Wherever You May Roam

Chapter 1: My Beautiful Daughter

Hey guys!

I just wanted to say I hope you enjoy this first chapter. Also just in case younger readers were confused. This book is historical fiction. Which means it's fiction but it takes place in a event that occurred in history, so the character are NOT real.

Just wanted to clear up any confusion.

Later People!

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January 2nd, 2012 

Eleanor's POV Paris, France

Sometimes I think that maybe disease was a gift given to me by God himself. That maybe he didn't want me to suffer any longer. Sometimes I think different, maybe I can still find Beth, maybe it's not my time.

January 4th and 5th, 1942 

Eleanor's POV Frankfurt, Germany

I awoke to the sound of Beth's consistent crying. Call me crazy , but I didn't mind it and I never will. Beth was my soul purpose for getting up in the morning after my husband Gregory passed away about a year ago. Without that little angel who knows what I would be doing with my life right now. Maybe I would be homeless, consumed with misery, and sleeping in an cardboard box.

Beth cries becoming louder breaking me out of my thoughts. I jumped out of bed and ran to her crib, picking her up and cradling her in my arms. "Shh," I cooed "Mommy's got you now, mommy's got you."

The next hour I spent holding Beth in my arms trying to get her to go back to sleep. It was to no avail, she was wide awake and didn't look like she would go back to sleep in the foreseeable future.

I sighed "What am I gonna do with you?"

I asked her , a faint smile apparent on my lips. Beth giggled and started holding my face with her little hands and just stared at me. Not sure what to do I sat as still as possible. When at the same time trying to contain my laughter.

Beth and I stayed up for another hour before we both fell asleep. The next morning I got up at seven am like I normally did and started making oatmeal for breakfast. Once I finished cooking I woke Beth up and placed her in her high chair. After she finished she went off to play with her toys. While cleaning the dishes I smiled as she played with her baby doll caring for it as if it were real. Bang! I jumped two feet in the air and looked out the window at my close friend Amelia who was in absolute frantics.

A few minutes later we were both in the same condition after she explained to me the rumors she had been hearing. I willed myself to stay calm, Beth was in the room. I didn't want to scare her. In a voice barely above a whisper I asked "What about children?" Amelia gave me a sad look before replying in a tone laced with sympathy. "From the things I've heard the Nazis don't care, a Jew is a Jew. Our lives mean absolutely nothing to them. " I held my head in my hands and started sobbing. Hearing me Beth got up from her spot on the carpet and ran over to me. Beth looked at my tear stained cheeks and red eyes. "Sad?" She asked me. I shook my head not wanting her to worry. "No mommy's okay," I said finding it a struggle to speak " See." I forced a smile to show her that I was okay. Beth smiled back instantly making me feel better. "Baby why don't you go play with your dolls and I'll be over in a minute." I said wiping the tears from my face before turning back to Amelia. She reached over the table and gave me a hug. "What are we gonna do?" She asked. " I don't know." I replied.

A few minutes later Amelia decided that she was going to head over to her parent's house and warn them. I stayed in that same spot for hours. My thoughts were in shambles. I had no clue what to do. All I knew was that I needed to do whatever I had to , to keep Beth safe. The only problem was I didn't know if that was even possible.

I was so deep into my thoughts I didn't notice Beth coming over until she spoke. "Play?" She asked me. I smiled and moved a piece of her hair out of her face. "Sure." I said grabbing her hand as she lead me to her spot on the carpet where she had been playing.

January 2nd, 2012 

Eleanor's POV Paris, France

I sighed wiping the tears off my face. I would do anything to go back to the days when Beth and I would just sit around and play, before the Nazis turned everyone against my people. Although I miss my daughter terribly I wouldn't take back my decision for anything, because if I had. Everything would have turned out entirely different.

The weeks after Amelia's visit I pondered all my options, yet could never come to a conclusion. All my them were extremely selfish of me and to this day I am still ashamed of the manner in which I was thinking . But after careful consideration I realized that it didn't matter if having Beth with me would make such a horrific camp more bearable for me, I couldn't put Beth through that. Then I was able to make a decision that could have very well saved not only Beth's life. But mine as well. I knew that to save my daughter from an unveitable death, I had no other choice than to place her in the care of a close friend who I knew would not be taken away by the Gestapo.