Promise
Promise. That was what she was saying. Every few seconds she would ask of it. Every breath, every word was filled with heartfelt emotion. Yet still it was hidden. She would not reveal it, not under the circumstances. There were more troubling matters to attend to.
“Darling…darling you must promise me, you must!”
As the elderly woman advanced through the bleak darkness, dust blew on the bitter wind, blinding her, shrouding her in a cloud of obscurity. Yet she did not let go. Holding her young daughter’s hand, she approached the tracks. Her tears splashed the dirt as she looked down the line towards the gates. Silhouetted against the powerful lights that moved about from the watchtowers, she double-checked and backed away into the shadow of a nearby hut.
“What is it mama?” the girl whispered, as her mother gripped even tighter on her hand.
“Promise me darling!” the mother whispered back, as she looked out into the empty grounds.
The rusted fence that stood mighty against the sky creaked in the gale, and an ominous long shadow fell on the ground from beyond the corner. The woman gasped and brought a hand to her mouth. An officer, brass buttons gleaming in the glare of the bright lights, slowly strolled towards them, rifle in hand.
Seconds passed….
…he continued to march….
The mother sighed as the man walked away.
“Mama-”
Her hand clamped her daughter’s mouth as the guard double took and wildly spun around. Peering into the shadows, he took a few steps forward, his boots cracking on the ground beneath him.
“Promise me! You must promise me!” her mother said once more, as she acted quickly. She had no more than a few seconds. She shoved her daughter to her knees and guided her underneath the space beneath the raised hut. The guard recognised a standing figure and quickened his pace.
“Stumpf!” he yelled as he ran at the mother. She turned to face him.
“You can do nothing to me!” she proclaimed proudly as the lights turned on her. Other men could be heard off in the distance.
“Ekelhafte Frau! Kennen Sie Ihren Platz in der Welt!” the guard shouted at her.
The daughter peeked out upon the confrontation. Staring in horror, she watched as blow after merciless blow came to her mother. Senselessly the guard continued to smash her face in with gloved fists. Then, using the butt of his gun, he smacked her in the stomach and brought it down upon her head, cracking the skull. Blood dripped into the dirt as he spat “Juden!” into her face with utter conviction. The girl held back tears as her mother fell to her knees and collapsed into the mud. The guard turned back to his comrades, calling them off and they all left for the mess hall.
The daughter looked out and saw her mother’s gleaming eyes in the dark, staring back into hers.
“Mama…” she whispered, as she brushed the hair from her eyes. Coming out from her confined space, she curled up alongside and hugged the lifeless corpse, absorbing the last of its warmth.
It slowly came to her…Her mother’s last wish was clear.
“I promise mama…I promise”
Love is a promise, love is a souvenir, once given never forgotten, never let it disappear.
-END-
I work for free, no hidden costs or anything of the sort. I hope someone considers me. Thankyou
! I think it would be interesting.