Shayna's Diary

Chapter 1

I, Shayna Raisa Gilbert or Shara as my younger sister Tamar Ariella Gilbert loved to call me, looked outside the window of the bakery my parents Dara and Johan owned. The sun was shining brightly and not a cloud was found in the sky. People were walking around going about their business when there was a sudden commotion at the toy store across the street. An older man no older than 64 was being beaten by 3 young gestapos. Looking closer I recognized the man as the toy store owner Mr. Aronoff. He was a good man who attended mass every day and always did his best to help others. My mother, who had come up beside me, pulled me away from the window and closed the large gold curtains. "It has begun," my mother said. "What shall we do? " I asked. My mother looked at me for a long moment before saying "There is nothing we can do but to wait." "Wait for what?" asked a voice. We turned to find Tamar standing behind us with a confused look on her face. "Stay away from the windows, you might get hurt." Mother said, completely ignoring the question.

The next day when we arrived at the shop we were shocked to find that a rock had been thrown through the window. Glass was laying everywhere and some items, like the popular 6 Minute Cakes and Moist Carrot Cakes, were gone. The Star of David that was carved into the door was scratched out and in its place was a Swastika. Tamar asked our mother about it, but we told her it was nothing but a joke. That a couple of kids from the neighborhood were just playing around.

That night I could hear my parents arguing about what we should do, now that the situation was getting worse. Their conversation didn't last though, for loud sirens blared through the town making me shudder in fear. It was time that all stragglers were to get into their homes. As I fell asleep, I thought to myself that things will be better in the morning. Little did I know that the glass was just the beginning of what was to become an unforgettable nightmare.