up. Set the meeting for 23 hundred at the Stadtpark. Recognition code 4."
"Of course, Colonel…" Sparky nodded and saluted his Commanding Officer. Hogan shook his head as he saluted back. I can't wait till things are back to normal around here.
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Wagner was angry as he looked at the increasing darkness outside the train. He prayed that the train would arrive at Hammelburg soon. Why does that name sound familiar? I feel like I should know it for some reason. Shrugging, Wagner continued to look outside. As he did he saw a pair of lights approaching in the sky. Assuming they were German, he thought nothing of it. As the planes got closer, Wagner realized, no they're not German…those are American! He heart leaped with joy, but came crashing down. They're going to bomb….they're going to bomb! He looked around franticly, as he would now be on the receiving end of an air-raid. The other passengers realized what was going and began to panic. Some were screaming.
The sound of the first bomb made Wagner nearly go deaf. Followed by a second, third, until he lost track. The train shuttered and shook with each increasing bomb. Wagner looked outside, the planes continued to fly onto the next city, raining condom and chocolate bombs (1) as he went. There were even leaflets raining down. The train halted unable to go any further as the track was now damaged. The commotion in the cabin Wager was in, as in no better shape. Women were screaming, and men were yelling. In the commotion, Wagner started heading towards the front of the train, looking for the escaped Prisoner. The train continued to shake as large pieces of chocolate continued to rain down and damage the sides. Wagner managed to make his way through the crowd and saw the prisoner sitting alone, as the security members now had their hands full dealing with the safety of everyone on board. Grabbing the man's hand Wager yanked him up and pulled him outside the car.
Both men jumped. Wagner slipped on a condom, and the other man help keep him steady.
"Come-on. We need to get into the woods and to safety before they drop anything else." Wagner had to shout over the commotion now raining at the city in front of him.
"Why are they bombing here?" The escaped prisoner asked as the two of them ran towards the trees. "I thought they were staying up north. Why this part of Germany?"
"I haven't a clue, I know there were some targets in the south, like Schweinfurt, but I'm not about to ask, I'm just glad for the distraction. But we need to get outta here. I don't feel like dying in a chocolate raid."
"Oh of course, that's near here I think…who are you anyways?" The man asked looking sceptical but thankful at Wagner.
"I dunno if I should tell you, in-case we get captured….-"
"Well alright that makes sense-"
"I'm Andrew Carter. A fellow escaping prisoner."
"I'm Jake." Jake laughed at the man next to him. "But you already know what I am. Where are you planning on going?" The two men ran into the trees, trying not to hurt themselves on the pieces of chocolate on the ground.
"I dunno. I'm suppose to meet someone in Hammelburg, at the station."
"I'm heading towards Hammelburg too. I'm meeting up with Papa Bear. You can come with me if you want."
"I dunno, Jake." Carter looked around the woods, trying to figure out where they were. "I'm suppose to meet someone named Tiger. That is all I know."
"Alright, fair enough. May I come with you? I won't survive on my own. I can't speak a word of German. French on the other hand-"
"Shh!" Carter crouched down, listening, his leg complaining as he neared the ground. He heard footsteps over the sounds of the bombing, and saw out of the corner of his eye a women walking alone, stumbling over the mess left from the raid. Carter looked at Jake and the two nodded, slowly following her.
The woman and the two men walked in silence over the damaged ground, listening as the raid turned into a dog fight, nearby. After several kilometres, Carter noticed a break in the trees and a town up ahead.
"That must be Hammelburg." Jake whispered. Carter nodded. The woman they were following looked around. The sky had darkened as the moon disappeared, and the women looked nervous. Glancing around the street, she headed towards the right. Carter and Jake debated following her.
"We can't just walk around a German town at night!" Jake quietly pointed out.
"What choice do we have? We need to meet up with that agent."
"No we don't. I'm sure we can find Papa Bear on our own." Jake stood firm.
"I don't think so. Who would we ask?"
"Look I dunno, Andrew. But if you wanna split up that's fine."
"Fine. And just where are you gonna go?" Carter looked at Jake as if he were nuts.
"All the prisoners where I was learned a song, and we would sing it."
"That's nice. What kind of song?" Carter smiled completely forgetting about the argument.
"Follow, follow the river south. Follow, Follow the river west. Follow, follow my dear boy follow, follow, follow the river. Follow, follow till mountains peak, follow, follow till birds sing sweet, follow, follow my dear boy follow, follow, follow the mountains. Mountains high you won't find here, mountains low, are in the clear, follow, follow my dear boy follow, follow, follow the foothills. Mountains will to the south may be, mountains north, and you won't find me, follow, follow, my dear boy follow, follow, follow the fields. The stars shine bright, up above, follow them boy, like hand in glove, follow, follow, my dear boy follow, follow, follow the south star. Beware my boy of those who trick, beware my boy, don't get in a fix, follow, follow, my dear boy follow, follow, follow the middle. A loaf of ham, you'll find there, a ice berg, you shan't find here, follow, follow my hear boy follow, follow, follow the tree-line. A squirrel there will you never see, for he lives alone, in the trees you see, follow, follow my dear boy follow, follow, follow the tree stumps. A man you'll find, that may be, a bear you'll find, that you'll see, follow, follow, my dear boy follow, follow, follow your papa. Don't you cry, my dear sonny, don't you weep, my dear sonny, follow, follow, my dear boy follow, follow, follow your heart's strength. Follow, follow, my dear boy follow, follow, follow, my dear boy follow, follow, follow each sitting place, follow, follow the magic." Jake finished his happy tune. Carter smiled.
"That was nice. What does it mean?"
"Haven't a clue. Been trying to figure that out. I figured out the ham and ice berg mean, Hammelburg. And I figured out the lines leading to it's location, south, middle that sort of thing, and the name of the person we're looking for is Papa Bear. And we need to go into the forest, other than that. Not a clue."
"Well….I still say let's find where the agent is to meet us, and we'll work on the song alone the way. It's very catchy by the way. I like it."
"I'm surprised you never learned it, I learned it from some of the prisoners at my camp. They learned it from those back in England." Jake started to follow Carter. Carter shrugged.
"Guess I just didn't hang around with musicians."
"I still say we start in the woods, it would be safer. Besides that's where we need to go anyways."
"Maybe…but I wanna see if I can meet up with that agent." Carter randomly turned right, following the same path that the woman had taken several minutes before them.
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The two walked silently through the pitch black streets. Carter noticed that there we no one out, not even patrols looking for people, or members of the Heer, for which he was thankful for. They continued to walk, losing themselves in the various twisted and damaged streets, until both were utterly lost.
"Look up ahead." Jake whispered quietly, so that Carter could bearly hear. "Is that a pub of some sort?"
"Maybe…." Carter whispered in return, as the two got closer. Looking at the sign Carter nodded. "I think it is."
"Well let's get inside…maybe there will be a map."
"I dunno…it looks closed. Everyone is probably still in the shelters."
"Well come-on then! We don't have much time!" Jake pulled on Carter's elbow and led him to the door. Pulling out a long piece of metal, he started working on the lock.
"What are you doing?" Carter whispered panicked.
"Breaking in, what does it look like….there….almost. Bingo!" Jake stood back proud as the door swung open. Grabbing Carter's elbow again, he pulled him in, shutting the door behind him. "Now, map…we need a map…." Jake mumbled to himself. Carter looked around. The place was small. A serving table was to his left, and in front of him were several tables.
"Well aright…but hurry up please. I feel like we are being watched…."
"That is because you are." A man holding a Pistole stepped out of the shadows. Both Jake and Carter jumped half a metre. "Americans? English?"
"Nothing of the sort. Canadians." Jake came out from behind the serving table and faced the man.
"Canadians? Are you trying to escape?"
"What does it mean to you? We'll just take a map and be on our merry way."
"No I don't think so." The pub tender stepped forward. It was hard for either side to make the other out in the dark pub.
"No…?" Carter said panicked.
"No. How do I know you're not spies?" the man asked.
"Trust me, I can't be a spy if I don't understand a speck of German, now can I, eh?" Jake crossed his arms. "Besides. If I was a spy, would I really be speaking English to you now?"
"No…I suppose not. Why are you here?"
"To get a map I already told you. We'll be on our way."
"I don't have any maps. But I do have food, you must be starving. Come-on, hurry up. We'll talk in the back room." The man opened a door to the side of the room, feeling nervous both Carter and Jake followed him.
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Tiger kept rubbing her arms nervous, waiting for her contact. She kept going over her mind what happened, and wasn't sure what to tell her contact. Behind her, she heard footsteps and laid down on the ground. The footsteps got closer and closer, till she saw a darkened face looking in her direction. She silently got up off the ground, and approached the figure.
"'Abend. (Evening.)" Her voice giving away that she was French, the figure jump a little startled, and turned around, smiling.
"'Abend, 'ne schöne Nacht, oder? (Evening, nice evening, isn't it?)"
„Vielleischt, aber man muss vorsisch', sein. Isch hab' ge'ört, dass es ‚ier nen Bär giebt. (Maybe, but one should be careful. I heard that there is a bear here.)"
„Einen Papa Bär? (A Papa Bear?)"
„Stimmt, un' 'nen Tiger. (Yes, and a Tiger.)" Tiger smiled at one of Papa Bear's men.
"Where is he?" The figure whispered, afraid of being overheard, yet still switching to English.
"I dunno. The train must 'ave been caught in ze bombing….zey transported all ze people from ze spot to ze stayshun, but 'e vasn't zere." She was nervous. The man next to her nodded, soaking in the information.
"Alright. I'll let Papa Bear know…thank you."
"I'm sorry I couldn't bring bettair news. Please let your Papa Bear know 'ow sorry I am. And zat I vill be reyturning to France tomorrow."
"I will. Be safe."
"You too." She disappeared into the darkness, the contact watched her go, before he himself melted into the darkness.
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The owner of the pub looked around nervously as the walked through the night, with the two prisoners. He was 99% sure that they were on the level, however he felt uncomfortable leaving them in his pub where he and his family lived. Swimming through the darkness, he lead the men out of town and towards a farm in the distance. He noticed immediately how both men became rigid with fright. He turned to calm them.
"It's alright. At that farm is a radio. We need it to get you out of here." The two former prisoners nodded nervous, and continued to follow him. The man lead them to a barn and pushed them both in.
"Stay put. I will be right back. Do not leave!" He shut the door, leaving the two men in a swarm of confusion as they turned around at the new setting. It was a barn full of hey, however Carter was unable to his great disappointment see any animals.
"Come-on, let's climb up into the loft." Jake suggested, leading the way. Carter nodded, and followed him. Once up in the small loft they saw a large pile of hey. Jake sneezed, causing Carter to jump.
"Sorry. I have an allergy to hey."
"Great…" Carter sighed throwing himself down on the pile.
"OUCH!" A voice came from where Carter had just sat, causing him to fall over backwards in his rush to get back up.
"Watch where ya sittin' will ya?" A head popped out from the hay.
"S-s-s-s-sorry!" Carter stuttered, starring at a darkened head in front of him, tying to make out the face, but was unable to.
"Whatcha doin' 'ere anyways? W'o are ya?" The figure emerged from the pile, dusting himself off.
"H-h-h-hiding?" Carter stammered again.
"'Idding, eh?"
"Who are you?" Jake stepped forward. "What are you doing here, eh?"
"'Idding, what's it look like?" The figured stepped forward trying to get a good look at the two men in front of him, starring at Jake. As the figured starred at Jake, all three men looked down as the barn door opened. Quickly hiding themselves all in the hey.
The man opened the barn, and entered quietly.
"Prisoners! Quick! Down here." With a rush, suddenly 6 men appeared at the bottom of the ladder facing the man from the pub. The man was surprised at the number of men coming down the ladder.
"W'at is it?" The figure who had been talking to Jake stepped forward. "W'at's wrong?"
"There are six of you? Nevermind it's too dangerous for me to know." The man took a step forward, to get a closer look at one of the prisoners.
"Newkirk? Is that you?"
"In the flesh."
"Newkirk, I can't make contact with Papa Bear. I fear there is something wrong. I found t two prisoners wondering around and…" The man drifted off. "I am really glad you're in here."
"Don't mention it." Newkirk thought for a moment. "Alright, I'll deliver them tonight, but I need some clothes. Go tell Herr Bauer to bring us a pair of men's clothing. I'll take it from 'ere."
"Thank you Newkirk." The man smiled, before turning back out the door. Newkirk turned to the dark figures near him.
"Alright, spill it. 'O are you?"
"Escaping prisoners. We are tying to get to Papa Bear, like yourself it seems." Jake explained, Carter was silent. That name, Newkirk….that voice…..
"Alright. I can take ya to Papa Bear. But 'ow do I know ya're really prisoners?" Newkirk starred at Jake, as he was unable to make out any features of Carter in the pitch black barn. Jake smiled and sang his song. Newkirk smiled.
"Very well. W'en we get Bauer's clothin', we'll be on our way."
"Newkirk…are you sure. You need to stay here with us." The man whom Newkirk nicknamed, Captain America spoke up.
"Look, Captain America, if we're found with these guys 'ere, they'll be taken prisoner too. I'm gonna deliver 'em to Papa Bear."
"Newkirk….but you're German…."
"Sod off. I can do it. You lot stay 'ere." Newkirk crossed his arms offended, no one spoke up after that. Half an hour later, Newkirk was in civilian clothing, and Jake, Carter, Newkirk made their way out of the barn and towards the camp.
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The three men started off into the darkness, staying as far away from any lights as possible. They walked single file, Newkirk leading, Jake in the middle, and Carter following last. Staying in the woods, Newkirk hopped they wouldn't run into any patrols returning from the raid. Unfortunately, their luck didn't hold up. Coming directly from the direction the group wanted to head was a group of Heer returning from the raid on foot. Newkirk squatted down, hoping they wouldn't notice the three of them, Jake and Carter followed in like fashion.
Newkirk stopped breathing as the first man passed, but as the second passed no more than a metre away, Jake sneezed again. Echoing through the woods like a gunshot pointing a large red arrow directly at the team.
"Ist jemand da? (Is someone there?)" One man, who looked to Newkirk to be no older than 18, yelled coming closer. "Wer sind Sie? (Who are you?)" Newkirk swallowed as the man got closer and looked down, directly at Newkirk's face. "Wer sind Sie? Was machen Sie hier? Antworten Sie mich! (Who are you? What are you doing here? Answer me!)"
"W-W-Wir sind n-n-nur verloren, h-h-hat der Lufts-s-schutz- W-W-We are o-o-only lost, the bom-m-mingraid h-h-had-)"
„Was ist los mit dir (2)? Du stotterst. (What is wrong with you? You stutter.)" The younger made fun of Newkirk, as he instantly become rude.
„J-J-Ja...w-w-war's der L-L-Luftschutz- (Y-Y-Yes... it w-w-was the b-b-bomingraid-)"
„Was machst du denn hier, Stotterer? (What are you doing here, Stutter?)" The man pointed his rifle directly at Newkirk, as he spit at Newkirk's feet.
"I-i-ich sagte s-s-schon. W-W-Wir sind verloren, u-u-und versuchen n-n-nach H-H-Hause zugehen. (I-I-I told you al-l-lready. W-W-We were lost, a-a-and were trying t-t-to go back H-H-Home.)""
Du musst mit mir kommen, Stotterer. Du weißt ,dass niemand nach 21 Uhr (3) draußen erlauben ist! (You'll have to come with me, Stutter. You know that no one is allowed outside after 9PM!)" He poked Newkirk with the barrel of his rifle.
„J-J-Ja...aber... (Y-Y-Yes….but….)"
„Steh auf! Los! (Get up! Move!)" The man grabbed Newkirk off the ground and started him forward. A second man, around the same age as the first walked over and pointed his rifle at Jake, not seeing Carter also lying on the ground in the dark. Jake, like Newkirk, was yanked off the ground and was sent forcefully forward. Newkirk and Jake exchanged glances, each with a look of fear in his eyes. Newkirk wanted to glance behind him to see what had become of the other prisoner, but didn't want to risk giving his position away. Newkirk let out a long sigh he had been holding and kept his eyes forward, trying to think of a way out of the situation.
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(1) I know in the English version that when bombs rain down, they are true bombs. But in the German version usually they are something silly like chocolate or condom bombs. Even Döner meat once. The reason I went with the German cannon is because 1: it's silly and 2: I did not want to write a scene where Germany gets bombed by real bombs.
(2) For those who are not familiar with German, there are two ways to say „you". One is "Sie" which is formal, polite, and used as a term of respect for people you don't know, or for those socially higher than you, and a way to denote distance, such as if you do not wish to be friends with the other. There is also "du", which is used among friends, family, people younger than yourself, but also can be extremely rude when used by strangers, and is a way to show that you are socially higher than another.
(3) The 21:00 curfew was for those who were, well, considered not as uh, "Aryan" as others, who were allowed to have a curfew of 22:00