Chapter One
Germany, 1943
They march through our streets like they are welcome. They tear through houses as guests. They salute, shouting “Heil Hitler!” for everyone, as though everyone agrees. Because everyone has to agree.
My name is Emilia, meaning “rival” in Latin. I am fourteen, and I am a German Jew, one of the few left in this country. One of the few to realize the lies that Hitler spoke in his speeches on the radio that played in our dining room.
Mutter and Vater are as good as the Nazis. They left behind their religion. They salute with the other troops. They send their child to be a “Hilter Girl”, insisting that I am now his child. I call my own parents Frau Muller and Herr Muller. We are not even allowed to shake hands. Not that Mutter and Vater even care. They eat their rich food, not even realizing that this food was harvested by hard-working people that are now stuck in prison camps. It’s disgusting.
“Emilia!”
I turned sharply, my face softening when I spotted my “best friend”, Sophie, running up to me, dressed in full Hitler Girl uniform. Sophie was one of those girls that you are supposed to be friends with. With her blond hair, blue eyes, and slim figure, I used her to cover up the fact that I was Jewish. Sure, maybe it wasn’t the nicest thing I had ever done, but when it’s a choice between life and death, you have to grasp anything that works in your favor.
“Aren’t you going to meet the new recruit?” Sophie asked, referring to the announcement given a couple days ago, telling all of us Girls to meet in front of the school, to meet Gretchen Winter, the newest Hitler Girl in our squad. “Sure! I’m so excited to meet her!” I lied, faking a perfect smile. When you are one of the last Jews in Germany, you have to perfect lying techniques. “I heard she was one of the highest ranking Girls in her last League, and won so many awards that she was sent here!” Sophie rambled, leading the way to the school.
The League of German Girls (a.k.a Hitler Girls) were waiting outside of the school when we arrived. Gruppenführerin Scheider, our group leader, clapped her hands sharply, before leading an older girl dressed in a full uniform dotted with small badges and metals forward. “This is Gretchen Winter, Girls, and she is the newest member of our squad.” the Gruppenführerin announced, and Gretchen smiled at us all. She had long blond hair and blue eyes, with pale white skin and big front teeth. Her smile was slightly crooked, and her nose had a small pimple on it.
“Guten Tag, everyone,” she grinned, looking down at us all like we were tiny little ants waiting to be squashed. “I am so very excited that I get to join you. Gruppenfuhrer explained that I will be in charge of you while she is off on her trip to meet the Fuhrer himself!” Everyone politely clapped, and I joined them, but inside I was panicking. This girl was to be in charge of us while Scheider was gone?
The Gruppenfuhrer stepped up, waving a hand at the school behind her. “This, Girls, is a Jewish school, led by a Jewish man, full of Jewish students,” she announced, spitting out the word “Jewish” like it was dirt. “You will all be in charge of collecting all of the paper, all of the books, and all of the students out of this school. They do not belong here. Gather all of the books and papers here in the middle of the street. They are not to be used anymore by such filth.” Everyone obeyed, and I forced myself to follow. I gathered an armful of books, hastily dumping them in the middle of the street where Schneider instructed, before slowly walking back up the steps of the school to get more. Sophie pushed kids younger than herself out of the school.
I was honestly surprised that Hitler assigned The League of German Girls to empty a school. Usually, it was the Hitler Youth that got assigned such evil.
“It’s empty!” Sophie shouted to the Gruppenfuhrerir, who nodded to a group of Nazis patrolling the streets. They quickly moved, though I didn’t see what they were doing until it was too late. The smell of burning ink filled the air, and I gasped as the books went up in flames. Pages of work fluttered into the air, before being consumed by the fire. The Nazis pushed all of the Jewish schoolchildren into the back of a truck, ignoring their desperate cries.
“Don’t worry, Fraulein, you’re safe now,” one of the Nazis said to me before driving away.