Hi Alara,

Here's Part 2 of A Loss of Innocence. You wouldn't have Part One still? 
My computer, lovely thing that it is, decided to erase my disk.

JEss


Part 2: Arbeit Macht Frei


The door was unbolted and opened. A man in a stripped uniform stood, and 
eerie light shining behind him.

"Everyone out! Hurry! Out! Out!"

Three other men in stripped uniforms boarded the wagon and began to 
shove drowsy men, women and children into the cold night air. Magnus 
quickly climbed out of the wagon. All he knew was that he wanted to get 
away from the stench of the human bodies. He looks around, taking in the 
images around him. A strange light illuminates tall watchtowers, 
high-wire fences, SS Men, dogs, an endless row of wagons, so many people 
pour out of them.

"Schnell! Move! Move!"

Magnus looks down. There was no Dara. Frantically he looks about him. 
She can't be too far. "Everyone stand in line! Rows of five! Men over 
there. Women and children move that way!"

Magnus moves towards the women and children. Dara will be that way. An 
SS Man stops him. "You look strong. How old are you?" the man asks. 

Magnus looks over him, watching the women and children, looking for 
Dara. "Fourteen."

"You are tall for your age. You are sixteen from now on. Remember you 
are sixteen!" The man pushes him to a small group of other men. 

Magnus watches as he sees the rows of men walk in straight lines to the 
right. His eyes shift and gaze towards the women and children. He sees 
Dara. She is holding the hand of a young woman who carries a small 
child. Dara turns towards him, her eyes widening. "Magnus! I shall never 
see you again! Magnus!"

Two women grab her as she tries to run to him. He watches as she 
disappears, her pleading brown eyes following him as he and his group 
begin to march. As the group marches through the gates Magnus looks 
about him. There are many people in the striped uniforms gazing at them. 
Their eyes wide, faces blank. Magnus looks away. 

The road comes to an end. In groups of five the men are sent into the 
building. The ceiling is low. Noise. Shouts.

An SS Man stands before them. "Ruhe! Take of your clothes! Strip! Raus!"

Magnus quickly undresses unlike the others. They are unsure. Undress? In 
front of all theses people? A shot rings out. The men undress. Magnus 
closes his eyes. They wouldn't kill them now, here, Like they had done 
to all his family, to his village friends and neighbours . . . Piles of 
clothes remain on the floor as Magnus opens his eyes. The men are herded 
into another room, the chill of the air making their nudity even more 
unbearable. Men in striped uniforms are there. They shave the mens’ 
hair. Then, quickly, they are herded into another room.

Striped pants and shirts are handed out. Shoes are passed around. Magnus 
gazes at the others. They look like the mindless beings that he had seen 
as they walked here. What is happening?

Herded again, they sit before men again. Needles. Ink. Painfully and 
quickfully numbers are tatooted into the mens arms. An SS Man stands in 
the door way. "You no longer have names. You are your number."

Magnus looks down at his number--21478. No name, just a number? Another 
way for the Germans to degrade the Jews. His blue eyes filled with 
anger. Would they do this to the children too? To Dara? To the infants? 
Would the babies grow up and only be known as their numbers? A dark 
forboding feeling spread through his bones. The children would never 
grow up . . . He shook the thought from his mind. No, the Germans 
wouldn't kill children, not newborns . . .they were here to work at an 
agricultural farm . . . why kill them, they would be needed . . . 

In neat rows of five, at a rapid, deliberate pace, the men marched. They 
marched pass long flat barracks. Then for some reason, Magnus and about 
twenty others were seperated from the other men. They were herded into a 
long barrack. Once all were in the door closed and was locked.

The men began to talk, asking questions. Many wept openly. Magnus sat 
down on the floor and watched them. He lay back letting his exhaustion 
overcome him. His mind filled with images of his parents, Aby, and Dara. 






______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com