Hostage

2023 Write Now Winner - Grades 5 & 6

Ada looked at the dogs she was walking. She swished her brown hair and squinted her dark blue eyes, trying to look as casual as possible. She loved to do it but walking dogs wasn’t really her priority. Being an Ally in Germany during World War II was very dangerous but Ada had a system to getting information to the brave Allies. She would carry important papers in what looked like an unbanned book. Then she would walk the dogs to the spy’s house who would receive the them. Sometimes with a paperclip to signal that it was urgent.

Ada put her hand into her navy coat pocket to keep warm and felt the paper clip. She was getting quite cold, but not from the icy wind, but from the Hitler Youth children that were staring her down. Are they on to me? Ada felt a chill running through her spine. She gave the battle hungry Nazis a respectful nod. Though she hated their education, their red, black, and white Swastikas on their arms, and their hatred for non-Aryans, she kept walking as if none of this terrible stuff ever happened to the fragile world.

“What book is that?” One kid, maybe fourteen, gave her a hard look. She froze. They were on to her.

“Mein Kampf,” Ada said, worried her voice might be shaking. “The autobiography of the Fuhrer.”

 “We’re not too sure about that,” said the boy. He swished his blonde hair and anyone could see his hunger for death in his icy blue gaze. He had a crooked nose and Ada could see his muscles rippling through his dark green uniform.

He grabbed the book from her tight grip that was causing her hand to turn white. He opened it. Ada tensed up. He read a few words. Her stomach did a few back flips. The German Shepard, Bruce, started growling and barking, his black face ready to kill.

“RUHIGER DUMMER HUND!” The Hitler Youth child yelled, which meant “SHUT UP STUPID DOG!” as he hit Bruce with a thick, long wooden stick. Ada winced as she heard his yelping. And at that moment Ada realized in horror that the young Nazi wasn’t speaking German when he addressed her book, but in English. He was testing her. If she answered in German, all was well, but if in English, only God knows what he will do to her.

“Ich war- “Ada started, but the German boy interrupted.

“Is this information for the Allies?” he said very softly which made it even more terrifying. “I don’t think we tolerate that. Right, boys?”

Everyone around murmured their agreement as he started to put handcuffs on her. Ada wriggled and fought back, elbowing him right in the chest. She took off, the dogs barking and howling as they ran, too. She couldn’t run to an Ally’s house, they would be killed, or worse. A friend would also be arrested for helping a criminal. She had nowhere to run and, as she looked around at the buildings and short grass and bushes, nowhere to hide.

She felt herself fall. Then. Nothing.

Next thing she knew as she woke up was she was in prison, ready be transported to a concentration camp. She looked around and saw two others curled up in balls, shaking, and beaten to bits.

“We need to get out!” Ada said. She couldn’t tell if she said that too quiet or too loud.

“You’re kidding,” said a woman quietly. Though Ada’s vision was still blurry after supposedly hitting her head, she could make out the woman’s disheveled brown hair and baggy brown eyes. She still couldn’t tell if it was her skin that was dark or from dirt or bruises. Most likely all of the above, Ada thought.

“No. No I am not.” Ada stared at the woman and saw the desperation in her eyes now that her vision was clearing up. Ada’s determined gaze softened as she walked over to the woman and sat down next to her. “What is your name. And why are you here?” She hated asking that question, but she had to.

“Ch-Ch-Chaya,” The woman stuttered. She pointed at another woman across the room. “I’m a Jew. She hid me.”

Ada gasped. Elke was the woman she saw, dried blood all over her. She was an Ally that she went to give information to every day. Ada didn’t bother asking what happened in full detail. She knew it would result in emotional pain.

Chaya got up and Ada supposed she knew that if they didn’t get out, a fate worse than dreaded death would arise. Chaya called for Elke who slowly got up and walked toward the bars. Ada did that same, but faster.

“Hey Nazi!” Ada yelled at a nearby guard.

The Nazi marched enthusiastically toward them. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Ada took her paperclip out of her pocket and jammed it in his eye. He yelled causing the other guards to run to it. Ada looked at the paperclip. She had prepared for this moment to use a paperclip to escape. She tried picking the lock as the Nazis drew closer. Closer. Closer. Got it! Ada opened the door and gestured for Elke to go first.

“No, I can’t go,” Elke rasped. “I’m too slow. Too weak to go on. I’ll distract them and lead them the wrong way. You are too important.”

Ada could see there was no changing her mind. So, she and Chaya ran out the door. Ada was significantly faster, but they kept ahead. As they ran they could hear the Nazis questioning Elke. She could hear the laughter in their voices as they started beating Elke.

Ada ran out the door the attacked Nazi used to be guarding. They breathed in fresh air as they ran to the dark green forest.

This would be a perfect place to escape Germany!

“Let’s go!” Ada smiled.