Chapter 2

"Hold on to this lullaby, even when the music's gone,"

If hours went by since his family was captured and thrown into the back of a military truck he had no idea; it could have just been minutes for all he knew. But in this moment time was completely irrelevant and the last thing on his mind. While Kyle sat in the back of the truck with his family, all he could do was curse himself and his own stupidity. How could he have been so careless? Why did he ever agree to dancing with his brother when he should have followed his gut which screamed at him not to? It was the first time in over a year that he let his guard down and his family paid the price; not to mention Butters family.

The Jew had to bite his bottom lip to stop it from trembling at the thought of the price his friend had paid. These heartless Nazi bastards locked them in a burning barn with no escape. How could human beings do such a thing? The only answer that Kyle could come up with was that they weren't human, but monsters, heartless and soulless monsters. 'Butters I'm so sorry, please be ok,' he silently prayed, for his friends fate was unknown.

Kyle sighed deeply while he rubbed his face in his hands and then pushed his curly red hair back out of his pale face. "I don't regret it," came his brothers whispered words from his side. Kyle raised his head in quick alarm. "The dancing I mean," Ike specified.

"Ike, how can you say that? Didn't you see what happened?" If it wasn't for their situation, and the Nazi soldiers just feet away in the front of the truck, Kyle would be screaming.

"I didn't say I wasn't sorry," Ike quietly snapped with venom Kyle never knew he could possess. Looking down at his brother Kyle understood just from the look in his brothers eyes. Yes, Ike regretted what happened to the Stotch family just as much as Kyle, perhaps even more because he was the one to suggest dancing in the first place; that one decision would surely haunt him for the rest of his life. "But you smiled Kyle, that was the first time since we went into hiding that I have seen you actually smile. For that brief moment I had my brother back," that tugged at his heart more than any dance ever had.

"Ike…" Kyle whispered and took his hand while his brother rested against his side. Kyle didn't know what was to come, had no idea what was waiting for them when the truck came to a stop, but one thing Kyle knew was that he needed to protect his little brother. His green eyes looked over to his mother and father who sat opposite of them. He had to keep his family together, that was his mission.

Kyle had no idea how his brother fell asleep against him after what had happened and with the anxiety of what was to come, but he was grateful he did. Who knew how much sleep they would get at their destination. Were they going to a camp? Or somewhere worse? No. Kyle couldn't think like that, not after vowing to keep his family together. He needed to stay positive for if he couldn't believe in hope, how could his family.

After what felt like a heart bursting eternity the truck finally came to a stop. "Ike wake up, we've stopped," he whispered and gently eased his brother off his shoulder. Ike woke with a jolt and was instantly alert, a feat only gained from spending a year in hiding. The back of the truck opened with force revealing the Nazi soldiers who captured them.

"Out!" they ordered and the Broflovski family obeyed without retort. The soldiers stood before the family, guns at the ready and Captain Cartman again stood in the middle, eyeing them down as if they were all a slab of meat. "Welcome to meh camp Jews, hope you're ready to work. I'm sure you'll all do a fine job," there was no sincerity in his voice at all, only malice. "Get them ready, I need to inspect the camp before the welcoming," Captain Cartman ordered sternly and turned to walk away.

"You! Woman! This way!" one of the soldiers snapped as he grabbed Kyle's mother and yanked her off to the side away from his family.

"Where are you taking her?!" Kyle asked out of panic and was met with a backhand across the face.

"One of the rules in meh camp Jew is to never speak unless spoken to," Captain Cartman sneered at the nearly petrified Jew. But Kyle couldn't register his words, not a single one. This was wrong. This wasn't how this was supposed to be. Kyle had vowed to keep his family together, to protect them. How could he do that when his mother was being dragged away by a vicious soldier? No! They couldn't do this!

"Don't take her please!" Ike pleaded from beside him on the verge of tears, but their father quickly wrapped his arm around him from behind and covered his mouth with his hand. Why wouldn't he fight back? Why wouldn't he protest like him and his brother? They needed their mother!

"Mama!" Kyle shouted just as the Nazi captain grabbed him around the wrist, but he yanked his hand away quick and with force to run off after his mother. Sheila quickly turned to meet him and cupped his cheek in her plump hand and wiped away one of his tears that he wasn't aware came down his cheek.

"Kyle, it's ok. Listen to me Kyle, stay strong. Take care of your brother and your father. Always be proud and humble, always," she whispered very quickly, almost too quick for Kyle to register but he did. It was the same thing his father told him earlier today. Proud. Humble. Strong.Could he do this without his mother? He didn't know, but he had no choice.

"I am, I will," he promised his mother and before either of them could say good bye, the butt of a rifle met with brute force between his shoulder blades but before his world went completely black he vaguely heard a commanding voice shouting "Respect meh authoritah!"

"Kyle, my son, wake up," came his father's pleas. Kyle groaned and slowly came back to the world of the waking.

"My arm stings," was the first thing Kyle found himself saying.

"It will fade soon," Gerald assured him while helping his son to sit up on his small bed. Confused, Kyle reached down to pull the sleeve of his striped pajamas up to find out why his arm stung so bad. Wait? Striped pajamas? When did his clothes change? "They gave us all these clothes, or uniforms no matter how you look at it. We were all given a medical exam, these clothes and…a tattoo," the last part Gerald almost said in a whisper sounding ashamed. Now over the shock of his change of clothes he pulled the sleeve of his left arm up and on his forearm there was indeed a tattoo like his father said. But it wasn't any pretty flower or butterfly, hell it wasn't even a Swastika, it was a number.Kyle immediately understood what it meant. It was an identification, he no longer had a name in regards to the Nazis. Now Kyle would be know as916509.

"You mean they branded us papa," suddenly Kyle's heart stopped. "Where's Ike?!"

"I'm here, Kyle, don't worry," Ike assured him from his other side; Kyle hadn't noticed him due to the shock of his clothes and brand.

"Ike!" Kyle exclaimed in a whisper pulling his brother into his arms. While he embraced his brother he looked around for his mother even though he knew it was futile. They had separated the men from the women, the mothers from their sons. Kyle put that together when he looked around the barracks and only saw men and young boys, even kids. "Why didn't you fight them? You could have fought for mama," like I did. Like Ike did.He wanted to add but didn't. He released his brother and turned his attention back to his father, disappointment etched all over his face. Wasn't a husband supposed to fight for his wife?

"Kyle I need you to understand something my boy. Your mother and I have never placed each other first, it was always you boys. Before we went into hiding your mother and I promised that we would protect you boys even if we couldn't do it together. I stayed quiet for you boys and your mother's protection," of course Kyle understood but it didn't make it any easier to accept. He let his wife be taken away so easily, without even at least speaking up. Kyle didn't know if he could do that, but then again Kyle had always been very hot headed; a trait he inherited from his mother. "I'm sorry Kyle," the young Jew looked into his father's eyes and saw nothing but pain and now really looking at him he looked like he aged so much in just that short amount of time that Kyle was unconscious. His father looked so worn, so lost and Kyle understood. The love of his life was ripped away from him and he wasn't sure how to go on. It was in this moment Kyle wasn't sure he ever wanted to experience love if it brought this much pain.

"We'll get through this papa, together," with that said Kyle wrapped an arm around his brother's neck and his father's and pulled them against him to embrace them simultaneously.

"They want everyone in the yard now," a fellow Jew announced as he ran into the barracks and then immediately ran out; he reminded Kyle of a mouse. The whole building became silent, all glancing at each other with uncertainty and fear. As if believing that physical touch would push away the anxiety of what was to come, Kyle took his father and brothers hand and left the barracks with the other boys and men.

When they stepped out of the building Kyle was shocked to see more and more people coming out of other buildings. Just how many people were in this camp? Hundreds? Thousands? Hell one was just way too many. This was wrong, how could this be? Surely the rest of Germany would notice this many people just vanishing without a word? How in the hell was this secrecy possible?

Once everyone was gathered together in the yard, they stood and looked up at a raised wooden platform, almost like a stage, but what Kyle saw at the back of the platform made his blood run cold. A gallows. A single noose hung from the gallows like a promise of death awaiting anyone the Nazi's deemed worthy enough for such a necklace. Kyle wondered if it had ever been used, how many had died here? Was this camp in operation long? Kyle involuntarily squeezed his little brother's hand in paranoia. What did all these questions matter in the long run? They were here now and they needed to survive; it was as simple as that.

Several soldiers walked up the side stairs of the platform, stood in a horizontal line and at the center stood the soldier that Kyle recognized the most and would never forget until the day he died; Captain Cartman. "It is with a heavy heart that I regret to inform you all that the former officer in charge of this camp has taken an early retirement," but the Nazi did not look remorseful in the least, in fact he looked rather proud of this opening statement and something told Kyle that the "former officer" did not take an "early retirement". "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Commandant Cartman," Kyle tried his best to contain his smirk at the thought this fat soldier received the promotion from Captain to Commandant. "The previous schedule implemented by the former Commandant will remain the same, but for those of you new to this camp listen well because I will say this only once. Each morning you will rise before the sun, should you awaken after the sun you will be punished. After you wake and dress you will then shower and then meet for breakfast. After breakfast you will all line up for roll call and will remain standing until the roll call has finished. From there you will work until lunch and work after until the evening roll call. You will not eat until the evening roll call is finished, I want to make that crystal clear. From there dinner and then bed. Each day will be the same," Commandant Cartman paused to allow the schedule to sink into the new prisoners heads. Kyle knew there was so much more to this schedule then simple organization and work ethic. The Commandant walked the stage from left to right, and then returned to the center. "The rules of meh camp are simple. You will not speak unless spoken to. You will never look a soldier in the eye. Should a soldier tell you to do something, you will do it without question or hesitation. Any and all forms of expression are expressly forbidden. And the final rule of meh camp is my personal favorite, Re-"

"Europe! Wake up! Can't you see your children lined up on the edge of the abyss?!" a man shouted out in the crowd over the Commandant's speech. "Europe! Wake up! Can't you see your children hate us?!" he was screaming in a fit of psychotic rage, or perhaps terror; possibly both. Commandant Cartman snapped his fingers to signal to two soldiers at his side and then pointed to the crazed man. Without even a word the soldiers ran down the platform and seized the man harshly by the arms to force the man up the platform; the whole time he still screamed out, kicking and fighting against the soldiers pulls. "Do not lose hope Jews!" the soldiers placed the crazed man at their Commandant's feet and backed away, but still stood at the ready should he try to make an escape. "Life is a gift! Never despair!" suddenly the man was silenced with a single bullet to the head at point blank range. Commandant Cartman pulled back his freshly fired gun and held it up in amusement.

"And the last rule of meh camp is to respect meh authoritah!" his amber eyes found Kyle's emerald and Kyle found his heart sinking into his stomach. It was as though his eyes had searched out the Jew himself and his eyes displayed a challenge, a challenge that Kyle met as he raised his head in defiance.