I wrote this a few years ago after watching a Nat Geo documentary on the death marches of the Nazis. In our current world wide political climate, I think it is pertinent.
This story contains adult content.
The dead remember our silence, the dead remember our apathy.
Chaim drops his hat.
And leaves it.
His wife Yaffa, and daughter, Anna, are in front of him. They are lovely and strong even in this hell.
He cannot touch them, he cannot hurry to them to comfort them, for he does not wish to invite death even though now it seems a sweet friend.
Anna has the soul of her shoe rip from the leather. She continues to walk.
They all walk.
They all continue to walk.
It’s the third day.
Anna’s foot is bloody. She can feel the rocks digging farther and farther into the flesh of her foot.
Do not stop walking her mother whispers to her. Do not stop.
The winter snow stains red. Anna cannot hide it.
A Steel helmet bends down and touches it. He yells something.
Who’s blood is this?
Who’s blood is this.
No one answers. They just continue marching. A crack and the group is shrunk by one. Another and they shrink by two. Three, and like good sheep they don’t run, they just step over the bodies. A rough hand grabs Anna. Anna screams. Yaffa, her mother, runs to her. Yaffa is pulled to the snow by steel helmets. Anna too.
Anna! Anna look at me my Anna! Yaffa screams. Look at me Anna! Look only at me! I love you!
There is shouting in a language that Anna does not know. A rifle butt hits Anna in the back. She stumbles onto her knees and a foot pushes her head into the snow. Her view is skewed and her crying freezes her cheek to the snow. One eye is on her mother. The other sees only cold and black. She feels bitter metal at the base of her neck. Yaffa’s eyes grow wide and tears stream out as if the world is crying through her mother.
“Anna! Keep your eyes on me! I love you. I love you! God has his eyes on you!” A fourth crack. And blood streams down Yaffa’s face which is frozen in a smile. Her head falls forward and the winter is stained with crimson. Anna screams in unrecognizable grief. The scream is cut short. The group is shrunk by five.
Chaim’s wife and child are dead and he does not look. He does not dare. He wishes only for his winter hat for his ears are stinging. His bald head is cold. He passes a frozen child no more than three. Its eyes have been plucked out by the birds and its flesh is frozen black. Then another body and another. There are groups of bodies now. They lie on the road where they died or were murdered. The Goyim have killed the whole world he thinks to himself.
He finally sees the end of the road. There is a shallow pit. In contains boys men women girls babies children teens old people young people rich people rabbis doctors homeless lawyers students professors teachers dentists shop keepers fathers daughters mothers sons grandfathers uncles grandmothers aunts scientists veterans historians philosophers taxi drivers pilots carpenters nurses poor wealthy singers actors plumbers clerks waitresses doormen businessmen lovers blacks gypsies gays handicapped deaf blind mutes athletes neighbors politicians.
All Human. The Goyim have killed the whole world.
A twelve year old boy stands on the side of the road. He throws rocks at the line of the unclean, the undesirables. The rocks blacken eyes and break noses, but no one dares to glare at the boy. He has blue eyes.
A steel helmet motions to the pit. Chaim follows the other sheep to the pit.
Stand here. The steel helmet says. And they do. Chaim has a hard time standing on the bodies they keep cracking and rolling under him. A doctor’s teeth cave in under his feet and Chaim nearly falls into the pile of bodies. Hurry up. The steel helmet says. And they do. They are good sheep, these unclean. His ears are cold. If only he hadn’t dropped his hat, his ears might be warm one last time.Something metallic cycles through behind him. Chaim raises his hands above him
MY GOD! MY GOD! Why have you forsaken me?
He watches the men beside him crumple over. They fall as gavels onto the other dead unclean in the pit. He is left standing. He dares not look, but hope soars. They will let me go! I have not done such a bad thing and they know! I am free! My God will never forsake me!
Chaim waits an eternity then looks up toward the other side of the pit. A man with an officer’s hat is looking at him and smiling. Chaim smiles back. His smile explodes outward and his jaw lands on the bodies in front of him His corpse slumps forward and twitches.
And crimson stains the world.
Storied By Josh 