Dead Before Dawn???

• Felicity Moy, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2021

The stairs creaked creepily as they waited in silence. They had been living in the basement of a German family’s house for a fortnight. So far they had been lucky not to be caught, but this may be it. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling and dominated most of the walls. Unknowingly spiders crawled all over the rough wooden wall making more cobwebs than needed. They had been in the basement long enough to know to avert their eyes from the brown ceiling. Dung beetles crept along the ceiling giving everyone shivers down their backs. The horrid beetles would continuously collect dung making the basement stink.

They all longed for sunlight but most of all freedom. Cracked timber covered the basement floor. All around their hometown were Nazis swarming in and out of houses.

The sounds of the deep voices of the Nazi soldiers communicating to the German family in a broad German accent boomed down the basement staircase. Adolf Hitler had been reigning in Germany for a very long time. The basement was filled with unwanted dusty items. They all held their breath in silence waiting to see what would happen next.

As the door of the house slammed shut they let out a big sigh. Surprisingly the Nazi soldiers did not go down to the basement and discover them. Tonight was the night when the first stars popped up in the pitch black sky, they would creep out to a boat and sail to Sweden where they would be able to find freedom.

As the first stars popped up in the sky they crept out to the boat. Following the silent whispers saying “This way”. It was good to smell the fresh air again and be able to move around freely without stepping on something. It was a dark night which made it hard for them to find their way towards the boat. The night was silent making them unable to make any sound. The scent of the salty water from the sea wafted through the air. They breathed it in. The salty scent of the water made them feel safe and that everything would be alright.

All of a sudden a crackling noise of a Nazi soldier trying to get through on a walkie talkie broke the silence. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks. They were all familiar with the sound. It meant that a Nazi soldier was near by. The street lamp nearby flickered and revealed a tall, menacing soldier looking at them. His menacing blue eyes glared down at them like an eagle hunting its prey. His face was stiff as steel. They all knew what would happen next. They would be caught and be put in a concentration camp, where they would be left to die.

It was as if the stars glow dimmed at the presence of the Nazi soldier. “You are all under arrest!”