Night Diary Entries

Chapter 3

Dear Diary,

After being transported into the train that would tell us our fate, we were placed into a camp called Birkenau, a section of Auschwitz.

As we moved, the trains were stuffed with bodies.

There were so many people, but I still felt empty. 

I yearned for anything to fill my belly. My mouth's contents were so bare, I had not even enough saliva to properly gulp.

More than empty.

Every moment tested my lungs, as if at any moment the chamber would run out of air, and my life would finally be snuffed out. Suffocated by nothingness.

As we arrived at Birkenau, we saw great flames, rising from the chimney tops, emanating a foul odor.

After leaving the train, the SS commanded us using a few simple words that changed my life forever.

"Men to the left! Women to the right!"

A gunshot rang out. And the mass of people split.

I could briefly saw a glimpse of my mother before her face was pulled deeper into the crowd of heads.

My father was the only one left with me, and I couldn't bear to lose him. So I was determined to stay with him no matter what. 

An inmate scolded us for being so ignorant of the fact that Auschwitz was horrendous enough that they burn people with the flames of the chimney.

The same guy advised me to lie to the SS that I'm 18. Old enough to work.

After the screenings about our background, we were placed in a line towards the hellish fire.

As I stared at a truck's load of babies burning in the fire, I began to question it all.

 Why should I sanctify His name? What was there to thank Him for?

As we continued our march, I got closer to the Angel of Death. 

Is this it? Death?

Just steps away from the pit, we were commanded to turn left to the barracks. Never shall I forget the first night at the camp...

Elie