Not Leaving {The Book Thief}

4

                         Liesel POV
  "Rudy! Rudy come back!" Tears were streaming down my face. I had lost him again .

   Every one gave a collective scream. A bomb had just fallen one street over. Bricks fell all around us. Many lay unconscious on the street. I layer there on the cool cobblestone, my head pounding, my ears ringing. "Rudy... Rudy where are you?" I whispered, my throat coated in dust.
I closed my eyes, and I dreamed. I dreamed about Rudy. Rudy was in a dark room "Where is your family?" A man asked him. "Liesel is all I have..." the man slapped him. "Liesel is gone." Rudy shrunk back into his 10 year old form, curled into ball. He was shaking. The man kicked Rudy. "STOP IT" I screamed. Rudy slowly dissapeared into the darkness.

   I was awaken by a pudgy hand shaking my shoulder. My head still pounded. "Missy, we will take care of you. Come with us." He helped me to stand and then guided me to an old farmers wagon. About 7 other dust coated children sat there. I managed to wedge myself between a ponytailed  little girl and a boy of about 16. "Is Rudy here? He has lemon hair and bright blue eyes." I asked the children surrounding me. They looked up at me stupidly. The rickety wagon was pulled along by a truck for about 30 minutes until we reached a large apartment complex. We were lead into the front room which had several rows of tables and a few couches. We were lead upstairs and divided into groups by age. When I entered the room me and 2 other girls were assigned to I found 4 girls already waiting in there. I wondered over to the bed farthest away from the door, right next to a foggy window. The other girls announced their names formally. I caught the names of "Lenox", "Anna", "Janey" and "Gretchen". Me and the other girls sat on our beds timidly. The first of us to speak was a girl who went by the name of Louisa. I looked at the dark haired girl who stared at me pleadingly. "My name is Liesel Meminger." The dark haired girl then took a deep breath and announced herself "I-I am Rosie." We all nodded at eachother. "When may we leave this place, I need to get back to my friends." Lenox looked at me disdainfully and replied "This is a home for lost children, you will be here till your 18 or when someone claims you." My eyes must have widened to the size of saucers. "But I must get back to Rudy! He needs me! And Max! He is ill!" I started to cry and shake violently. All the girls ignored me and went about amusing themselves with braiding hair or remaking their beds. I can't go 4 years without seeing Rudy! I need him, he is what sustains me and keeps me alive. I crossed the room to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. "We aren't aloud to leave, if you need to use the restroom there is a toilet behind that door over there." Janey said to me. "Are we ever aloud fresh air around here?" Lenox scoffed "You honestly expect to find fresh air in Munich? With bombs everywhere?". I gasped with relief. I'm only in Munich, simply one town away from Molching. I only need to get out of here! "I think I shall go to sleep, wake me when we are aloud to leave this room." Lenox rolled her eyes at me. "Ja, Ja, whatever."

    Rosie shook me awake the next morning. "It's time for breakfast." I slipped out of bed, still in my clothes from yesterday. I followed the flow of children into the front room. I nibbled on the biscuit they gave me. "Is there a restroom on this floor?" A young girl pointed behind the stairs. I slipped into the small restroom, praying that there was a window in there. Upon entering I noticed immediately a small window above the sink. "Oh sweet escape!" I slipped my fingers under the painted window, lifting it open only to reveal about 5 inches of space and then a brick wall. I slid my arm out and could barely get my fore arm out without it hitting a wall. "Damn it." I whispered to myself. I flushed the toilet for appearances. When I left I got a full view of all the lost children. Many lemon coloured heads appeared before me. Not one was Rudy's however. The sight of this familiarity sent me into tears. I bolted up the stairs, I couldn't bear the pain. When I found my room I fell upon my bed and wept Rudy's name repeatedly. My roommates walked in giggling. When they saw me they announced they were playing a game. "We are playing Truth or Dare, would you care to stop your moping and join us?" I wiped my eyes and nodded my head. "Good" Janey continued, "We have all gone, it's your turn. Truth or Dare?" I didn't wish to get up and make a fool of myself. "Truth I suppose." The girls all whispered and ended with a giggle. "Hhm, have you ever kissed a boy?" The way she said it was accusingly, expecting me to have to shamefully admit I hadn't. I sat up with my head high.

"As a matter of fact I have." The girls all scoffed. "Who?!" They said collectively. Do I dare mention Rudy's name? "He was a lemon haired boy, my best friend. I thought he had died, so I kissed him as a last wish. But I need to get back to him." The girls stared at me in aw. "Seems to me like you have a proper love story Liesel." Lenox sneered. "Oh, we should like to help reunite you with you true love." Louisa and Rosie giggled. They were 12, the youngest in the room. "How on earth would you help me?" I wondered. "Oh, we could scream! Then someone would come up and unlock the door! You could slip out while they are busy with us! Oh aren't we clever!" The said in unison. "Shut up you idiots! She is better off here. Her 'true love' probably died from a bomb. Liesel, I advise you to just be patient and wait for your 4 years to pass." Then the downstairs clock chimed 8 o'clock, signaling that we should all go to bed.

   As I laid on the suprisingly soft bed I devised a plan. I would pose as an extreme nuisance, so that the owners would send me away before I turned 18. If I was lucky I may get to leave in a year or two. "Rudy, I will see you soon." I thought to myself.