The True Forbidden Love Story

The Day My Life Ended

Nessa's POV

Tuesday, August 12, 1941, is known as the day my life ended.

It went by in a blur, all I can remember is shouts in German, my mother holding my sobbing sister in her arms telling me to go with my brother, Jakub, who was 20 at the time. My mother tried to save us, my brother and I, and for it, she and my poor sister who was only 4 were killed instantly but gunshot wounds. My father was captured by the SS first, then Jakub and I were found hiding in the closet of our little house. We were thrown out onto the streets and dragged to the closest train station, where we were shoved into a cargo cart with many other Jews, which consisted of neighbors, friends, cousins, strangers. That was the last time I would ever see my home.

I don't remember much about the train ride there, to the camp, or, as I call it, the place of false hope. There were a few things that come to mind about the train ride. There was a woman, standing, well I couldn't tell honestly, we were so tightly packed that we couldn't move an inch. All of us, shoulder to shoulder, facing North. But the woman, she kept repeating. "They've come to save us, the Nazis have come to save us."

Her mumbles were shut down by men shouting at her, shouting things that shouldn't be restated. There was also an old man, who kept mumbling prayers under his breath as if it would save us all from what we knew was coming next. Word of the concentration camps and the deaths were all over the place. Hitler shot everything down about them, but everyone knew it was true. It was unbearably hot that day, about an hour into the train ride people began to pass out from dehydration and heat exhaustion, they couldn't be moved to the floor because there was no room, so the unconscious bodies stayed standing. The man who was standing on the other side of me had passed out, I grabbed my brothers hand to keep myself steady, shifting just slightly so I could hide my face in his shoulder, I was becoming nauseous myself. I took in the scent of my brother, he smelled like lilacs and a hint of firewood, it was the only thing that comforted me. Jakub had been my best friend since I was born, considering we were only a year apart.

A lot of things happened during that train ride, a few older people died of heat stroke, they were the lucky ones. They didn't live long enough to endure the real pain. But the one thing that didn't leave my mind the entire time in the small cargo cart, was the swastika symbol. It was burned into my brain.

I don't remember how long it took us to get to the concentration camp, I think around 5 or 6 hours. There were cries when the light finally hit us and hands reaching out towards the armed men who were waiting there for us. The men were nice, giving most everyone a false sense of security. We were lead into the gates of the concentration camp, I kept a tight grip on my brother's hand as we walked behind my father. At the top of the gate was the word 'Dachau', the name of the camp I presume. As we entered the gates a horrid stench hit my nose, and then I saw the smoke looming over head.

We waited in that line for hours, when we got closer to the front of the line I saw what was going on. A person would be asked a few questions by the doctor and then they were either sent towards a large ominous building or towards another line, which lead to what looked like shower houses. Most of the men went towards the building, while elders, mothers, and small children headed into the other line. It was agonizing, then finally it reached my father. Jakub..... Me.

I don't remember what the doctor asked me, but I do remember his appearance. He was shorter than me by like an inch or two making him around 5'3" considering that the last time I'd checked, I was 5'4". The doctor was balding with some white hair left on his head. He had these tiny beady blue eyes, like a rat's. His voice, it was very very quiet and scratchy. The only thing he told me was to go left. Towards the building. I was too worried about my own fate to realize what way Jakub had been sent. Immediately I felt a panic and rushed into the building, looking for my older brother. I relaxed when I saw him and moved towards him.

Suddenly there was a gun pointed at my head. I gasped and looked up at the SS soldier standing in front of me, a very stern look on his face.
"Females go down the hall." He said in a deep voice. I heard the click of the gun and winced. "If-"

He was suddenly cut off as another SS soldier, this one was younger, grabbed his arm and murmured something to him. The mean one walked away and I was left with the young one. He glanced at me and grabbed my wrist. I expected pain, but his grip was gentle.
"Come with me."

I followed him silently as we headed towards the long hall. I glanced up at the man, he couldn't be much older than me, his face looked soft, it was clean shaven, and his face didn't seem as worn from stress as the other man's face had. I caught a glimpse of his deep blue eyes and there was a strand of blonde hair peeking out from under his cap.  He shot a quick glance at me and I looked away quickly. We were far enough down the hall to where no one could hear us.

"What's your name?" He asked in a hushed tone, his voice was deep and smooth like honey.

I was startled by what he said, Germans hated people of my religion, why was this one kind? I didn't speak for a moment and I saw the end of the hallway coming closer.

"Hello? Do you speak?" He asked.

I almost laughed. I glanced at him, I knew I shouldn't trust this man, a German SS guard, but something about it felt...right.

"Nessa. My name is Nessa." I said as we reached the end of the corridor.

"Well Nessa, I'm afraid this is your stop." He spoke as we stood in front of a door. I could hear voices on the other side, and what sounded like a razor. Suddenly an older guard at the opposite of the hall began shouting at us in German.

The guard with the blue eyes shouted back in German as he opened the door. I began to panic and I spoke "Wait what's your na-" 

The blue eyed guard froze and look at me, giving me a small sad smile. 

"Make it alive long enough and I'll tell you." He said.

Then he gently shoved me into the room and slammed the door shut.