Dried Blood

Blonde locks.

I wasn't running, which happened to be a surprise. Most of the crowd around me were moving fast, or not at all. They seemed divided, some believing that staying still would somehow be taken as surrender, and some so painfully blinded. I wish I still felt that same notion, that sense of pride in my country and peers. They do say ignorance is bliss. I cant help but wonder what could be happening if not war. Though this was no time to think, smoke surrounded me, surfacing in my lungs and momentarily cutting my air flow. I could spend this time reflecting on my life, or even caring about it, but I can't possibly complain when Freddy's here, with a smile on his face. He's seem to come to terms with this far faster than I will, he always does. I wish I could see the thoughts behind his beautiful blue eyes. He follows me onto a plank of perched wood, where I take a proud stance and scan the scene around me. To my right I spot the familiar face of Jojo Betzler, a kid I once knew. I wish I could set him free but at the moment, a reassuring eyebrow raise would have to do. From behind me I hear Freddy's gorgeous voice, and with that I jump from the plank and run forward, towards a cleared area. It appeared the safest spot with the smallest crowd and I needed to keep Freddy safe at any and all cost, but before another thought could pass my mind, an ear breaking noise ripped across my brain and sent me flying back, I was thrown against a wall momentarily blocking my hearing and eyesight, but when it cleared all I could see was blonde hair. He weakly attempted to stand but only collapsed back down, pained tears bridging his eyelids. I toughened my actions and pulled myself towards him, grabbing onto him and keeping him sturdy,

"Freddy!" I called, only barely being heard above the noise. The blonde still desperately tried to stand, but couldn't make it past 2 inches from the ground.

Seeing him struggle like this was mind numbing, I pushed all injuries aside to keep Freddy safe. Before I could register my own pain I stood up and shakily scooped up the man, running through the commotion to the first standing building I saw. Quickly I placed him down in the house, pinpointing his worst injuries and quickly ripping the cape from his back to provide as first aid. I tightly wrapped it around his wounds, applying pressure and avoiding worse damage. I couldn't properly focus with all the noise, the gunshots and explosions crowded my clustered mind as my vision re-focused and I looked into my lovers eyes, tears stained his cheeks and his lips curled upwards at the crease. I couldn't make out what was happening, but I knew based on his expression that he did. He opened his mouth to speak, but seemed to choke on his words. I needed him to know how much he meant to me in that moment,

"Freddy, god, you're going to be okay! You understand? You will be okay." I coughed "Please just hold on, don't let your eyes close, I need you to focus here."

"Klaus it's okay!" He sputtered out, lightening his grip on my hand

"No! Freddy please just- talk to me! Don't stop talking!" I sternly began, re-applying pressure to his stomach "Say anything!"

"I love you, Klaus." he weakly muttered

"Freddy-" in that moment I was speechless, there was nothing I could do. "I love you too."

Watching Freddy go limp was the hardest thing I did, and ever will have to watch. His beautiful eyes lost life and I sat still, holding his hand as he let go. I was completely helpless, no one could bring the blonde back, he was gone. I wiped my tears and pushed down Freddy's eyelids before standing and walking out. Staying there would do no help, and I needed air. Walking out was surreal, every bullet being shot sent me into a momentary fear as I stumbled across the way and waited to be shot, blown up, killed, I just waited. Before I knew it, the bright colored American flag clogged my vision as I was grabbed by my arms and thrown into a narrow courtyard, containing many disgusting, injured germans being closely supervised by American soldiers.

In my hands laid a small fragment of Freddy's cape, the only part not wrapped around his lifeless body. I stared down at it, rolling my lips together and holding back a wave of tears. As I clutched my last touch of our love my attention was pierced by a young voice,

"Captain K!" Called out Jojo Betzler, the kid from the Jugend office.

"Heya kid," I smiled, in an attempt to comfort him "Look at all this commotion, huh?"

"what's happening?"

I sighed as the blonde haired boy sat down next to me, "Hysteria my friend, we've come to the end." I watched a man be pulled into an aggressive stare as he begged for his life, "parties over."

The look in Jojo's eyes was heartbreaking, he was terrified. The kid had gone through enough, and I was not going to let him die here.

"Are you scared? Don't be scared. Look at me." I insisted, attempting to draw his vision away from the dying men around him. The next topic I wanted to touch on was iffy, his mother, who was wrongfully killed not long ago for treason, hung in town for her own son to see. "I'm sorry about Rosie she was a good person."

There was a pause for response, but all the kid did was nod, holding back tears of his own. I thought of a plan and removed the incriminating cap from his head.

"an actual good person." I clarified, Jojo broke, wrapping his arms around me and crying into my shoulder.

I tried to comfort him, but found my attempts meaningless. I watched men be crowded to their well deserved fate and faced back to Jojo with a supportive pat.

"I've been meaning to tell you, I think your book is really great!" Jojos eyes softened "Ja, I'm sorry for laughing at it. Really creative."

With once again no response I stood the boy up and smiled down at him

"come here let's take a look at you." I sighed "You look good. You're okay, kid. Now go home, look after that sister of yours, okay?"

Jojo nodded, the biggest response from him I had gotten all day. I shared a few seconds of privacy before ripping off his German jacket and shoving him to the ground. This was a long shot but worth it in the end.

"Get away, Jew!" I yelled, loud enough to make a scene. Quickly, as planned an American rushed over and pointed a gun to my chest.

"Hey! What's going on?"

"he's a jew." I coughed desperately, glaring at Jojo.

"shut up." The soldier grunted before facing Jojo, "You know this nazi?"

"He- He Helped m-"

It seemed as though the boy hadn't picked up on the plan, so I swiftly cut him off.

"No I don't know this dirty Jew." I then spit on Jojo, mumbling some bullshit under my breath in a desperate attempt to get him out of here. I was silenced by a violent jab to the face. My breath was hitched and I attempted to re-gain strength on the ground, but I jolted up when I heard the painful screams of Jojo, who was being dragged away ahead of me. Two men wrapped onto my arms and pulled me in the separate direction, where I calmly smiled at the boy, like Freddy once did to me. When Jojo was no longer in earshot I was met with my end, a melted black void that would soon swallow me whole, but I didn't drop my smile, cause I could already see his blonde hair.