Child of War

Child of War

It would never happen again. Those are the words we here after each and every brutal war after each genocide. We are told over and over that it will not happen again but sadly it does happen. In every war fought there is a story that each person has. This story is about a little six-year-old Katya who lives in North-Eastern Europe in a massive war years after the Holocaust, the Bosnian war and even the Iran war. During this time there was genocides being done, people being killed because they were just walking down the street, people taken away from homes and some even kidnapped and never to be seen or heard from again.

The story starts with her and her family in their apartment building. The children were playing. Jaakob and Nikolajs were playing a card game and Katya and her sister Tasza were playing with their dolls. There parents sitting at the kitchen table in the small studio apartment. It wasn’t big but it was home for them. That all the children knew.  There father a strong tall quiet but tough looking person was reading the newspaper trying to find a job somewhere and there mother a kind loving mother was knitting. On this afternoon they heard gunshots, it has been awhile since gunshot broke out in their area. So there father Andrius went to look out the window to see what was going one. He turned around quickly and told the children,

 

“Hurry up! Gather your things and go hid under the bed.”

           

            The kids grabbed there toys and went to the bed, they opened the draws that were under the bed and went in, Katya was still gathering her things when she heard gunshots inside the building and she stopped in her place and looked at the door. The other kids were already hiding in the secret place, but Katya was frozen and she could hear people screaming and soldier shouting then she heard her mother shout, but not to loud so they could be heard.

 

“KATYA! Get into the draw sweetheart!”

 

            She looked at her by the bed then her father grabbed her and placed her in the draw and they closed it. Once the draw closed Katya took the back part of the draw and opened it up to a secret compartment where she and her sibling hid when they were under attack. Once inside she closed the back part of the draw. So if anyone opens up the draws they would see the inside but never behind them where the children hid even if you take the mattress of the bedframe it was a wooden box.

Katya then heard her parents running around the room moving things. Then the door was slammed open and soldier came in shouting. Katya heard them shouting, asking if there was anyone else hear. Her parents telling them they had noting, no one else was here. Katya could hear the soldiers walking around the room especially by the bed and they opened the draws and closed them. Lifted the mattress and dropped the mattress. She could hear them throwing things and dropping thing on the ground. One man kept shouting. Then Katya heard her father talk to the soldiers and the soldiers did nothing but yell at them. Katya did not quiet understand what they were saying but she was hiding in a box which made it hard to hear. At one point Katya heard the soldier’s shout and a door slam.

She then went back into the draw and opened it. She left the draw leaving the draw open. Katya then started to walk to the center window in their apartment. She looked around to see what happened. To the left she saw the kitchen chairs on the ground except for one. She knew that either her mother of father was sitting there. Looking in the kitchen seeing the cabinet’s open and glass broken on the ground. To the right the dresser doors were open and wardrobe was also open, clothes were on the ground in front of them. She continued slowly to walk to the window. Then she heard Jaakob.

 

“Katya. Katya. Come back! Where are you going? It not safe.” He said with a scared nervous tone. 

 

Katya did not listen nor did she go back to the draws. She went up to the window and looked out in an area that was not dirty, it was clean so she could see what was happening. Katya could not hear what he soldiers were saying; all she could do was see what happening.  The next thing she would see would change her, she would wish that she just stayed under the bed until her parents came back.  

Katya watched and saw all the children, men and women huddle together and the soldiers were shouting at them. Then Katya noticed that a baby, started to cry and a solider took the baby from her mother. Then the mother started after the soldier but her husband held her back. Then the soldier put the baby on the ground about five feet away from the group. The little baby was sitting and crying. He then took his gun and shot the baby. Shot the baby in the head. Katya saw the baby fall backwards and then saw blood come out of the head. Then Katya heard the woman scream, it was loud enough to hear it on the third floor of where Katya was standing. Then she saw the women run towards the baby with her arms out and another soldier shot her in the head to. She fell face first to the ground her hands landed on the baby body like she was going to grab the baby.  Her husband just looked and stood there. Katya was shocked, scared by what just happened. She did not scream or cry. She just looked out, looking at those dead bodies. Her body then got numb, but she could not move herself or look away.

Moments later Katya saw the soldiers take the rest of the children. The eldest was ten and now the youngest was one. They took the children and put them were the dead child and mother was. The kids started to cry and look around at each other and then at their parents.  There were about ten children all together, then the soldiers lined up around them. Then the next thing they started shooting at them. You can hear all the shots being fired at them. Katya could hear them cry and scream along with their parent over the shots. Katya then looked a family’s husband grabbing their wives who were falling to the ground and crying. Husbands were clutching their wives and crying. Then the shots stopped and Katya looked at all the dead children on the ground. Lying on top of each other some was holding hands; there was nothing but blood draining out of them. Katya saw there lifeless bodies and became even more numb on the outside and inside. She then started to tear up but held back her tears.

Katya then looked back at the men and women to see them holding on to each other tight. Then one soldier grabbed a woman and through her face first in front of a truck. Her husband started to run towards her and the soldier that grabbed her shot him in the head. He fell to the ground face first and blood puddle went around his head. The soldier turns and he then proceeds to lift her dress and rape’s her in front of everyone. After he raped her, he threw her on to the back of the truck and then the rest of the soldiers started to grab the women and threw them on the trucks. She saw the men hold on to there wives and the soldier were breaking apart and the women started to scream and cry and trying to go back to there husbands; but it then got to the point that the women were being dragged. Katya saw this and was sadden by how they were being taken away.

As Katya was looking out she saw her parent. They were holding on to each other. Then a soldier grabbed her mother and her mother went she looked back at her father, then up at the window where Katya was standing. Katya saw her face one last time. Her face showed of sadness and worry. Katya did not know if her mother could see her but Katya new that she could see her mother. As she stared out watching her mother be dragged away and her mother looking at the window, Katya put her little bonny hand on the window and said nothing just watched her be taken away. Katya then started to cry as her mother was placed on the truck. Then the soldier went on the truck and they started to drive off. She stood there with her hand on the window and watched the trucks drive away. The men just stood there and also watched the truck drive away with all the women. The men slouched then went up to each other and patted each other on the backs. Then they looked at the dead children. She then watched the men go over to the children. The men then separated the children’s bodies and put them together if they were siblings. After that the fathers who lost their children were with them.

She saw one father grab his little girl; she was no older than two. He held her in his arm. She saw him hold his little girl, his only child. He held his princess who was wearing a pink flower dress and then rocked back and forth with her in his arms like he would if she had a bad dream, would rock back and forth like he was calming her down. She just watched him look into the sky and started to cry.

These fathers held and cried as they held their children. The men who did not have children watched from a distance, they to were also crying for the lose of these innocent children and there wives.

Katya then looked at the father who lost his baby and wife. She saw him; he knelt by their side with his hands in his face. He just knelt there and cried.  At that moment Katya made a silent prayer. Praying that they go to heaven and that there wives and her mother will come back and that the war will end.

Katya then noticed her father. He was wearing his kaki pants and a blue polo shirt that was covered in blood, it was covered because he was helping moving the children and putting sibling together. Katya looked at him and saw sadness he just put his hand on his hips and looked down at his sneaker. Then he looked up at the window just like Katya mother did and stared into it. Just like her mother she wondered if her father could see her.  He then looked away, towards the road that the truck went down.

Katya stepped away from the window. She turned around, wiped her tears away from her pale face. She walked to the bed and told her brothers and sister that it was safe to come out. First it was Nikolajs that came out. When he cam out he looked at her, she just looked back. Then Jaakob came out followed by Tasha. They all stood by the bed and looked at each other and said nothing.

Moments later their father comes back. He opens the door and looks at the children and they look back. He then came up to them and held them all in his arms. He did not cry but just held them for a good moment. He then let go, and none of the children said anything. Then their father opened his mouth and said,

 

“Your mother is not coming back.”

 

He just looked at them all in they’re little young innocent faces. Tasha then cried and ran into his arms and he held her tightly and there father also started to cry himself. The boys stood there, then Jaakob started to cry. It was normal Jaakob was a sensitive kid. But Katya was more surprised by Nikolajs reaction; he to started to cry. Katya was shocked by this because he was not the crying type he was like there father strong and tough and did not easily break but that all changed after mother was taken away. Even the toughest of tough even break down. Katy just stood there why everyone else was crying. She did not cry but her whole body was numb after witnessing her mother being taken away.

Over the next few weeks’ things were quiet, the men buried their children. Then the men left the apartment and moved on. It got to the point where Katya and her family were the only ones left in the abandon apartment building. There father then decided to leave and go to the town over where it has not been hit by the war as bad, he wanted to leave the city where it has been it the hardest.

Tasza still had trouble dealing with the loss and kept asking when mother coming home? Where is she? She even asked how would mother find us if we leave? There father did everything he could to calm her down and to have her understand what was happening but Tasza just didn’t understand. Katya got to the point were she even told her that mother is not coming back at all she gone for good and if she comes back we will find her.

So in the early month of August they packed their bags and left. They didn’t pack much because they didn’t have much to begin with. Each had a suitcase with clothes, and personal items. Andrius even packed his wife’s belonging, her dress, dresser set and perfume and other items of hers that were personal.

As they left the apartment Katya took a look at the door as they walked down the hallway. Then before she started down the stair she looked down the hall and saw the doors and the toys that were left over from the other kids. She then started down three flights of circular stairs.

            Once at the bottom there father looked outside to see if it was safe. When it was the children left. As they walked down the street Katya took one look back at the apartment building. It was the only one that was still standing. Every other building was blown up or destroyed by a fire. She looked at the six story high building. Looked at the paint of the building it was a light blue but got so dirty by the dust and smoke that it looked more of a gray. Then she looked at the front doors because that would be the last time she goes through them. She then turned around and continued walking.

She then grabbed her father’s hand and they held on to each other and continued. As they continued Katya noticed that there was no one on the streets, well there was but it was dead people. Dead people were on the roads and the sidewalks. Katya just looked around and looked at these dead people. She saw cars blown up and off the roads. Building were destroyed with bombs, glass windows were broken some building were covered up by plywood. Katya could remember the dark skies and blood on the streets. She even smelled the dead people and rubber burning because there was another attack on the city last night.

They moved quickly through the streets, they eventually got out of the city they were in. As they walked down the road a person in a car pulled over and offered them a rid to the next town. It was about a day or two walk but they were able to get the ride, which took a few hours.

            In the car it was she, her father, her sister, and her two brothers and a couple. The older man was driving and talking to her father, Katya did not pay attention to him. She just stared out in front of her. She was on her fathers lap along with Tasha and the boys were in the other seats next to them. Tasha was talking with the boys but Katya was to busy looking out in the front window. Then the lady turned around and looked at her and smiled. Katya saw this and smiled back.

            Katya remembers her she had brown hair that was curly, not too curly but curly. She had the soft blue eyes you ever seen, so gentle when you look into them. Her smile was big and her teethe were white as fresh snow. She had such a kindness look to her. She reminded her of her mother the kindness and loving look.

            She then offered Katya a piece of gum, but Katya was nervous to take it so she looked up to her father a large framed man with a five o’clock shadow. He looked down and smiled and nodded letting her know she could have a piece. Katya then looked at the beautiful women and put out her bonny dirty hands and grabbed a stick of gum and then smiled at her thanking her without saying anything.

            She then opened up the gum it was a pink piece. She took the piece and put it in her mouth and smiled because it has been a long time since she enjoyed something sweet. Then the woman gave her sister and brothers a piece and they were happy.

            Katya then got off her fathers lap and crawled up to the front and sat on the woman’s lap. The lady was kind and did not shove her off her lap. She just wrapped her arms around her and held her. It’s been a long time since a woman held Katya. Katya liked that feeling of being held. Knowing that she was safe. Then the woman started pointing out the window showing her things and saying thing but Katya was not listening. She was just sitting there looking out the window then looked at her and smiled at her and she smiled back when she looked down. Katya just looked at this beautiful lady with nice hair and nice clothes. She was wearing a nice dress while she was wearing an old dirty torn up dress.

            That what she wanted a mother she wanted her mother back. So as they drove the lady kept talking with her and showing her things out the window. Eventually Tasha came up and both of the girls enjoyed her company and talked and sang, giggled. They were having a good time and enjoying the company of another woman, a mother type. Eventually Tasha went back on to her fathers lap and fell asleep. Katya stayed on the woman’s lap and also fell asleep along with the woman who was holding her; she had her arms wrapped around her. Katya enjoyed the warmth of her chest and arms around her, holding her while she slept.

            When Katya finally woke up it was getting dark, she looked up at the woman who was already awake she looked at her and smiled and Katya looked back and smiled.  She then looked out at the open fields watching the sun set behind the trees. She looked at the yellow, orange, and pink in the sky as the sunset. She never saw a sunset this beautiful. She enjoyed the glow, the colors the light hitting her face as the sun was going down.

They finally got to their destination and the nice couple dropped them off in the center of town. Katya would not forget the beautiful looking woman and her kindness.  She watched them drive off and as soon she couldn’t see them she looked up at her father and smiled, not a huge smile a little one and she grabbed his had and they looked around the area to find somewhere to stay. They eventually found a hotel they could stay at which they did.

A few weeks went by there was no threat in the town; the kids began to relax and enjoy life again. They started school which none of them ever went to because it was to dangerous in the city to go, they were taught by there mother or other mothers in the apartment and sometimes a teacher would come by if they were willing to risk everything. Their father found jobs around town as a handyman. He was really good at fixing anything that needed to be fix in a house. So they eventually made enough money to move into a new apartment. The apartment was bigger it had two bedrooms plus the living area. It was nice for them all until soldiers attacked them in the middle of October, that when everything went down hill again for them. The kids were taken out of school and stayed in the apartment and their father lost work and they all became depressed again. They heard gunshots and bombs going off all times of the day. Things did settle down by the end of October.

In early November things drastically changed again for them. It was an November afternoon and the kids were home alone because their father managed to find some work. Nikolajs was planning on making something to eat because he did not know when there father was coming home but he could not cook anything because there was no food in the house. The rule was not to leave the house but Nikolajs did, he broke the rules and left to go find food, even when they were trying to stop him, Nikolajs and Jaakob had a huge argument about it.

 

 You can’t leave Nikolajs.” Jaakob said while grabbing him by the arm.

 

Nikolajs just pushed Jaakob away.

 

“I have to find food. Do you want to go hungry today? I don’t know when dads coming back so we might not eat until tomorrow!”

 

“Who cares I rather not eat then have you go out and get yourself killed. Can’t you just go to one of the neighbors and ask them for something?”

 

Nikolajs looked at him and said,

 

“NO I will go find some food, there a store near by I will be back shortly.”

 

“Father said you shouldn’t leave and that he will find the food and bring it home. I don’t care if we go hungry. You need to stay home; something could happen to you if you leave. It’s not safe. ” Jaakob said as he was trying to stop him from going.

 

            Nikolajs pushed Jaakob from the door and then looked at Katya who was standing in the doorframe of her room, Katya just looked back and shook her head no. Nikolajs just ignored her and left slamming the door.

            Later that evening Andrius came back to three children. When he came back he asked where Nikolajs was and Jaakob told him that he left early this afternoon to find food because there was none and he didn’t know when you would be back. Katya told her father the he left and hasn’t been back since. Katya over heard her father talking to a neighbor one day about how children who are wondering by themselves are usually taken by the soldier and no one know what happens to them. Katya remember that when she was telling her father about Nikolajs and new that that what happened to him, he was taken but she was not going to tell him that.

            Their father then grabbed his jacket and left the apartment. He did not come back until much later at night. Jaakob and Katya and Tasza were still up when he came back. He did not come back with Nikolajs he was alone. The kids knew that once he came back alone that Nikolajs was missing or dead somewhere. So Andrius kept searching for him for a few days but nothing. He would come home without him. So after about two weeks he stopped looking for him because it was hopeless. He would never find him and Katya new that their chances were very slim. So they just lived their lives as usual. Andrius had to go back to finding work so he could feed his three children and himself.

On December 20th Katya and her father went out for a bit to go find some food and so that Katya can get some fresh air. In town there was a river splitting up the town so there were bridges to cross so you can get to the other side. When Katya and her father were walking back from the other side of town they had to cross a bridge. This bridge had tall walls that you couldn’t see Katya if you were looking from the side of the bridge. Andrius was caring a grocery bag filled with food and was holding on to Katya. The small little girl was wearing a navy blue dress white stocking and black snow boots. She wore a red coat over her dress and had on black gloves and a knitted hat. She was holding on to her father’s hand smiling and laughing and skipping along his side. Then all a sudden her father dropped the food and fell face first to the ground. Katya stood over him in shock and then saw a pool of blood come out of his head. Katya then new that he was shot. She went to see if he was breathing but he wasn’t and she new that he was dead. She stared at his lifeless body, and then she looked up and looked both directions to see if anyone was coming but no one came.

Katya did not know what to do. She was afraid if that she continued she would be killed herself. So she stayed by her father’s side for the rest of the day. Not one other person came along crossing the bridge. She finally left once it got dark out because it would be harder to see since it nighttime.

Her journey home was hard because she was in the dark. Before Katya left she grabbed as much food as possible so she can bring it home once she grabbed some food she left and started making her journey home.  She was very careful to not go in to well lit areas because she didn’t want to be seen and shot at. She was cautious when going around corners. At one point she was going to turn then she saw soldiers talking and laughing as she looked around one corner. As she looked at the three men she saw those long heavy winter coats with patches on them showing their rankings. They were long navy pants and heavy snow boots. They had on Russian looking military hats.  She continued looking hoping that they would leave. Then one of the men caught a glimpse of her and shouted. Then he soldiers chased after her but since she was around the corner she ran but found and ally way and hid there and the soldier ran past her. She checked to see if they were out of sight. Once she didn’t see them she went quickly down the road and around the corner. She managed to get home safely.

Once she got home Jaakob and Tasha came running to her and helped her with the food and put it down. She leaned against the wall next to the door. Jaakob then asked,

 

“What happened? Where’s dad?”

 

He looked at her and she looked back at him then looked at Tasha. Tasha had such a worry sad face. Then Katya looked down to the ground then back up and said,

 

“Daddy is dead. He was shot in the head when we were crossing the bridge. I had to stay, I didn’t know if they were still out there. Coming home was fine until the soldiers saw me but I managed to hide and then quickly come back.”

 

They all stood silent and looked at each other in wonder, wondering what will happen now.  Tasha finally spoke out asking,

 

“What are we going to do?”

 

They all looked at each other and then Jaakob perked up and said,

 

“Dad was telling me about this Red Cross area. IT a place where we can go to get help if it got to bad for us.”

 

Katya looked at him.

 

“How are we going to get there? First off where are they?” She said with a snippy attitude.

 

At this point Katya was getting tired of losing everyone. She was getting frustrated with everything. She just wanted the war to end. She then realizes that they are orphans, which made it even more dangerous for them. Katya just wanted to scream and cry but did not because they didn’t need any more issues but now they had a bigger issue. That was what was going to happen next to them.

 

“Dad showed me on his map. He showed me one day when he over heard people talking about it.”

 

            Katya and Tasza watched Jaakob go to his room and grabbed the map from the nightstand. He brought it out into the hallway and placed it on the ground and showed the girls where it was. He told them,

 

“Dad said it would take about three or four days. We have to go through town, then through the country area, then through this other town, then through the woods and then through more open land and there would be some more woods but there is a road that leads to it so if we follow the road we will get to them and they will help us.”

 

Jaakob then got up and looked at the girls and smiled, Katya looked back at the map then back at him then over to Tasha. They agreed that they would leave in a few days; it would give them sometime to rest and figure out what to pack and what they would need.

A few days have past and the kids were getting ready to leave and make this journey. Katya hoped that they could all get there in one piece. She hoped they could help them.

            It was December 23th when they finally packed there bags and officially left. Each packed a backpack with only important valuables. They each had food stored in there bags and money just in case if someone got killed or taken, but they hoped that it would not happen and all three of them could make it.

            After they got dressed and packed their bags and got dressed they left the apartment. Like their old apartment it to was deserted by most there were a few people left but they did not know them to stay with them. SO they took one last look around and left.

            The streets were not bad it did not have the smell of dead people and bombs were going off, guns where not going off it was quiet but also empty. They traveled carefully hiding behind cars and looking around corners before they turned so they wouldn’t be caught and taken.

At one point they witness and elderly lady who was pushing a cart down the street get shot in the head.  Katya was use to seeing that but Jaakob and Tasha were not. Jaakob stopped in his tracks right behind a soldier and looked at amazement, Tasha did the same. Katya had to grab them and hide them behind the car. The moment that happened the soldiers turned around then walked away. Jaakob sat there on the cold ground in amazement. Katya asked,

 

“Are you alright Jaakob?”

 

She looked at him and he looked up.

 

“What did she do to get shot at? Why would they do that to her?”

 

Jaakob usually cries when something bad happen but he didn’t that time.  Katya was not touched by the horror that Jaakob and Tasha witness.

 

“She was there, they wanted to kill someone so they killed her. She did nothing to deserve that but that what happens. You get killed for just being in existence.” Katya said to them with a straight face. She said it in a way that shows that she was not shocked or affected by it

 

Jaakob looked at her with amazement.

 

“How can you just say that with no emotions. She was shot and you are standing around with no emotions. What if that was our grandma? That someone’s mom and you stand here not caring or upset by what just happened.” Jaakob said, and he continued to talk and rant about it.

 

Katya just looked at him and started to think to herself.  What do you know? This is your first time saw someone gets shot. I saw plenty of people get shot and die. It does bother me. It hurts. She wanted to tell him this but couldn’t. She wanted to tell him everything she saw that day when their mother was taken away. They didn’t know because father never told them what happened to all the kids, but Katya new. She kept looking at him and finally said.

 

“You can’t let your emotions get to you because you can get killed if you are not paying attention.”

 

He stops talking and stares at her and then he looks at Tasha who has not said anything. Then he looks back and then looks down then back up and said,

 

“Your right. We need to continue. How are you Tasha?”

 

Tasha shrugged her shoulders and kept quiet but looked at them with sadness in her brown eyes.  Jaakob then got up off the ground and they continued walking. Jaakob then grabbed Tasha hand to make sure she okay and Katya fell behind. She was quiet and cried to herself for a bit. She was crying because she had no parents, home. She wanted the war to end she just wanted a normal life. Then Katya stopped crying and eventually caught up with them. They were safe but they needed to cross the river. So they carefully crossed the bridge and reached the other side of the town. The continued walking and then they got stuck in a situation. They were behind a car and there were soldiers in the middle of the street but they needed to cross the street to go down the other street.

            At one point the kids were stuck with soldiers in the middle of the road, so when the soldiers were not looking Tasha started to cross the street, Katya followed behind. Katya then saw a man with a camera that went up to the soldiers and started talking. There eyes met and he new that they would be killed if seen so he asked the soldiers to take a picture. At that point Tasha made it across and behind another car. Then Katya had to cross so the man was talking to the soldiers and setting them up for a picture. Katya started to cross after she passed the third soldier she looked back at the photographer with a scared face and he then took the picture but she did not know that. She crossed and went behind the car and the soldiers and photographer kept taking picture. Then they started talking and Jaakob was able to cross because the tourist distracted them.

Katya new that the risked his life to help us, she wanted to thank him but couldn’t do it in person. So when Jaakob and Tasha started down the street Katya looked behind the car to see the photographer, he saw her from the corner of his eyes and changed his position to look at her, she nodded at him thanking him for his help. He just smiled and quickly looked at her saying your welcome. Katya turned around and ran down the street to catch up to Jaakob and Tasha. They continued walking until it got dark out by the time it got dark they were out of the town and in the farmland area. They continued walking until they found shelter. They found this old abandon barn. They crossed the field and found an opening on the side and they went in. They settled down and ate something and fell asleep quickly. They were so tired after walking all day long and they new that it was going to be another long day. Jaakob set the watch alarm to early in the morning.

            The next day on the 24^th of December they woke up at six realizing it was Christmas Eve and they new they would not be celebrating it with there family but they told each merry Christmas and gave each other a hug. They ate something and left the barn by six-thirty and continued walking on the road. For hours they saw nothing and nobody. They talked to themselves and Jaakob even helped them with spelling as they walked. They took little breaks in an area that they can hide themselves in which was scarce. They were singing and dance at one point, and then talked about mom and dad and Nikolajs. Jaakob told stories about them that the girls might not remember or know. He even told them that he keeps a journal about what has happened. At one point they went on a break and he showed them his journal and read some stories. They were funny stories, Katya remembers laughing and smiling and imagining those things happening. Before they continued walking Jaakob looked at the map to see where they are, he noticed that they were not to far away from the other town. He told them that they would be there before sun down and they will figure out where they will sleep and find food.

Katya was off daydreaming and looking off into the distance. She enjoyed the snow for the first time. To her it was pretty it not the snow that was dirty. She enjoyed the white snow, to her it was innocence something that is not touched or destroyed yet. Thinking that she started to thinking about those innocent kids killed that day her mother was taken away from her. She can’t stop thinking about the day her father was shot and the elderly woman.  She started getting these memories, those flashbacks. She started thinking to herself what happened? Why did it happen? She knows that these answers would not be answered and if so it wouldn’t be answered well. Katya just knows that she has to stay strong and deal with it. She new if she survived this war that she would not be the same that no one will ever be the same. This war has been going on over three years. Bombs, shootings, even people be taken away and not coming back. She once over heard her parents talk about how they were being taken away to camps. At the time Katya wanted to go to camp but never connected it until they day her mother was taking away and those kids were killed that those camps were not for fun. She continued to think to herself and look around at the snow.

They eventually made it into town before it got dark out. Jaakob and the girls started looking for food they eventually found an actual grocery store. They entered the store and started looking around at the food and drinks. Katya then saw Jaakob look in his wallet at the money he had. It wasn’t much so she then knew that they had to be careful of what they buy. Then an elderly lady comes out from a storage area and sees these kids. She looked at them asking them questions and then eventually offered them a meal and a place to stay for the night. The kids looked at each other and agreed. They elderly lady let them was there clothes, take showers, she made them some soup and meat and potatoes and all three of them fell asleep on her guest bed and stayed there for the rest of the night.

The kids woke up the next morning, not as early as they have been before. When they woke up it was the 25^th of December, it was Christmas Day. The elderly lady gave them breakfast and food for there journey and wished them luck on their journey to their grandparent’s house. That what they told her on why they were alone and traveling, the told her they were going to see their grandparent and family because they were separated when soldiers attacked.

The kids packed there bags each packed food just in case one was not killed or taken and thanked her for her kind generosity. So they continued their journey to the Red Cross safe area, knowing that they would be able to help them.

As they walked through town Katya noticed how nice the town was, how it was still in tack. It was like the other town before it was attacked. They saw people walking and talking and even saw soldiers that attacked them at the other town. Then they reached the bad part of town where it was broken down, it was what they were use to seeing. So they were cautious while walking. Then they saw soldiers hanging around, so they hid behind a parked car. Jaakob was the first to walk behind them but the soldiers turned around and saw him. They shouted at him and he tried to run but he was caught. The girls heard him scream and shout to let him go but then he went silent and Katya saw them drive away in a truck.

Katya realized it was now them. There they were two little five-year-old girls alone in this world. Tasha finally broke down and cried and started to say she wanted to go home, she wanted mommy and daddy. She just sat on the ground and cried. Katya just hugged her and started to cry herself. She too wished she were home with mommy and daddy. She to said that. Tasha stopped crying and looked at her and Katya also looked at her and then they both began to cry together. A few moments later they had to get up and keep on going, they needed to get to the Red Cross for safety and help. They finally got out of town and started down the road into the woods. The girls stopped and ate some food that they had, they then settled down in a bush and fell asleep for the night.

Trucks stopping because the squeaking of the break was loud enough wake the girls up. The girls woke up and looked at each other then they peer through he snow covered bush.

Katya could see soldiers come off the trucks. The open the back of the trucks and all these kids were jumping off the back. They told them to stand in the center. All the kids were finally off the truck and standing in the center of the spot they were told to stand. There were about fifty children or so. The youngest could be no older than two and the oldest no older than twelve. Katya looked through the bush trying to get a better view of it then Katya saw the men surround them with machine guns. Twenty men or so just surrounded the kids. The kids started talking to each other and looking at each other and around them. Katya new that they were scared and those they were going to die.

 At one point she saw a boy, a skinny dangly boy. He had such pale skin and dark longish brown hair. He wore what it looked like was a black coat and jeans. He was not looking at Katya way at first but he eventually looked towards her, straight in the eyes. When Katya saw the boys face she new then. Then a soldier shouted a command and soldiers pointed guns towards them. At one point a little girl started to sing a song.

Tasha then turned away and closed her eyes and shut her ears. Katya just looked at her and the saw Tasha rock back and forth. Katya then looked back towards the children. Then looked at the boy one more time. Then the guns went off. Thousands of shots fired. Then the kids started screaming and running off all over the place. Katya saw kids be shot in the head if they started to bolt of. Kids were falling on top of each other after being shot at.

Just moments later they stopped and boarded the truck and left the scene. Katya waited a few moments before she left the bush. She came over to the kids and looked at there bodies. Then she looked down the path of the soldier’s truck and then looked around at the children that were sprawled apart. She then noticed that boy, the skinny pale boy with the longish-dark brown hair. She looked at him stared at him in is dead open eyes. Tasha then walked up next her and screeched.

 

“Jaakob!”

 

Yes it was Jaakob that Katya saw just get murder. These innocent children who did not were killed just because they we there, just because they were weak. Katya looked at Jaakob and thought to her the world is falling apart. She looked at him with no emotion but she felt nothing but anger and hatred towards these men, towards soldier. She thought to herself and said she would never be able to trust anyone, a man, and especially a soldier. She got to the point that she believed it time to kill people that do kill people.

            Katya was filled with anger and raged that she screamed on the top of her lungs. She cried and fell to the ground and cried like she was defeated. Tasha then put her hand on her shoulder from behind. Both girls sat there for a while and then they heard trucks from the distance, and then went back into the bush they were hiding in.

The trucks pull up and soldiers come out and walked around these bodies and talked. Katya just watched them pick up the bodies and throw them into the truck. They threw them in like they were trash. The one man grabbed Jaakob and threw him in. After they were done the soldier went into there trucks. Then Katya grabbed her bag and Tasha they went onto one of the trucks that had the kids there. It was the last one in line so when it stops they could get off without being seen. They drove for about twenty minutes and they finally stopped.

Katya and Tasha got off and went into the woods and hid in another bush. They saw the soldiers take out the bodies and put them in a pile. Moments later a bulldozer came a long and made a mass grave and they put the children in and buried them. Then the soldiers went into the truck and drove off.

Katya and Tasha went back onto the truck and took the truck as far as it would go. It got to the town that they wanted to go to. They got their sooner because of this lift. So before they entered town they jumped off the truck and walked into town. Their goal now was to find food and a place to stay. They did end up sneaking around and stealing some food and hid for the night.

            They woke up early and continued onwards to the Red Cross safety area. It took them a while but they got out of town and were walking through the farmland. As they were walking down the road they saw the Red Cross Flag waving in the air and a campsite between the woods and at that moment they new at that moment that they made it. They were just going to continue walking down the road until they get there. So that what they did just started down the hill when they reached down they continued walking straight along the road. As they were walking it started to snow again and the girls got all happy and excited to see it. As they were walking they heard gunshots from the distance. They turned and saw a truck with men shooting and they were driving fast and getting closer and still shooting at them. Katya turned around and told Tasza to run. So they were running across the open filed because it was a shorter distance as they ran the truck went of the road and kept shooting at them. Katya could hear them getting closer and closer. Katya then turned around and saw Tasza standing still. She was shaking and scared. You could see the look on her face of terror. She was crying and had no clue what to do. Then Katya heard Tasza shout,

 

“RUN! RUN KATYA, RUN!”

 

            Katya couldn’t run, she was looking at Tasza with sadness and she started to look around to see if there was anyone else coming to help them. Maybe the Red Cross, but Katya saw no one. She then took one step closer to Tasza and then heard a click. She looked down and then looked back at Tasza now understanding why she froze. She was stepping on a land mine Katya new this because she to was on one. As Katya looked at Tasza, Tasza to realized that she was on a mine. Then Tasza scream one more time,

 

“RUN!”

 

            Katya then turned and stepped off the mine and then all you heard was bomb and everything went black.

 

Author's Note

ignore the grammar. It went from 23 pages down to 14/15 pages.

Reviews

[RainDancer1997]

This is actually pretty good:) I agree it needs to be more intense but you'll figure these things out I'm sure:) I enjoyed reading it:)

[Jake A Smiley]

Here's what I've got:

I enjoyed it because it's interesting, which is a very good thing. However, and this is something I'm currently working on myself, there's an intensity that's for the most part missing, and that intensity is what makes the reader *need* to read the next sentence. Then the next paragraph. Page, chapter, etc. What I'm referring to are 'tense' words, which add a level of tension to your writing.

Grammar aside, it's decent/good. I can read it and enjoy it, but without that tension it's not going to have that quality that makes me *need* to keep reading and never put it down until I'm finished. Hope this helps :)