My Story: World War II - German [COMPLETED]

39: Berlin

Adeline Zimmerman

(October 1939)

I held on to Alaric's shoulders as we walked down a street together. He held under my knees and Adalwolf reached up to hold my hand. I kissed the top of Alaric's head and he laughed. I played with his hair as we walked to the ice cream parlour.

"Alaric, can we get two scoops instead of one?" I asked as he turned the corner.

"As long as you don't tell Mother or Father that you are having two scoops," he said and I bounced on his shoulders.

"Can we get sprinkles?" I asked and Alaric chuckled.

"Of course," he said and Adalwolf ran forward to the parlour. "Adalwolf, come back here." Adalwolf stuck out his tongue and I laughed and clapped my hands.

"I want to see what they have today," Adalwolf said as he watched Alaric put me on the ground. I held his hand when we heard the trumpets. We walked to the edge of the curb as we watched the cars and soldiers coming down the street. Alaric picked me back up and put me on one shoulder.

"What do you see, Adeline?" Alaric asked as I stretched my neck to look.

"Hitler! He is about to drive pass us!" I exclaimed excited. Adalwolf and Alaric started talking and I smacked Alaric's head so we could salute. We did with the fervour of good Germans in Berlin.

*

(May 1945)

"Come on. We have to run across the street," Alaric said as he took my hand and put his hand on Adalwolf's shoulder.

"Why can't we take the car?" I asked as he put his gun in the back of his pants.

"Because the street is blocked," he said and I looked at Adalwolf. I looked out my window and saw the ice parlour closed and locked up.

"The ice cream parlour," I breathed. Alaric looked at me.

"What about it?" he asked. Carl and Erika looked at me.

"If we go inside the ice cream parlour, we will be able to hold our for a little bit," I said and Alaric looked at Carl. We heard a bang on the roof.

"Are we going or what?" someone yelled from above but Alaric and Carl held their focus.

"It's worth a shot," Carl said.

"And we could fix your leg," Alaric said. Erika looked at Carl.

"You hurt your leg?" Erika asked and Carl took her hand.

"Guys, get the ice parlour open," Alaric said and the guys on the top jumped down and ran to the front door.

"Tiny! Let's go!" the guy at the front door called out. Alaric looked around the car.

"Who do I need to take first?" Alaric asked and we all looked at Carl.

"Get the girls in there. Adalwolf, can you hang tight for a second?" Carl asked and Adalwolf nodded. Alaric opened the door and helped me out before helping Erika out.

"Stay low, okay?" Alaric told us and we nodded as he cocked his gun as he pulled it out.

"Alaric, can you make sure that we aren't seen?" I asked and he shook his head. I looked at Adalwolf and he took a deep breath.

"Go. Alaric won't let you get hurt," Adalwolf said and Alaric held my shoulder.

"Trust me, Adeline," Alaric said and I nodded. Erika took off without warning and we all watched as the guys at the door pulled her in. "Adalwolf, you are up." Adalwolf slid out to knelt next to me.

"Go Tiny," Carl said and Alaric held our hands.

"Run," Alaric said as he took off. The beep of a horn stopped us and we looked at the street. A few cars went speeding down the street. We stood frozen solid as the cars passed us.

"Hitler," I whispered, recognising the cars, "He's about to drive pass us." My brothers stood on either side of me and Alaric held out his gun.

"How about we show that we aren't going to stand for them anymore?" he asked. Adalwolf and I looked at him.

"For the undesirables," Adalwolf said as he looked at the cars.

"For innocent people tried," I said. Alaric looked ready to crack as he took an unstable breath.

"For Mother and Father," he said and Adalwolf and I looked right at him as he fired three shots before grabbing us and running to the ice cream parlour. We slid in and one guy ran out to the car to get Carl.

"Alaric, what did you mean by for Mother and Father?" Adalwolf asked as we headed to the storage area.

"Boom, fund me some bandages," Alaric said. Adalwolf grabbed Alaric's arm and turned him around.

"What happened to Mother and Father?" Adalwolf asked.

"The Gestapo killed them for our doings," Alaric said as he walked to the other side of the room. I looked at Adalwolf as tears started going down my face.

"How did they find out?" I asked and Alaric shrugged.

"I don't know, okay!" Alaric snapped and Adalwolf and I both took a step back as our brother swung around with a block of ice. He never raised his voice before. He was the calm one.

"We are just curious," Adalwolf whispered and I looked at him before falling to the floor. Adalwolf was never quiet. My family was different. My parents were dead, Alaric was the loud unstable one, Adalwolf was the quiet calm one. My brothers knelt next to me and I put my face in my knees.

"What's wrong?" Alaric asked.

"Everything is so different since you both came back," I said and Alaric sighed.

"How old were you last time all three of us were together?" Alaric asked. I shrugged.

"Twelve," I said. Adalwolf and Alaric exchanged a look.

"So much has changed since then, Adeline," Adalwolf said.

"I fought in a war."

"I watch my friends starve and die."

"I killed other men in order to survive."

"I was raped by men."

"You had a child."

"And you grew into the most beautiful woman we ever had the pleasure to meet." I hugged my brothers as they kissed my cheeks.