Forbidden [Jannah and Savanna]

The sun began to set on the cold winter evening in the city of Reines, Germany. The Nazi soldiers had come to the city a couple of weeks ago and were already enforcing new strict laws. All Jews must be in their homes before sunset, all others had a curfew of 8 P.M. A young woman with a grey wool coat and white hat walked quickly down an alley then stopped and hid once she heard the sound of a soldiers boots walking in the road. He passed, not noticing her, then she began walking again. She knew the price of being caught even 10 minutes after curfew. They would either shoot her on site, or take her away like they had done to the Wurdingers and the Kieblewskis family. Cosette darted across the street into another alleyway. She was close to home now, only another 3 blocks.

Again. Night duty. Dietrich didn't have much love for patrolling the streets at night, but as a good German and a good Nazi he was expected to do the jobs he was given by his superiors. They had explained to him about the enforced curfew for all the Jewish citizens of the city before assigning everybody their jobs. "That should keep the pigs out of trouble. We don't want them robbing or assaulting us good Germans do we?" he listened to his superior and realized he had a point. He was doing this to protect civilians and he knew it was better than being sent to the eastern front.

Dietrich was doing another round of his given region when he noticed somebody from the corner of his eye. Somebody had just ran into an ally way. "It must be another one." he muttered to himself, getting closer to investigate. His eyes scanned the body of the person now standing in front of him. She didn't look much like a "proper" German as Dietrich had been taught. "Where do you think you're going, miss?"

Cosette stiffened when she heard the officer speak to her. Out of reflex she tucked the black strands of hair behind her ear quickly. "Home." She answered. Her eyes fixated on the ground, she knew she was in trouble. Some Jews got off because they had the features of a German. Cosette, however, had black hair, a soft face, and the oblongated triangle shaped nose. Both her parents were Jewish, as were their parents. She fixated her eyes on the gun straped to the soldiers side, wondering if it had ever been used.

Dietrich just nodded. He was was skeptical of the woman's intentions, but wasn't going to strike. Not yet. "ID, please." All Jews had been subjected to many methods of being singled out and this was just one more. Dietrich had to be sure before acting although he was already quite positive this woman was a Jew.

"Where do you live? I don't think an...ally way is going to get you there." Dietrich paused for a moment surveying his surroundings. He did find it slightly odd they had met up in an ally way unless the woman was intentionally trying to dodge authorities. It was futile. She was cornered now. Another game of cat and mouse. Dietrich had thought about his youth days growing up with his passionate Nazi father. "They're all parasites. Just catch them!" he had often overheard his father raging every time the Führer spoke of "Germany's problem".

Now Dietrich had found himself in the exact role his father would have wanted. This brought a smile to his face as he stared into the very soul of this Jewish girl, awaiting her response. It was easy, right?

A cruel smiled surfaced on the face of the soldier and it made her chest feel like it was caving in. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a coin purse, inside was her folded ticket to death. She handed it to him shaking. She knew she could not run, there was no getting out. "I live close to here. Please, I was visiting family across town and lost track of time. It won't happen again,"Cosette pleaded. She could feel his intentions, the look in his eyes said it all. "Please just let me go.." She whispered as a tears began to pool in her eyes. The beating of her heart rang in her ears. Cosette closed her eyes as she waited for a responce. Or a gunshot.

"I figured." Dietrich said, inspecting the woman's ID card and then her. She had dark hair, so much in contrast to his own blonde. He was as German as they came, even going back many generations. This girl obviously was not. She probably came from Poland or something. Many of the Jews did.

Dietrich set his hands on his gun just as he noticed the woman's pleading and then the tears running down her face. He began to hesitate. This wasn't right. He had been taught what to do with the pigs yet this woman was harder. Why? Dietrich realized that maybe he was actually feeling sympathy for her, not wanting blood on his hands. No. No, I can't be. Now is not the time. She broke the law. He was caught in a dilemma between heart and mind.

"Just go and don't let me catch you here again." Dietrich removed his hands from the gun, handing the woman's documents back to her. He just couldn't do it. There would be no bloodshed from him, not tonight. He began to feel uneasy on the inside. If the reports of this got back to Berlin his father would surely find out, being a high official in The Party. "This will be our little secret, alright." he quickly added, winking in the direction of the girl. Despite being the enemy she had been pleasing to stare at, if even briefly.

"Thank you, Officer, thank you," Cosette said in disbelief as she took her paper back and tucked it inside her coin purse. She stepped backwards away from him a few feet, then turned and began to run. She wasn't going to give him a chance to change his mind. When she arrived home a pleasant peace rained over her. She had escaped punishment and was now safe. Her parents were already asleep by the time she had gotten home. They went to sleep when the sun went down, and woke up when it was rising. They had done this even before the curfew was established. Cosette sat in the living room, looking out the window as she watched the soldiers pacing up and down the streets. Who was the soldier that had let her go? Why had he let her go? So many questions crossed her mind.

Dietrich wasn't sure whether to be relieved or scared that the girl was now gone. He felt that he had let down his father and his country while emotions had taken over. At least she was gone now and nobody had been nearby to witness it. There was something about her though, something that had kept him from picking up that gun and shooting. This was something he continued to ponder.

"It's morning already?" Dietrich tried to shut out the sun blaring in his face as he woke up the next morning. He had returned home last night rather sullen, thinking about his actions previously. This had kept him up much of the night, but it led to one conclusion: he wanted to seek her out again. There was something intriguing about her.

Cosette. That was her first name and one detail Dietrich could recall that would help him find this woman. He just wasn't sure where to start since somehow a Nazi tracking down a Jewish woman for any reason besides to arrest her didn't look very good in the eyes of the public. Now I'm in for it. I'll be dead for sure.

Cosette awoke the next morning with her face buried into the seat of her couch. Her parents were in the kitchen drinking coffee and talking about the Nazis. I sat up and listened to them speak to one another
"They are saying there are camps being set up where they send all the Jews in the southern states," Her mother said concerned.
"Don't believe everything you hear, Mary, I'm sure people are just over reacting," Her father responded. That was just like her father, to not be concerned with anything.Cosette went upstairs and changed into a long black skirt, a button up white blouse, and black heels. She thought of the soldier, and wondered if they would ever cross paths again. Cosette headed downstairs where she kissed her mother's cheek and said, "Im going to visit Grandma in the hospital".
"You sure have been spending alot of time with Bopsha, why don't you stay home today?" Her mother said combing through Cosette's hair with her fingers.
"Please mami, I just love her so much, I want to be there with her everyday. Ill pick up some grocheries while I'm out." Cosette said counting the coins in her purse.
"Well alright, but be home before dark. I know you were late yesterday." Mother pointed at her hastily. Cosette headed outside toward the corner bakery 6 blocks down.

Dietrich still wasn't sure where to begin his search, but at least he had a day off-duty. That was relieving at least. It would give him some time to think things over. However, in the meantime he was hungry and needed to head down to the bakery. He lived fairly close to there so it wouldn't take long to walk.

About 20 minutes or so later Dietrich arrived at the bakery. However, he was stopped in his tracks. This couldn't be fate, or could it? Right on the other side of the aisle was the girl from the other night. Cosette. It was her. She was unmistakable to him now. His first reaction had been to walk away in the opposite direction as he couldn't face confronting her again, but at the same time he didn't want to lose her. This was an opportunity, but would she recognize him out of uniform? It was at least worth a try.

"Good morning." Dietrich had discreetly greeted her, trying to avoid drawing too much attention to himself. This was to be a friendly chat between two strangers, nothing else.