To Be Brave (Chronicles of Narnia fanfiction)

The Manor

                                                                                                                                    May 28, 1940

Hannah squirmed under the covers of her scratchy bed sheets. Fire danced wildly in her mind, growing to the point where she could almost feel it were hands. The pain was sharp and hot. The eyes of her mother and father were paralyzed with fear. A man stood in front of them, his eyes blue with cruelty. When Hannah looked into them, her body tensed. His face was full of malice and murderous intent. The legs of the crooked cross adorned on the wrists looked animated, ready to snatch her as prey.

"Jews," the soldier spoke in a commanding voice. "From this moment on, this is no longer your property. I ask you to cooperate-"

"I will not let you take our home," her father said, firmly standing his ground. Both, the mother and child, huddled together behind him as he prepared himself for whatever may come. "You have taken away my job and the right for us to live peacefully. I am not going to give everything that I've worked for without a fight."

"I'm afraid you shall not, Dr. Grunberg," the soldier sneered. The girl gasped as her father was taken forcefully by the hand, a gun pointed to his back. The pain in his eyes was frightening. She watched the soldier pin him to the ground, tying his hands. "There is no place for you in Germany," was the cold, ghostly response. "There would never be a place for Jews."

That was when the family looked down in defeat. There was no way to deny it. They were just going to be pushed away. Would it be best to just put a stop to this sooner?

"That is what I thought," the soldier saw the scared looks of the family, smirking to himself. "Let this be a reminder of what I am capable of."

In a blink of an eye, her father and the soldier were both gone. The girl's mother lost control of herself, falling onto her knees. In her dark pupils, she saw the reflection of the world. Bodies littered the streets. Shadows moved in and out of the bright lights. Piercing cries were heard. Glass showered the streets with ashes. Behind them, Germany burned.

Hannah gasped, lifting her head up in exasperation. She took a quick look around her darkened room. The bed sheets have become uncomfortably scratchy, but they always seemed to be that way. Her eyes darted around the room, landing on the photograph of her mother and father. They looked like the picture perfect family. She took the picture and examined it closely. It was very clear that she looked more like her mother. She had her mother's dark curly hair, while her father's was bushier and untamed.

The memory of her parents made her feel sick. It has been nearly a year since Hannah last saw them. While her mother was trapped in Germany, she had no idea what the Nazis were doing to her father. All she knew was that he was sent to work and hasn't heard from him since. Guilt overwhelmed her constantly. The journey to England was difficult for her, and it was all to keep her safe.

The light in the room flicked on. Hannah lifted her head, only to see a man with a small, pointed white beard, circular glasses perched on the tip of his nose, and dressed in a robe colored with crimson and gold. It was no other than Professor Kirke. As soon as she saw him, the gentle sparkle of his grey eyes calmed her. It was he who cared for her all these months, as she adjusted to living in England. If it wasn't for him sponsoring her, Hannah knew she wouldn't be there.

"Hannah dear, what is it with all this whimpering?" he said, raising his eyebrows. "I'm starting to get worried about those nightmares-"

The Professor was interrupted by a sound of footsteps rushing towards them.