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Ciel looked around the stark barrack room that he was to share with about thirty other men. All he could see from where he sat were rows of bunk beds. They were all made from flimsy wood, and one could tell the craftsman had not cared much about the design or quality of the product. There was only a minimal amount of padding on each, and a thin, shabby blanket that would be no comfort in the winter months.
He stared at the paint chipped walls, knowing he'd have to get used to the idea of this place being his new home. It was a hopeless thought, and one that he wasn't quite ready to accept for himself yet. Since the moment he had been set on the train, he had entertained thoughts of escape. It was only what every young person would do when in a situation like this.
Sighing deeply, Ciel looked around again, sending a glance toward the door in case a guard had been sent back. After the bath he had been forced to take, he and the others had been ushered into room where a man tattooed a number on their arm. Ciel had figured it was just another way to humiliate them, treating them like dogs that had to have identification numbers. Every moment he was in there simply made him hate the Nazis more.
Since it was late in the day, he had been sent to a barrack room instead of being forced to start working. The other prisoners were still out and would be for another few minutes, so for the time being, he had the place to himself. Slowly, with another glance toward the door, he stood up and walked over to the only window in the room. It was centered in the back wall and was very small, but he was sure he could fit through it if he tried.
Climbing to the top of a bunk near the window, Ciel was able to barely see through it. As expected, it was barred, and Ciel was sure that if he tried to mess with it in any way an alarm would no doubt go off. He stood staring at the small aperture of escape, knowing that getting through it undetected would only be the first of his problems. An escape was going to need a lot of planning, which meant he needed to bide his time and do what he did best...listen.
It was how he had survived all those weeks after his father had been taken and his mother killed. Choosing to be quiet and listen to the others around him had given him a secret power. You learned a lot more that way, and people seemed to forget you were there after a while. One became almost invisible. Ciel hoped he could use that to his advantage.
Of course his mind kept going back to the raven haired commander he had met in the medical room. It seemed like nothing escaped that man's watchful eyes, and Ciel still felt uncomfortable from the way he had looked at him. It was not going to be easy to be invisible to that man. Ciel stared out the window at several buildings, his mind wandering off.
The sound of the door opening startled Ciel, and he nearly fell from his spot on the bed as he tried to get down before anyone saw him. It was too late however, for he heard a shout as one of the guards rushed toward him.
"Get down from there!" The man walked up to him, forcefully pulling him off of the bed and throwing him to the floor.
Ciel had the wind knocked out of him as he fell, and could do nothing but lie there as the man rained blows down upon him. The other prisoners who had arrived with the guards looked the other way as this happened, each of them going to sit on their own beds. They were far too exhausted to do anything, and they had been there long enough to know that it would have been useless.
Ciel refused to cry out at all. He would have almost rather been killed than to let this man hear him scream. Soon enough, the guard stopped beating him, turning to leave with his companion. Ciel waited a few moments in order to make sure the man was gone for good, then opened his eyes. He groaned as he tried to take a breath. Most of the other prisoners stared at him, but made no move to help.
A man standing in the back of the building shot a glance toward the door, then rushed to Ciel's side. He knelt down and wiped the blood from the boy's face with the back of his hand.
"I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to stop this. But I can help you now."
Ciel looked up at him, unable to hide his surprise. It was the first act of kindness he had been shown since coming here. But the cynical nature in him soon took over, and he narrowed his eyes.
"I'm fine," he replied in a harsh tone, shrugging the man's hand away. He tried to push himself into a sitting position, but winced. His side was throbbing in pain, and his lungs felt sore.
The man sighed. "Don't be stubborn. You need help." He picked Ciel up carefully and took him to his own bunk, laying him down gently. "I'm Fred Aberline by the way."
Ciel simply stared at the man. It was hard for him to accept anyone as a possible friend. He had seen too many people betrayed by those they trusted, and had vowed it wouldn't happen to him. However, he decided he could be friendly with this man until he figured out just what type of person he was. That wouldn't hurt anything he supposed.
He nodded. "Ciel Phantomhive."
Aberline carefully began to clean the blood from Ciel's face, despite the lack of water and other supplies. "It's nice to meet you Ciel, though I wish the circumstances had been better." He sighed as he finished. "Have you had anything to eat since you arrived here?"
Ciel didn't move, knowing it was probably best to just rest after what had happened. He looked up at the man and shook his head in answer to the question. He was still trying to figure out why this man was being so nice to him.
Aberline reached into his pocket and brought out a stale piece of bread. He held it out to the boy. "It isn't much, but I had been saving it for something like this."
Ciel stared at the food. Truthfully, he was very hungry. He had gone without food for days. But he didn't want to accept the pity of this man. He shook his head.
Aberline kept his hand outstretched. "Listen, you need to eat. There won't be any food until tomorrow night as a result of a collective punishment. You'll need your strength if you want to survive here."
Slowly Ciel reached out and took the offering. He brought it up to his mouth and took small bites, careful not to eat too fast. He was smart enough to know that it would only make him worse if he tried to eat too quickly after not having had anything for several days.
The man leaned against the bedpost, and Ciel took the opportunity to study him as he ate. He looked like he was in his early thirties, but the way he acted made him appear a few years younger. His hair, that Ciel had originally thought to be auburn was more of a light brown color and his eyes were a gray-blue. All in all, he was the type of person most would trust. Honest face, clean good looks, cheerful countenance. Ciel couldn't help but feel he was a good person, though he still felt the need to keep his guard up.
He finished off the last crumb of bread, wiping his hands on his clothing. "Thanks," he said simply.
The man nodded in understanding. "Don't mention it," he paused, then leaned forward. "I know you're new here Ciel, so I was wondering if you'd like me to tell you a little about what goes on around here, and who to avoid. It'll save you a lot of trouble."
Ciel only nodded in reply.
The man took a deep breath. "Well I suppose I should start with what you'll have to expect tomorrow. Every morning we are forced to get up at exactly 4:30 where we are taken to roll call. That usually takes about thirty minutes, though I'll tell you, you better hope nobody has decided to go missing, otherwise they'll generally make everyone wait till they've either found the person or found out what happened to them. That happened about a week ago. The man was finally found dead, but not after we had stood waiting for over two hours. You're the one who took his place in this barrack." Aberline looked down in silence for a moment.
"Were you good friends with him?" Ciel surprised himself by asking.
"Yes...yes I was. He was a wise man, but he took too many risks." Aberline shook his head sadly. "I should have been killed that day, not him. But I suppose they only wanted to make an example of him. The commander of this camp has had no one escape since he was put in charge."
Ciel's eyes widened at the mention of the raven haired man, though he tried to keep the interest out of his voice. "The commander?"
"Sebastian Michaelis." Aberline dropped his voice to a whisper. "A black haired man with eyes like the devil. Most dread the thought of even being near him. He'd rather torture a person to death than kill them right away as most others might do. That man has no mercy."
Ciel looked away. So now he knew his name, as well as his reputation around the camp. He was sure he should hope to never encounter the man again, but a part of him wanted to. He turned back to the other man as a sudden thought came into his mind.
"Aberline?"
"Yes?"
Ciel hesitated, unsure if he wanted to know the answer to the question he had. Finally he opened his mouth. "When I was waiting to be examined by the doctor, I noticed that people were being split into two groups. Some were taken to the left and others to the right. What is the reason for that?"
Aberline let out a long sigh. "Most who are deemed unfit for work are sent to the left of the building where they are gassed to death. You can sometimes hear the screams of the victims, though the guards try to muffle it by turning on the engines of a few motorcycles."
Ciel said nothing, knowing no words were expected. He had figured the separation of prisoners wasn't something good, but he hadn't expected mass murder. He knew he shouldn't have been surprised. He closed his eyes, thinking about the small boy he had seen. He most likely wasn't alive right now. His thoughts went back to Sebastian and what had happened in the medical room. He knew he shouldn't even be alive right now. Yet he was, and it was only because of Sebastian Michaelis.
His troubled thoughts were cut short with the ringing of a bell that signaled curfew.
Aberline stood up and helped Ciel to his bunk. "I'd recommend sleeping in your clothes. Some prisoners aren't below stealing clothing from others."
Ciel was out of breath by the time he lay in his own bunk, and could only nod in acknowledgement. He watched as Aberline made his way back to his own bed. Slowly he let his eyes close, knowing he'd need the rest if what the other man had told him was true.
But sleep didn't come. Perhaps it was the snores of the other men or the sound of the guards talking outside, but whatever it was, when he would try to drop off to sleep, he would jerk awake and remember just where he was.
His mind kept replaying the events of the day, always going back to Sebastian, and wondering what had prompted that man to do what he had done. Each time he tried to reason it out, he came up much more confused than before.
His eyes were still open as the bell rang to signal the waking hours.
Ciel sat up, holding a hand to his side where it was still very sore. He watched as the other men forced themselves out of bed by habit. Aberline smiled at him from his bunk a few feet away, and Ciel was surprised by how that man could be so cheerful in spite of the circumstances. He stood up and walked toward him as the guards arrived.
The men were led out of the room and made to stand in rows against the outside walls of the barracks. An officer walked up and down, calling out names of the men who were supposed to be present. When all were accounted for, the men were separated into groups of five, and sent off to their work. Ciel was glad he had been grouped with Aberline, though he knew he wouldn't be able to talk to him much. It was just a comfort to know he was there.
They walked in silence to a part of the camp that looked somewhat like a quarry. There were shovels and pickaxes, and other materials that were used in the excavation of rocks. Men chose the tool they preferred and started working. Aberline kept close to Ciel, helping him learn the job quickly so he would have less trouble.
"You see that man up there?" he asked as they were filling a wheelbarrow together.
Ciel nodded. The man looked like he was wearing the clothing of a prisoner, though he seemed to be in charge somehow.
"He's a Kapo-a prisoner just like us, yet put in control his fellow inmates. William Spears up there is one of the strictest. He was a murderer, and I don't think he has any guilt about what he does."
They ceased further conversation as a guard walked past them, and put their remaining strength into their work.
The sun beat down upon the men unmercifully, and it was hardly noon before Ciel felt as if he could take no more of it. He was dying of thirst, and his muscles ached from the hard labor he was unused to doing. The wounds he had received from the guard the night before still pained him, and it made it even harder to lift the heavy bits of rock and gravel.
Slowly he wiped his hot forehead and bent to pick up yet another large rock. His wheelbarrow was almost full, though it was no consolation to him since he would only have to empty it and repeat the process. He heard a shout from somewhere behind him, but made no move to see what it was about. The guards were always shouting at the prisoners or each other. It was only when things got silent that he began to think something might be wrong. He straightened up and placed a hand on his back to keep it from paining him as he turned around. He froze like all the others as his eyes fell on the man who had come out to supervise the work.
It was the commander, Sebastian Michaelis.
Ciel stood staring at him, watching as he talked to another guard. He wondered what was being said between them. They were too far away for him to pick up the words, but he figured it had nothing to do with him anyway. He was thinking about how out of place Sebastian looked among the dusty rocks, standing in his shiny black boots and spotless uniform. He probably only enjoyed mocking the prisoners with how well dressed he was. Ciel crossed his arms, but was unable to look away.
He backed up a bit as the two men started walking in his general direction. They looked as if they were going to walk right toward him, but surely that was not the case. Ciel stopped moving once he realized they were indeed walking toward him. A cold feeling came over him despite the heat. It was frightening, for he had no idea why they would single him out among the hundreds of others out there. He had done nothing wrong...or had he? His eyes went to the commander, but the man's face was absolutely no indication of what he intended to do.
"Grab him," Sebastian ordered.
Ciel felt his arms being roughly taken by the guard.
"Leave him be!" Aberline shouted. He tried to run toward Ciel, but was knocked to the ground by William. The Kapo beat him, but he hardly felt it. He was far more worried about what was happening to Ciel than anything that could happen to himself.
Ciel heard his shout and tried to turn around to make sure the other man was alright, but he was hit by the guard holding him.
"Get moving. And the rest of you get back to work!"
Ciel heard the tools clinking against the rocks, evidence that the prisoners had done as they were ordered. He stared at the back of the commander who was walking in front of him, having no choice but to follow the two men to where ever they were going to take him.