By Opposing, End Them

Chapter IV

     I sat there for an hour, listening to the steady drone of falling rain. I tried fiddling with the onboard radio, but all that I could manage to get out of it were a few bursts of static. Eventually the rain began to peter off. It stopped altogether, leaving only a dreary, overcast sky. It was good enough for me. I popped the canopy and clambered out of the ruined jet. I gave it a salute of thanks as I set off wandering.

     I was in a sparse forest. Gray light filtered through the pine trees, illuminating the dripping water. I wandered through the forest, completely lost. I started humming the song I heard the orchestra play yesterday, trying to keep myself amused. I realized that I was ravenously hungry. I hadn't eaten since... well, however long ago the bar existed. I set out with a purpose, hoping to find food.

     As I was walking, I heard a sharp crack, as if something had just stepped on a twig. I whipped around to see what was there. I saw nothing. I told myself it was just a rabbit or something and pressed on.

     Eventually I noticed a low, hulking shape through the trees. I approached it and saw that it was what remained of a low-built brick building. In the center of the ruins was an old metal gate with the word "HARLAN" spelled across the top. At least now I knew where I was. I tried to open the gate. At first it refused to budge, but it eventually gave way with a great deal of protest. I looked around and saw that I was in a clearing. There were more ruined buildings in the clearing, each evenly spaced from the other in what looked like barracks formation. I wandered towards one that looked in reasonably good shape. As I forced open the metal door, I heard the scurrying of rats fleeing the coming light. I managed to open the door fully and look inside. There were four rows of metal racks, each two shelves tall and placed right next to one another. Each row spanned from one end of the building to the other, running right to the walls on either end. I couldn't imagine what was stored here. I walked into the room, taking in all of the details. Most of the racks were still in good condition; only a few had collapsed. I took a closer look at a shelf. It wasn't so much a shelf as a metal bin, about six feet long by two feet wide, and maybe six inches deep. I brushed one finger against the inside of the bin; it came up with a thick layer of dust. Brushing it off on my jacket, I tried to piece together what this place was used for.

     Wait a minute.

     I took another look at the bin.

     Six feet long... two wide... six inches deep...

     No.

     It couldn't be.

     My stomach sank with dread as I bolted out of the building and looked around me. Yes, all of these buildings were the same.

     But wait—what was that at the end of the path?

     I ran down towards it, past all of the strange ruined buildings, down to the larger building at the end of the road.

     Finally I reached it. I stopped in front of it, searching desperately for clues of its function. There- that circle in the ground. Could it be what's left of a column? Or... or...

     A chimney?

     I ran to the circle. There was a hole in the wall where it would have joined with the building. I looked at it more closely. It looked like a flue for smoke. I brushed my finger along the inside of the flue. This time, it came away with ashes—greasy, oily ashes that stuck disgustingly to my finger.

     Oh, God in heaven.

     I sank to my knees, sickened by realization.

     I was in a death camp.

     Yes, it all made perfect sense now. I turned and saw where the rail lines would have been, trains shuttling wretched victims to their doom. I saw the barracks, hundreds of them, each filled with prisoners, two, maybe three to a bin, each climbing over the other to get to their appropriated bin. I collapsed against the wall. There, across from me—another sheer wall. I could see prisoners lined up against it, faces to the wall, shivering against the cold. I could see the guards leveling their rifles and firing, spreading their targets' brains across the wall. If I squinted, I could see the splatters they left behind. And in the distance, where there was a hill—was that a hill, or a mass grave? Over there, in the corner, was the guard tower, keeping a grotesque, mocking eye on its charges. And where I sat—the crematorium. The wasted bodies of what used to be people shoveled into ovens, finally escaping into the cold, dark sky. I could sense the gas chambers beneath me, filled with people, all of them frantically clawing at the door, begging for release, crushing one another as the room slowly, ever slowly, filled with death...

    As I fell to the ground, I thought I could see the murderer, climbing up the fence, escaping from his crime, laughing... laughing... laughing...

     I hit the ground, overwhelmed by shock and grief. I stayed there for a long while, curled up into a ball. I was rendered insensate.

     I eventually noticed a shadow hovering over me. I willed myself to look up. As I lifted my head, I noticed a woman standing there, looking at me in understanding. She appeared to be a little shorter than I was, with a slim figure and graceful curves. Her skin had an olive tone, and she had almond-shaped eyes and a regal face. Her long, dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She wore a gray jumpsuit and carried some sort of rifle slung across her shoulder. A faint, sad smile played across her lips as she extended her hand to me. I slowly reached my hand to her and grasped her hand. She helped me to get onto my feet, not saying a word. She placed her arm gently around my shoulder and handed me my fedora. I gratefully accepted it and placed it on my head.

     She started to walk, taking me along with her. We did not speak as we walked, but I was glad to be leaving this place of death and horror. I did not know who this woman was and where she was taking me, but I did not care. I knew that, wherever I was going, I was going to be safe.