Chapter 14
I huddled behind one of the houses, hugging my grazed knees. Beads of sweat poured from my forehead, dampening my hair slightly. Artur, Liesl and Herr Gedney were all there with me, their silky clothes tinged brown from the mud, like mine.
Artur lay on his back, eyes widened, petrified, and I remember that he had never experienced anything like this before. Come to think of, neither had I… The gunshots cracked into the air as loud as thunder, and another scream was silenced, either because they were dead, or because they had passed out.
"Children," Herr Gedney whispered, shuffling over to us, "You must go into the woods and hide there, we'll sort this out."
"Are you sure, Herr Gedney?" Liesl asked, her motherly voice coming through in a fearful tone.
"I'm sure, my dear Liesl. You must look after your sister and my son, please…" he whispered, wincing as another shot erupted, much closer this time.
"What about mother and father, and everyone else?" I asked hoarsely, my voice a mere squeak.
Herr Gedney was about to speak, when his eyes suddenly rolled into the back of his head, and he fell limply onto the muddy ground. I crawled over to him, shaking his shoulder gently.
"Dad?" Artur shuffled over too, until he looked up and fell back. I turned…
Georg's POV
The scream that froze our bodies solid was like a siren. I've heard screams like that, ones of pure terror and alarm. It was unmistakably a child, and a young one at that. Every head turned, including the attackers', and several feet galloped their way towards the cry.
Maria was with the children, counting heads, before turning back to me and putting up two fingers. Two were missing… My heart pounded, and a very unpleasant image entered my mind, bringing fear as well as anger.
By the time I had arrived, it appeared I was already too late. Herr Gedney lay, unconscious, on the ground, blood puddled a little around his head. As for the scream, it appeared the bearer was gone. Large footprints in the wet mud dragged the footprints of two young children, and a third followed willingly. Or at least, didn't try to struggle.
"Mother, I cannot find Artur anywhere?" Josef exclaimed, his usual casual and lazy voice now hinted with a panicked tone.
"And I cannot find my own two children," I joined the conversation, looking over at Maria as she brought over our remaining five.
"Gretl, Marta, Kurt, Louisa and Friedrich are all here, where are Liesl and Brigitta?" Maria asked, terrified.
In the dark there was simply no way to know which direction to go, the usual, beautiful landmarks were hidden behind a blanket or curtain of swirling black mist. My mind raced violently, and I angrily clenched my muddy fists. Until, however, one of the villagers pointed out a sudden movement of light in the forest. I squinted and saw it myself as it meandered around the many monotonous trees.
"Women, stay here and care for the children. Men, come with me. We need to find these monsters and bring back Artur and my children," I growled, picking up a long stick we were going to use for the fire, waved it around the flames, until it caught alight, and cackled devilishly.
No hesitation was in these villagers' eyes. No arguing. No rudeness. Just pure anger. Not at me, but at these intruders. It was surprising, and I was rather taken aback. It must be difficult to care for another's child, along with it only be such a brief period. They were the definition of a 'perfect' human in my eyes. Not because of looks, or personality. But because they were willing to help us, someone who they barely knew whatsoever, or someone they didn't think they could trust…
Before long, we were cautiously walking through the forest, keeping our flaming torches away from the vegetation. The bare branches turned up towards sky, spiked at the tips. Other than our torches, it was impossible to see what was around. Then it sparked again. Not my torch, and not anyone else's. It was theirs. And so close too, my cheeks were beginning to radiate with anger, burning my exposed flesh.
Dry, racking sobs, muffled slightly, grew louder as we approached, our feet slipping in the slush. No… they're hurting my children… Every time another sob rang out I got angrier. I gritted my teeth, my knuckles white from being clenched so much. The crimson in my cheeks felt like acid – slicing, burning, vigorous -.
The light kept fading from view and reappearing much further away. They had no worries about burning the forest to the ground, they probably had it protected within a glass box. That only made me even more furious. They had it all planned out, didn't they? Those wretches… The light suddenly flickered out, gone, our search now at an end…
My shouting was a violence in the air, a way to take the anger and guilt from the depths of my chest. It died down into hysterical sobs, with the tears bursting forth like a dam, drizzling down my scarlet cheeks and puddling in my flat hands. The muscles in my chin tremble, yet I don't feel embarrassed. My walls, the walls I had ever since my wife died, that not even Maria knew about nor broke, just… collapsed… Moment by moment they fall, and my head trembles in my hands. I fall to my knees, back hunched and cowardly, drenched with salty sweat and tears…