Creative Writing Assignment 5

Daniel
By Ethan Jones

Daniel Bergman awoke early Monday morning to the usual sounds of the market below his second story window. He swept his quilt aside and pulled the straps of his tattered overalls over his shoulders. His little sister was asleep in the cot next to his, so he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead before heading into the dining room. He thought he smelled fresh bread and roasted meats so he rushed into the kitchen, sliding across the tile floors, but there wasn’t any food. Only his mother quietly sobbing at the counter, gazing at a photo of his father. His stomach began to tighten, but he held back the tears. He knew that they should have left ages ago, but his mother would have nothing of it. At times, Daniel had even contemplated taking his little sister and leaving, but it would only hurt his mother more. He walked over and put his hand on hers, which only prompted more sobbing. She took him into her arms, hugging him as if she would never see him again. She took his coat off the coat rack and held it for him as he slipped his arms into the scratchy wool. Carefully picking up a white band, she slid it over his arm, making sure that the blue star faced the world.

He kissed her on the cheek and headed down the steps to the street below. Now he could smell bread. There wasn’t any denying it. He raised his nose to the air and followed the aroma around the corner where Mr. Devins was waiting for him. He gave a wave and ushered Daniel in the door, handing him his apron and pointing him to the sink. Daniel mindlessly stuck his hands beneath the cool stream. He shook the cold moisture from his hands and set to mixing and kneading the dough. His mind began to wander, remembering days of green grass and friendly games, but it all snapped back into focus. “You’re in charge,” Mr. Devins exclaimed. Bells jingled and he was gone. Daniel stood behind the counter with his mouth open, unsure of what to do. He searched for something comfortable to him, realizing this was the best way to avoid disappointment. He began mixing, kneading, and baking like he never had before. Hours passed by as if they were seconds, and when time actually caught up with Daniel he had already filled up the storefront with fresh pastries.

Daniel saw Mr. Devins run across the front window and into the shop, sweat dripping from his brow as he struggled to regain his breath. “We have to go!” he yelled. “They didn’t take the bribe.” He opened the register and grabbed all the cash, spilling coins all over the floor. Daniel hadn’t even considered that they wouldn’t take the bribe. He grabbed his coat and ran out the door for home, but Mr. Devins grabbed him claiming that there wasn’t any time. Pain filled his chest as he realized he may be too late. He couldn’t leave his Mother and Sister alone, but if they had already left he wouldn’t make it to Mr. Devins cellar in time. Before he knew it he was descending into a dank hole. The Devins family was already hiding there, but he couldn’t make out the pale faces of his own family. They knew that they were supposed to go straight to the Devins cellar if anything happened. Panic set in as Daniel realized his family was still in danger.
He sprung from the hole, sprinting through vacant streets towards a vain hope. He raced around the corner and faced a line of green, rhythmically echoing as they approached. He sprinted up the stairs to his door, fumbling with the keys as he tried to unlock it. He flung it open but found nothing. He realized that he was too late. His legs lost their strength and flung him to the floor. His mind spun with images of his mother and sister, and just before he lost consciousness he saw his father, shaking his head in disapproval.

When Daniel woke up, he smelled the stench of human decay. The floor rocked back and forth beneath him amidst repetitive squeaks and squeals. The only light emanated from a small window to his right, which was covered by large steel bars. Beyond the window were green trees that streaked past him under the dusk sky. He couldn’t think about anything but his failure though. Daniel rolled over and threw up, finding himself staring into the eyes of decay. He tried to stand up, but couldn’t. ‘What ifs’ began to scamper through his head. What if he had taken his family and left sooner? What if he had gone straight home instead of going to Mr. Devins cellar? He felt a pang of fear, which translated into denial. They may still be alive. He couldn’t die now and leave them without hope! He felt energy surge into his legs as he stood again. Daniel looked around and noticed that few others were standing in the sweltering heat. In fact, most of them were pale and lifeless. One beam of light landed on a man in the corner, illuminating the blue star on his shoulder.

When the large door was finally pulled open, Daniel was among 3 men of the 150 in the car whose hearts were still beating. He stared into the face of the soldier below him, and felt his stomach turn. He felt like taking the man’s life into his hands and extinguishing it in the most painful way possible. The soldier stuck out his hands for support, but Daniel didn’t take them. He dangled his feet over the steely edge and fell to the platform below. They carted him along rows of tangled steel, and dropped him in the wet mud. He looked up and saw the faces of his mother and sister looking down at him. “I’m sorry,” he whispered before succumbing to the torture of his journey.

http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/phistories/