Chasing Colours

13. An Old Acquaintance

The Soviet Nation faced catastrophic losses in the first six weeks of the German invasion. The Soviet armies were initially overwhelmed. Much of the existing Soviet air-force was destroyed on the ground and the Red army was cut off from supplies and reinforcements were left with no options but to surrender.

The warfare in the air was just as intense as the one ongoing in the lands and sea. Earth's lands, waters and air had become a vast bloody battlefield. The options were just two, it was to fight or to surrender.

(EDITH)

It had gotten rather really quiet in the house. It had almost been three weeks since, Alfred and Albert had left for the Soviet land.

Ingrid usually tried to keep herself occupied to with stuff to keep her mind from wandering off to the war field. But I could tell she was as worried and scared.

I was no better. I tried to keep my strong for Mama and Ingrid but it broke loose when I was alone. My unspoken words to my brothers haunted my mind. Everyday, hundreds of Jews were taken into rehabilitation camps in trucks. I wonder what happened there. The land had turned itself into a non-ending nightmare.

I usually found Mama sitting in my brothers' room, going through their old stuff hoping for them to somehow show up from the photos she was going through. She tried to avoid listening to any news regarding the war in the Soviet front although I did catch her a few times eavesdropping to news that Papa gave us. She was distracted most of the times. Papa, Ingrid and I even ate burnt meals without complaining. Her mind was too preoccupied to pay attention to what she was doing. I had even caught her a few times, sobbing to herself when there was no one around. It had hurt seeing her like that. It made me worry. She was scared, I did not blame her. She was after all, a mother.

I had tried to persuade her to take up different hobbies or socialize more in order to divert attention from the war. In the recent days, I had caught ghost of smiles across her face from time to time. It satisfied me even though I knew it was a false satisfaction. Nevertheless, it was fine for now.

I heaved a sigh as I lay on my bed in the middle of the afternoon staring at the wooden ceiling above my bed. I closed my eyes in exhaustion. It was all too much to take for my head. It was painfully menacing.

Maybe I should go over to Gunter's for some time, I wondered.

I got up from the bed as elegantly as possible and running my fingers through my knotted blond hair, I ran down the stairs.

"Woah, woah, sister! Slow down. You're probably going to break a leg running around like a madman like that." Ingrid exclaimed out as I knocked over her.

I got up from over her and lent her a hand.

Rubbing the back of my neck guiltily, I helped my sister up

"S-Sorry. I was just heading over to Gunter's" I stuttered out.

Suddenly, she smirked. "Arno?"

"H-Huh? N-No... Okay, fine. Yes. Don't give me that smug look!" I exclaimed with warmth coating my cheeks.

She chuckled, "Later, then"

I heaved a sigh of relief and walked towards the door. I patted my cheeks hoping to get rid of the redness on my face.

I heard a knock on the door as soon as I placed my hand on the cold door knob. Confused, I opened the door ajar.

In front of me stood a lady, a few years older than my mother, with an acerbic stance plastered to her face. Her golden brown hair was tied up in a tight messy bun and her bluish-gray eyes, dangerously piercing.