Part 1

Farm outside of Leningrad, USSR - November 20, 1937

 

            What was a light, peaceful dinner conversation quickly turned eerie with suspense at a moment’s notice. Aleksey Pavlov, a young man of thirteen years and full of curiosity, left his family’s small, make-shift dinner table. He was done with his meal, and was about to enter his room when his parents’ conversation caught his attention. Seldom do they talk to him about anything, and even less do they even talk about anything interesting at all. But tonight seemed to be different. His parents must think that he has gone away into his room already, so as to not alert them, Aleksey stood in his doorway, out of eyesight of the kitchen.

             “…cannot believe this is happening so quickly,” his father whispered, both worried and confused.

            “Nor can I. Even Misha says he did not think it would come to this so soon,” replied Aleksey’s mother in the same manner. “Should we tell Aleksey?”

            “No. We cannot risk him being caught with the information.”

            “But what will happen to him if they come for us?” Aleksey’s eyes widened at his mother’s question. Come for us? Who would come for us, and why?

            “He will go to my mother’s house. That is the safest place for him, but until then he cannot have the information.”

            “How will he know what to do? If we tell him the possibility of our arrest...”

            ARREST? Questions began to berate Aleksey’s mind from every direction. What has happened? Are we going to be okay? What is going on? In order to learn more about this conversation, Aleksey tried to push the questions aside and listen to his parents, but they had stopped. All that remained in their small house was a heavy, deafening silence.

            After several moments of waiting, Aleksey started to walk to the kitchen to ask what they were talking about. But as soon as he took a couple of steps away from the doorway, the rumbling of a large truck’s engine could be heard barreling down the small dirt road towards their farm, and in his shocked state, Aleksey stood in place to listen. For as long as he can remember, the only time a truck of this size has come to their farm was when they were bringing in and out their harvested crops. This fact had Aleksey shaking in confusion. He wanted to go run into the kitchen and question his parents, but he remembered that they had said he could not know anything. So he knew that all he could do was wait.

            Another minute passed by as the truck came closer to their house. Aleksey could hear his parents talking again in hushed voices, but couldn't make out their words. He tried to get closer again, moving quickly in the process.

            “Mother, Father?” he said in a questioning voice while coming from the doorway. But before Aleksey's parents could respond, the truck stopped in front of their house. Everyone's head immediately looked toward the front door listening intently. Boots crunching in the snow outside could be heard, bringing worried expressions to the faces of Aleksey's parents. Their expressions turned to fright as loud banging on the door began. Without hesitation, Aleksey's father stood up to answer it, but stopped cold as the person threw the door wide open.

            “May I help-”

            “Leonid and Svetlana Pavlov!” the large man, noticeably an officer in the secret police, yelled, interrupting Aleksey's father. And before either of Aleksey's parents could answer, the officer began, “You are under arrest for crimes against the State. Move!” while pointing to the large truck awaiting them outside, slowly being covered in thick snow.

            Still peering from his doorway, Aleksey watched, horrified, as the menacing officer ushered his parents outside to the truck. Not wanting the officer to take him as well, Aleksey hurried back into his room and closed the door swiftly but quietly. Seeing his window, he rushed over and pulled it open. Without hesitation he climbed through the opening and dropped to the dirt and snow covered ground below. Not noticing the freezing weather stinging his skin due to the adrenaline coursing through his veins, Aleksey made his way to the corner of his small home so he can see the truck. Once he was there, he saw that his parents were already in the back of the truck, shivering intensely from the cold. Looking around for the officer, Aleksey noticed he was nowhere in sight. Instead there was a guard sitting in the passenger seat with a rifle across his lap.

            He must be inside looking for me! Aleksey thought, wondering what will happen. Suddenly his stomach dropped. The window is still open! What will happen when he sees it?  With all the desperation of a cornered fox, Aleksey ran away from the house, out of sight of the truck and across their farm fields. There was nothing he could do for his parents. But surely his grandmother would know what to do. All that mattered was that he get to her and away from here.

 

           After several minutes of non-stop running, Aleksey came within view of his grandmother’s house. His adrenaline rush had begun to fade away, bringing him conscious of the freezing winter wind that stung at his entire body. A few sluggish steps more, and he was at the door, and with the eagerness of a five year old during Christmas, quickly threw it open.

            “Grandmother?” Aleksey called rather loudly, for the sake of his grandmother’s worn hearing. But there was no reply. As he went further into the single room of the house, he noticed the soft crackling of a slowly dying fire. Also seeing some blankets lying about the floor, he swiftly wrapped himself in them and sat by the fire, momentarily forgetting about his grandmother.

            Once warm enough to think clearly again, he began to worry for his grandmother. Where had she gone? She never left her home without telling us first. Maybe…

            No. She must have left to see Nikolai, our uncle, in Leningrad. She must be stuck because of the weather, so she should return by morning. That’s all.

            And as Aleksey reassured himself of his grandmother’s return, he became overwhelmed by the soft warmth of the fire, and struggled to not fall asleep, still on edge by the dreadful truck, the stinging snow, and his grandmother’s strange disappearance.

Reviews

[Omar Fendri]

the interrogations that were haunting me as I was reading this Chapter were just more than those that have bemused and molested Aleksey's mind. I was reading the lines, quickly, on tenterhooks just to know what's going to happen next. You kept me with bated breath. beautifully written with a very sweet touch of suspense. I adore it.

[☯]

A truly anticipating chapter! I can feel the fear and questions boiling up inside me as I read further. I very nice beginning chapter, with a bit of a cliffhanger on the edge. A very impressive and descriptive write! Nicely written and described. Can't wait to read more :)