Death be Good - A Holocaust Story

Part 5: Dawn

"Wake up you filthy swines! Time to start labor!" The Captain, in which Agnes had seen the night before, shouted awaking the women from their light sleep. Agnes's eyes imediatly opened, revealing her horrified facial expression. What a wonderful way to wake up. One day you are stripped of life, and the other, your completely terrified about what may happen next.
"Today is going to be such a great day!" He laughed sarcastically, grinning from ear to ear. He began to scan the room so everyone could have their fair share of fear so early in the morning.
He directed his attention to the doorway, signalling a group of soldiers to march up and down the aisles. They wore the basic being uniform, decorated with the swastika in many places.
One approached Agnes and asked "Do you have your bowl?"
"Yes sir." She nodded and handed her bowl to him. He then tossed a small load of bread into it and gave it back to her. He also gave her a cup of coffee.
"There you go, keep that bowl safe, I a can't give you food without that bowl." He whispered kindly.
His voice was soft and young, just as his outside appearance.
"Thank you." She replied with a smile.
He was the only one who has shown her any bit of kindness. But how could it be? He was a stone cold Nazi.
"Officer Bross." The Captain said.
"Yes sir? Is there a problem?" He answered.
That name, there is something about that name. Agnes thought.
"Yes there is, refrain from conversating with those Jews, there will be consequences." He informed him.
"Eat up!"  Officer Bross commanded in hopes to make up for what he did. He yelled into Agnes's ear, erasing his impact on her.
The Captain smiled.
His bulbous nose pointed upward with a pompous look on his face.
Agnes clenched her teeth. Oh how she wanted to punch that ridiculous look off of him.
She ate quickly, being sure not to miss a single drop of coffee, nor crumb of bread.  None of them knew if we were actually getting dinner later, or if they would ever eat again. One thing's for sure, Agnes didn't want to die of starvation.
"This is what you'll wear while you work. Every day you will put this on."
The captain explained; his short arms held out a outfit for all of them to see.
The shirt had the Star of David on it, labeled with "Jude" so they were easily identified.
Officer Bross came up to Agnes again, but this time with the clothing. He handed her the work clothes.
Agnes examined it, noticing it was a pair of old shorts and a t-shirt covered with gross stains.
"Thanks." Agnes annoyingly said through gritted teeth as she snatched it from his palms.
Frowning, he walked back up to the front of the room with the rest of the men. They made a menacing line, in the front of the room, like a pack of wolves stalking their prey. Even their eyes looked hungry.
"Change! Now!" They were told.
Agnes began to change with eyes staring upon her, that never left.
She felt again, the feeling of self consciousness, but they didn't care at all. They were playing the domination game and they were winning, Agnes had no power and it made her accept her weakness.
After that, the Captain finally introduced himself.

"I am Captain Mauss, Kurt Mauss. What I say goes, no exceptions. If you are to disobey me you will wish death would come sooner!" He exclaimed loudly. His booming voice frightened the girls and they nodded without hesitation.
"Each of you will be assigned to a soldier. There will be groups of twenty, you will do what he says at all times," he explained.
"When I call your name, step forward,"
Agnes took a deep breath.
"Carina Kirstein!" He calls. "Liselotte Ehrenbaum!" Another woman steps up.
He calls out eighteen other names, then he calls Agnes.
"Agnes Freisler!"
Agnes sighed, arising from her barrack and making her way to the rest of her group.
"You twenty are assigned to Officer Bross."
Agnes blushed. He was the man from before. Great.
All of the groups Were sent out to do different jobs. Theirs was to pick tomatoes for the soldiers.
They walked for what it felt like forever in their wooden clogs, to a beautiful field in the woods.
The sun had just risen and was peaking from the little trees surrounding the area.
Agnes looked around. It reminded her of home.
"Here we are, start collecting the fruit." Bross said, pointing to a pile of baskets.
Since there were only twenty women, they were very spaces out across the field. They couldn't communicate without screaming. I guess that was the point.
Bross walked down the roes of tomato plants with his hands rested behind his back and he is head tilted up.
He kept checking up on them to make sure they weren't stealing.
"Hallo, I see you are doing well with picking?" He startled Agnes from her thoughts.
"Hallo sir." She didn't turn her head. He disgusted her.
"You're exceptional! The other women haven't picked as much as you." He praised and smiled. He looked sincere but that would be impossible for someone like him.
"Do stop mocking me." Agnes mumbled, his face softened as he knelt down beside her.
"I'm not. Why do you think I am?" He inquired. Agnes huffed and turned her head in the other direction. She continued working in the daylight and stuffed her basket with fresh fruit. She had work to do, she couldn't let him distract her.
"I suggest you don't use that attitude with Captain Mauss, he won't be as understanding as I am." He sighed and got up to leave.
Agnes blushed.
"I'm sorry, please don't tell! He'd kill me!" She pleaded.
"I won't, trust me. Next time don't bite the hand that feeds you." He said and walked away.
He could've beaten me. Agnes continued to think.
Besides she probably wouldn't have cared.

When the day was done, Agnes and her group returned to the camp for dinner. It was terrible. Another loaf of bread and watery soup that tasted like dirt. She was right to have eaten her breakfast.

Agnes was relieved to finally lay back in 'bed' after a long day worth of work. It felt like paradise with her sunburns and aching feet.
It was only there first day of work, she could only imagine what could happen tomorrow.
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