My Story: World War II - German [COMPLETED]

22: Apple

Adalwolf Zimmerman

I wiped the tears from my eyes and dumped the ashes into the pit. My hands were shaking and I could barely see through the tears. There was women, men, and children as young as three or four.

I walked back into the oven room. It was already dark outside and Luka walked up to me. He tried to touch my face but I turned away.

"Adal," he whispered. I shook my head and put the wheelbarrow away. "Look at me," he demanded. I glanced over my shoulder and he turned me around. "I would have told you."

"But you didn't tell me! You let me find out by myself! Is this to remind me what is going to happen to me when I die?" I asked. Luka broke up with me because he said that he realised that he wasn't gay.

"I don't know! I didn't assign the jobs!" he shouted. I twisted my arm out of his grip and felt the tears roll down my face knowing I was right.

"What else do I need to do?" I asked. He straightened himself out and got a cold look.

"Nothing. I will return you to your block," he said and motioned for me to go. I walked silently back to the block and walked in without looking at Luka for a moment.

"Adalwolf? What's wrong?" Zach asked as he saw me walk in. I sat in a corner and pulled my knees to my chest. Erick and Zach sat next to me as I tried to hold in my tears.

"I know. The first day is always the worse. Don't worry. It will get easier," Erick said and I looked up a little.

"I want to kill myself," I told them before hiding in my knees again.

"You don't mean that," Zach stated.

"Plus it's a sin," Erick said.

"I'm already going to hell," I said, lifting and dropping my head. They were silent for a moment. 

"Uh..." Zach started.

"Gay boy. Let's go," an officer said and I looked up. He was tall in the doorway and he was more handsome than Luka and Heiko. I stood and the man that spoke to me the night before stood in front of me.

"What do you want with him?" the man asked. The officer looked at the man and his eyes flashed at me.

"I want him to come with me or I'll will kill whoever stands in my way," the officer said as he pulled out his gun.

"No! I'll go... I'll go. Don't kill any of them," I said. The officer put his gun away and motioned for me to come to him. I took a deep breath and walked to him. He placed his hand on my lower back and pushed me out.

We walked to a building that was meant for one of the leading officers. He pushed me in and I took everything in. The clean kitchen and living room.

"You have two options. I can return you to the block and you will have to endure the same punishments as the others or you spend nights with me and I promise you that you will have an empty stomach or punishment," he said. I froze and I looked at him. I could either be blackmailed or be subjected to more punishment. I knew what I had to do because I had seen Alaric do it a million times.

"Either way my life will hell as long I am working in the oven room. I don't need a constant reminder that I am going to hell," I said. He sighed.

"We both are and it's safer like that. No one will punish you," he said as he cupped my cheek and lifted my chin. I pushed him away and he stood still.

"Who are you?" I asked. He walked to the kitchen and pulled out a bottle.

"The commanding officer of your block. I get final say of who dies and who lives," he said as he poured some of the liquid from the bottle into a cup.

"What do you want with me?" I asked. He downed the liquid and looked at me.

"I want you to give me a chance," he said and I swallowed. I nodded. I knew this was survival. I would beg for forgiveness from Heiko when I see him again.

"If anyone dies from your orders, you can forget any chance," I said. He nodded.

"Thank you," he said as he handed me an apple. I took it and bit into it. "It gets lonely for people like us here," he told me and I looked at him.

"Why's that?" I asked. He sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to him.

"No one will accept us here. Not even the other undesirables because everyone is religious or thinks that being gay is wrong," he said. I looked at him.

"So it's just like the outside world?" I asked. He chuckled and I smiled. Heiko hated when I made jokes like that. He hated it when I made jokes in general. The officer looked over and got a concerned look on his face. He moved the collar of the shirt and exposed the bruise on my collar.

"Who did that?" he asked. I covered it back up.

"My boyfriend," I whispered. With all my worrying about being captured, Heiko tried to choke me and left a bruise on my collar.

"Your ex boyfriend," he determined and I looked up at him. I smiled a little.

"Ex boyfriend," I agreed and then swallowed. "What is your name?" He looked at me and smiled.

"Jack," he said and I smiled.

"Adalwolf," I said and he nodded.

"Sorry about calling you gay boy," he said and I shrugged.

"I understood that need," I said and he touched my hand that was on the couch as I took another bite of the apple. I actually felt safe.