Brave the Waters

16 - Nightmares

A/N

Okay.. so not exactly like what happened in the game, but I liked the idea and I wanted to change it around a little bit for the story. There are still going to be a few more parts before I end this story... but wow... Anyways enjoy or weep!

April 4th, 1945: Berga, Germany

~Y/N Pierson~

Bolting upright from my fetal position on the cold floor, I looked around in a panic. It was nothing, just a nightmare. There were no men with guns hunting me down. Well... no men aside from the ones who stood guard over me day and night. Clenching my knees to my chest, I rocked back and forth, trying to run my fingers through my shaved hair. It was a nervous tic I had. I'd pull my hair. 

How many months had I been here? It felt like years. It couldn't be. Could it? 

There was no meaning or reasoning or structure to my day. They couldn't kill me and put me to work with the men, as I was a female. This camp... was solely a labor camp for men. They knew it would be too much for me for some reason. So instead of having me lift heavy rocks or cut down trees for no reason, I was the camp whore. 

Whore...

To call me a whore would be kind. To call me a whore would mean that I was willing to give my body to any man that would lay eyes on me. No... I was a slave. Someone for any of the soldiers to abuse and assault at will.

I felt dirty- so dirty. It wasn't just from the dirt that could never be wholly washed from my skin, or the coal that embedded itself in my nails. No... it's beneath the skin. Something I can't get rid of. I can't wash it off. I've never felt so... unclean. So wrong...

Looking up at the bed, I saw that the ruffled sheets were empty. No one was sleeping in them. Maybe today I'd get a break. Maybe I could just think and rest. After all, I don't think I have enough muscle to move around or do anything I used to like. I am a fraction of what I once was.

I didn't sit down on the bed though. I wasn't allowed to be on it. They would beat me if I did. Or worse. I don't know. I don't want to test it. 

After a few hours, I realized that no one had come in to give me my small piece of bread. The only food that I got for every meal, every day. Taking my chance, I peered out of the window. I wasn't allowed to be anywhere near the window. Even now, I was wincing and waiting for someone to come in. 

No one was there. I don't mean the usual guards just sitting at their spots. I mean there was NO ONE there... All the prisoner houses looked empty and burning. Where was everyone? Before I could finish thinking, the door opened and I threw myself to the side. A man was thrown in and Metz began motioning at me angrily. 

He slammed the door and ran back out, leaving me here with this man I didn't know. 

"What's your name?" I asked shyly, peeking up at him when the silence got a bit too awkward. 

His head whipped up and he stared at me. "Y/N?"

My eyes widened as I took in his features. His face was gaunt and dirty, but still had those gorgeous green eyes. He was still Zussman.

"Robin?" I sobbed, throwing myself across the room to hold myself in his arms. "I never thought that I would see any of you guys again."

Zuss ran his fingers over my head and shoulders, pulling me close to him like he'd never let me go. "I thought you were dead."

I looked up at him, smiling as he ducked down to kiss me lightly on the lips. "I'm glad you're here and I'm also not glad. How did you end up here?"

He sat back, holding my hand. "We were ambushed and I was swept up. Daniels couldn't get to me in time."

I was about to hug him again when Metz burst back into the room. He started yelling at us again, and I'm no expert in German, but it sounded like he was cursing at us. He kicked Robert and pushed me out the door, beckoning us towards the forest. The place I'd tried to escape to multiple times but never succeeded. He had a gun. He was going to shoot us. 

Tears flowed down my face as I ran. Scanning the area, I tried to see if there was a place I could run to and hide. There was nowhere.  I was going to die. 

Shoving us down onto our knees, he pointed the gun at us. He was going to shoot.  I covered my eyes; I couldn't watch this. There was no way that I could. I waited for the gunshot, and it did come. I felt no pain though. Opening my eyes, I saw someone. Was it another soldier come to kill us? No... I realized that Metz was dead and Daniels... Daniels of all people was standing there in front of us. 

I began truly sobbing, crawling over to Robin so I could collapse next to him. We were safe. After months of pain and suffering, I was safe.  I was safe and I could pretend to feel normal again. Aiello and Daniels picked us both up, taking us back to safety. They laid us down on the beds of the trucks, taking us back to their camp. 

Looking over, I smiled faintly at the man I'd fallen in love with. We would have to go through pain and suffering so that we could feel safe again. In the end, though, it would all be worth it. I could maybe have a chance at living my dream life again. I'm okay.