The Life of 1538.
Today all things awoke to die; this place makes hell look comforting. This morning I was shoved into a cattle car, bodies on top of one another. I held tight to my little sister Anne, for I couldn't make sight of her but I felt the pressure of her hand holding tight to mine. It was more than eight hours before we reached our final destination. (If you don't count the stops we made to free the car of the corpses.) As we pushed our way out of the car for some air, a foul smell filled my lungs, the smell of burning flesh. Anne hid her head in my dress out of fear. All we had left was each other. There was no way I was going to lose her too. Inside I was screaming with fear, but I had to be strong, for Anne, and for myself.
They herded us toward a black metal gate that read "Auschwitz". As the doors opened, the men in uniform shouted orders for us to go to the left or to the right. I quickly picked up Anne fearing we would be separated and went to left as I was told. We came to some barracks. Inside was a woman, if I hadn't known any better I would have thought her to be a walking corpse. She instructed all of us to strip, and without question I quickly undressed Anne and then myself. After we were stripped of our clothes and our dignity, we were sent to be hosed down. The water was freezing and the pressure left bruises all over my body. I'll never forget the brutality of the inspections. Throughout the ordeal, I never so much as even moved.
My name is Esther Plizska. I'm seventeen years old. My little sister, Anne, is just ten. Our parents were taken when the Nazi's came to our town. Where they are now, is unknown to us. This place is like the grim reapers list, and we're all on it, waiting for death to overcome us.
After the inspections, we were given rags as clothes. They smelled of body odor but it was cold so I quickly dressed myself and attended to Anne. Next, we were given numbers; these numbers would be the only names we would have. A man called for me. As I sat, he began digging the numbers into my arm; it hurt so bad that tears begin to overwhelm my eyes. I closed them and tried to focus on a far away memory; a flashback to the time when my mother explained to me, the importance of my name; "Esther". She gave it to me in remembrance of my grandmother, it means "Star". I remembered Mother's warm smile and the delicate scent of her perfume in the air. "Esther, this name is much more than a name, it's your destiny, just as the stars do; you will lead." she said.
I tried staying in that memory but I was awoken by reality as the man shook my hand and said he was finished. I glanced down at my arm and the numbers "1538" were engraved in my flesh. I forcefully turned my head away and whispered, "My name is and always will be Esther Plizska…" I waited for Anne. She ran crying into my arms. I wanted to say something to make her feel better but my mother was always best at things like this.
The day was over, for now. We were sent back to our barracks to sleep for the night. The sleeping arrangements were nothing close to comfortable. There were as many as four women to a "bed", though they were more like boards. After prayer, Anne and I slept by one another. I had a feeling this night would be the most sleep we would all see in along time so I took full advantage.
The next morning, we were awakened by a man in uniform; he yelled at us all to awake and form a line. Without hesitation, we jumped out of the bed and lined up. A man with a pen and paper entered, he was looking us up and down, asking us if we were healthy. After the line up, Anne and I were approached by the man in uniform "Age?" he snapped. "17 and 10" I replied. "This way!" he shouted. We followed him in fear; my only instinct was to push Anne behind me, to protect her. He led us near an open space of green surrounded by barbs. "This will be your job site; you are expected to move the bricks over there to here." He said.
I glanced over to the spot where the original spot of the bricks were, there were thousands of them pilled high on top of one another. Without question, I nudged Anne to move forward and we began to move them. It was getting cold and we had been outside for hours. I glanced down at my hands, covered in blood and dirt. Anne stumbled with the blocks; I took them from her hands before the guards could see she was not fit for such a task.
Hours later we were called for dinner, I was dying of starvation. Anne and I walked to get dinner; we were only allowed one bowl of soup and a piece of bread. I gave most of my meal to Anne, in hopes it would keep her strong. "I'll get you out of here," I promised her. "What about you?" Anne questioned. "Never mind about me, you come first," I snapped back.
One week had passed; my body grew frail. Anne had managed to stay in good health; I had been giving her my shares of food in hopes of her survival. I talked a lot to Anne about how we were going to get out of here. Working in the open was an advantage. The women and girls weren't watched as closely as the men were and I knew that would be an advantage to us. During the hours and hours of moving bricks, I managed to use them to dig a hole under the barbs; it was small but big enough to get Anne through.
I was sick of waiting, today was the day. As long as Anne got out, I would be at rest. I waited until the guards were gone, and without hesitation, I grabbed Anne and helped her push her way through the wire. She made it through, but as I tried to follow, the guard caught sight of me. Anne tried helping me but I told her to run. A shot was fired from the officer's gun. My breathe shortened "run Anne, now!" I screamed. The last words that I heard from her lips were "Mother was right, your destiny was to lead, you led me free, I love you" My heart began to burn, as I moved my head I saw blood forming a puddle around me. My head grew light and my breath no longer short, but non-existent. My life ended that day but my name, "Esther", "Star", was not in vain.
Originally Posted On Site: 2009-07-23 00:48:48
Last Login: 08.08.09
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