The Great Escape

CHAPTER ONE - Hiding

It was a beautiful spring day when Alex awoke to church bells ringing. It was the middle of May in the year of 1943. Alex got up and threw on his clothes for the day. He was excited because it was his second to last day of the seventh grade school year. Alex went downstairs for breakfast. His parents were sitting in their usual seats at the table. There were bagels with cheese sitting on the coffee table. They had a strange, worried expression on their faces. 

"What's wrong," Alex asked.

"They found out," said his mother. "The Nazi's. Your father and I used to go to church. A Jewish church. Moshe told us that we were still on file at that church and the church had been raided. The Nazi's have begun to raid Poland, and it will only be a matter of time before they get here."

"We have to get packed up and leave today," said his father. "You can't go to school today. I am sorry but it is safest if we leave today. I already have a place lined up for us. We are going into hiding."

That was that. Alex was worried and so was his parents. They were about to go into hiding for who knows how long. Alex took his bagel up to his room and started to pack, crying. He was scared and did not know what to think. He was just going to vanish. No trace left behind. Gone. 

"You can only pack up a small trash bag of stuff! We can't take very much," hollered his father. This made Alex begin to cry even more. His friends will be all gone in a matter of hours and he can't even go say goodbye to them. 

Alex had finished packing up what he was allowed to. He decided to take three books, two changes of clothes, an old photo album, and two large notebooks. He was planning to read and write about his experience in hiding. He went downstairs, and his parents were already ready and waiting at the front door. 

"Are you ready," asked his mother.

"Yep," replied Alex. Then they walked out of their front door. Forever.