The Shadow

Chapter 6

   (Another kinda bloody scene here. I hope you guys will enjoy it)!

   I stood there, leaned against a wall, smoking a cigarette. Aldo was interrogating another Nazi. Another day another Nazi huh? My lungs were probably corroded with tobacco and all that shit. Not my fault. My family dying just caused me to start smoking. Stress and trauma fucking sucks.

   I looked forward, trying to overhear what Aldo was saying. I was further away so the Nazi nor the Basterds could see me. Donny and I sometimes take turns when killing the Nazis. One day he would come out to kill them. Another day would be me. Today was one of those days. I loved when it was my turn. The Basterds get to see me kill and the Nazis will get to see this Shadow person that their Army talked about and constantly feared. I lived to see their faces when they get to finally see the Shadow. Their faces rile me up.

   "I'm calling over the Shadow. If you don't wanna end up like your comrades, tell us where to go." Aldo warned. There was no response. "Interesting. You're gonna get a nice good case of the Shadow. Hey Frances!" Aldo called. "Yes Aldo?" I yelled. "A Nazi here wants to get a whiff of what his comrades dealt with! Do what you do best!" Aldo exclaimed. I smirked and put out my cigarette. I lifted my axe and put it over my shoulders.

   As I walked, I remembered something. I had a dreidel in my pocket. Maman gave it to me when we celebrated Hanukkah two years ago. I threw it and it spun right up to the Nazi. I followed after making myself seen. The Basterds cheered and yelled my name. Aldo, who stood aside, clapped. The Nazi stared down at the dreidel with disgust. I chuckled. I picked it up and put it back in my pocket, looking down at him with eyes filled with hatred. He looked up at me in fear.

   I chuckled as his eyes met mine, fearfully. He gazed at me up and down and gazed at the axe. "Are you t-the S-Shadow?" He stammered. I nodded. "The name's Frances. Frances Élodie Mitchell." I introduced myself. "You're Jewish huh?" He asked. I nodded. "Wasn't it obvious?" He glared at me. "What's a little Jewish girl like you doing here?" The Nazi asked in an evil tone. "Getting revenge because of what your people did." I answered, bending down to look him in the eyes.

   The Basterds looked at me, waiting with anticipation. That's what I did. I would make them wait and strike when they and the Nazis least expected it. "Wait a minute. Frances Mitchell. Sounds very familiar." The Nazi said. "Oh really?" I rolled my eyes. "I can recall a few months ago when I went inside a house on the hills with a little farm. Four people lived there. A mother, father, and two children. One of the children were around 18." He explained, looking up as if he was trying to remember. I furrowed my eyebrows. Philippe was 18 when he died.

   "I remember one of the children was upstairs and came down when the parents and the boy died. I remember the boy said the name 'Frances.' The girl escaped. Now that I think about it, she looked quite like you." The Nazi continued, continuing with that evil tone. He was present at my family's murder? He shot them with the other soldiers? By this time, my axe was down. My hands shook as he was explaining.

   "What were their names?" I asked, my voice filled with venom. My eyes were filled with anger now. I just had to be sure that this scum on the Earth killed my family. Maybe another family had a daughter with my name? But no matter how much denial I was in, I knew it was my family. "Hm, the father was named Olivier, the mother Marie-Anne, and the son Philippe." He replied, smirking at me. He knew what he was doing. He was there. The Basterds looked at each other in confusion. They didn't know what happened to me. My hands shook and anger surged throughout my body. This asshole was one of the soldiers who killed my family. Maybe today was meant for me.

   "You son of a bitch." I whispered, angrily. I stood up and swung my axe, the blade hitting his cheek and causing a very big hole in his face. No doubt that killed him. I swung repeatedly, blood spraying everywhere. I could hear the Basterds screaming and cheering. Tears escaped my eyes as I swung. After a moment, I stopped and gazed at his bloodied remains, no longer identifiable as a human. I panted as my tears mixed with his blood on my face. I threw down my axe and had flashbacks of my family.

   Gunshots everywhere. Maman and Papa's bodies. Philippe telling me to leave before dying too. Tears escaped more as I continued to stare at that Nazi's chopped up remains. Aldo stood up. "Alright! Betcha that scared that other Nazi more than anything." Aldo expressed with a chuckle. I gazed at the remaining Nazi, who was being guarded by Omar. The Nazi must've seen my cold glare, as he looked back down in fear. "You alright Frances?" Aldo asked, noticing my face. "Mhm. Totally." I muttered, wiping tears away from my eyes with a bloodied hand. I picked up my axe and walked away. My work was finished.

   Awhile later I was sitting by myself. I had just gotten myself and my axe clean. I was still upset due to that Nazi being one of the people who killed my family. It's been a few months now and I'm still filled with anger. I heard multiple footsteps behind me. I recognized all of them. "Hi guys." I said. "How'd you know it was us?" Aldo asked as everyone sat around me. "I can recognize your footsteps by now." I answered, chuckling a little.

   The Basterds were talking to each other about random shit that I did not pay attention to. My thoughts were away from them. "Hey Frankie!" Aldo called. He gave me that nickname recently. I looked back at him to see what he wanted. "That Nazi back there, what was he talking about?" Aldo asked, playing with his knife. I sighed, running my hands through my hair. Here goes nothing I guess.

   "A few months ago, I wasn't like this. I wasn't killing Nazis for a living. I didn't even know what was going on in the world. I just grew up as a regular farm girl living on a hill. One day at lunch time, I saw soldiers outside. My family sent me to hide upstairs. They never told me stuff about the war. Only my brother since he was 18. I decided to go downstairs after awhile. When I was at the top of the staircase, I heard gunfire. Lots and lots of it. I looked up and saw my parents, dead on the floor. My brother was barely clinging to life. His last words were, 'Frances, run' before he was killed. I escaped and was the only survivor. That's when I went to Boston to stay with my aunt and uncle for two months. During the duration of my stay, I learned German and learned how to kill. I moved back here to France and became the Shadow. I wanted to kill every Nazi and Gestapo officer for what they stood for and killed as many as I could. That Nazi was there that day. He helped kill my family. Because of my family dying, I became who I am today." I explained, tears threatening to spill.

   The Basterds all looked at me in shock. They never knew and possibly never imagined that that had happened to me. I wiped the tears away before they could fall. "I am so sorry you went through that Frances." Aldo uttered. "It's fine." I sniffled, holding back tears. "You don't have to be strong for us Frances." Donny spoke. I looked at him and smiled a bit. I was fine. I didn't have to be strong. But I chose to be.

   (There we go guys! Sorry that was violent and bloody. I hope you guys enjoyed this! See you soon)!