Inside the Camps | A World War Two Story

Inside the Camps - Part 5

// Just a heads up, Mamytė is mommy in Lithuanian, and Tėtis is daddy. Davay is hurry in Russian, I think?

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"What's your name?" Cade spoke as she combed through the little girls hair with her fingers. "Joan." Cade began to twist the girl's hair into a low bun, smiling as she clipped it out of the way. "I like that name."

    As they spoke, my eyes lingered on the little boy. He hadn't moved the whole time, except to open his eyes. They were clouded over, causing him to have a dead look.

"Do you know this boy, Joan?" I asked, watching her. She shook her head slightly, lowering it. "He was here when they took me." I nodded, slightly satisfied with her answer. "Hm. So you won't miss him much." I crossed my arms, leaning against the wall. Cade's eyes widened as she suddenly smacked my arm, giving me a look of utter bewilderment. "I can't believe you said that! That is not what she needed to hear." A small smirk pulled at my lips as I shrugged. "She'll have to get used to it, people will be dying all around her-" I was suddenly cut off by the loud screeching of the cattle car door opening. Frosty wind nipped at my arms and face. I looked at the guards, watching them wave their hands around. "Davay!" I jumped out of the cattle car, turning to help Cade and Joan out. Joan fell lightly into my arms, as well as Cade did. She smiled, brushing off her dress. "Thank you." I nodded, then pulling the few bags we had.

The guards asked me if the boy was dead. "On umer?" I nodded, pointing to the boy. "On umer ot kakoy-to bolezni." Yes, it was an illness that killed him. I'll let them believe it. They nodded, motioning for me to move away. Cade and Joan stood there, staring off into the distance. "Khizhina nomer tridtsat' sem'." A booming voice yelled behind me, causing me to flinch slightly. "He says we're in hut thirty-seven." Cade took in a sharp breath, her eyes becoming wide. "There are thirty-seven huts?" Her voice was a harsh whisper. I nodded, grabbing her hand. "Possibly more. We need to hurry. I packed loaves of bread and potatoes, but they won't last us long, here." Her grip tightened on my hand, telling me she was scared. I leaned to the right, just by her ear, so the others couldn't hear. "Don't be afraid. They'll threaten you, but they won't do anything." She gave a weak smile before letting it disappear.

As we walked into our hut, we noticed there were very few beds. Only two appeared, but there were a few stacks of hay. "Joan can sleep with me and you can have your own bed." Cade spoke to me, seeming slightly angry that she wasn't going to have privacy at night. Joan retorted, becoming extremely angry. "I want my own bed! That's not fair!"  Cade sent a mean look to her, causing her to frown and groan. I bent down to her level, resting my hands on my knees. I was much taller than both of them, but I made it work. "Where are your mommy and daddy?" She frowned, digging her shoe into the wooden floor. "Mamytė went missing the night I was taken. Tėtis never came back from work." I raised my head towards Cade, causing her to shrug. I ruffled Joan's hair, making her smile.