Panzerfaust

Chapter 34 - In Bloom

July 7th, 1945, near Berlin, Greater German Reich

The villa was grandiose.

Just outside of Berlin, in a quiet neighborhood of German excellence, Otto was still looking for their perfect new home to continue their less than perfect little marriage, and took it as his duty to drag her along house hunting.

This one had a long driveway, four bedrooms and a large english garden so primly cut like a line of soldiers ready to march, and a sitting room opening up to a terrace made of glass.

'The light is wonderful here; Frau Skorzeny can paint again.' Erwin Gerwitz is smiling at her, trying to brighten the mood, but Sophia just nods into it nonchalantly.

What could she paint about? Her heart was empty; and when she closed her eyes all she saw was a long, dark corridor and a wall tainted with blood highlighted by a single lightbulb. Picasso could paint about horror but Sophia Skorzeny was no Picasso - she was just an unhappy woman with a child in her belly.

Pretending to be observing the light coming in from the balcony, she motions their coterie to move into the next room without her; eyes lost in the greenery of the orangerie.

She listens to their steps straying further, then tries the latch of the balcon door; it opens. Rushing down the garden path, she hops over the low fence, high grass tickling her skin and the sweet smell of a fruit nearby.

Outside of the well kept garden, there is a greener patch of wilderness, it's likely the earth was more rich in nutrient outside of the stringent lines of the sovereignity of the gardener and his ruthless shears, growing freely without interruption.

And there it was: a cherry tree.

Old and weathered down, but branches still crumbling under the weight of the many fruits springing to life, like droplets of blood. Soaking in the little spring from between its ancient roots, with the smell of earth and fertility. Laying her palm on cracked bark, she imagines that she can hear it breath, hear it whisper the wisdom of continuity.

There's a harsh crack of wood, and she turns around quickly - too quickly - soles slipping on the naked roots, falling towards the shallow water

Two strong hands grab her before she can hit the surface, pulling her up.

'It's alright, Ma'am, I've got you. Please don't scream.'

A face of a soldier, around the same age as her, blond as the sun, clad in Friedenthall uniform greets her, then sets her back on her feet. There is some juice smeared on his lips; he was most likely nibbling on the fruit before she interrupted him. 

'Who are you?' She asks at once, trying to steady her heart beating wild in her chest.

'I'm Max, Frau Skorzeny. Max Wünsche. I was recently transferred to your husband's Recoinnassaince Unit.'

Adrian's unit.

'So you serve under Lieutenant Burghardt, right?' She had no idea if Otto promoted the sturdy officer or not, he certainly had the time to re-arrange the structure of the platoon by now. Eyeing the stripes on his epaulette, Sophia just realized what a stupid thing she just said - this one's a Sturmbannführer.

'I mean with Lieutenant Burghardt. I hope he is well, it's been a while since I last saw him.'

'I... I'm so sorry Frau Skorzeny, but Sebastian Burghardt was shot dead.'

'I like the blue velvet for the salon. The dark one, yes.'