JPTLW1993
09-20-2010, 03:56 PM
Elijah sat quietly by the window. The rain pelted the window like fear pelted his heart. Elijah’s father was sent into the war two years ago. Yesterday, Elijah’s mother received a letter. Her husband had been killed. Elijah and his mother are a Jewish family living in Warsaw during World War Two. Elijah’s family had many problems. His mother is dyslexic and paralyzed from the waist down. Elijah had been diagnosed with depression and has a bipolar disorder. Elijah just sat and watched the rain pelt the window. Then, Elijah heard a scream and gunshot. He ran down the rickety staircase that his father built to find his mother, lying at the bottom of the staircase in a puddle of blood. She was mumbling something. Elijah ran over to her. “Mama! Mama!” Elijah screamed. She spoke, “Coming…their coming.” Elijah shook his mother, but she didn’t respond. He laid her limp body down, and cried. Elijah felt as if someone had taken a dagger to his heart. He looked up to see the door was still open. He closed the door and ran upstairs, with tears following his footsteps. He lay down on to his cornhusk bed and started to cry like he did when he was an infant. He was an orphan now. A child with no mother or father. He looked out to window. The rain had gotten heavier, the storm causing the shutters to slam against the walls. Elijah opened the window, and stuck his head out. The rain splattered onto his head. Elijah grabbed the shutter, and tore it off its hinges. He threw it onto the ground below, and closed the window. He sat on his bed, and just started at the wall.
About thirty minutes later he heard a knock on the door. He walked down stairs, and gingerly stepped over the body of his mother, her pained expression stabbed at Elijah’s heart. He unlatched the door, and turned the handle open. He was greeted by an old woman dressed in a floor length cloak. “Hurry. Gather only what you need and come with me. All questions will be answered later.” the old woman said. Elijah nodded, and ran up the stairs. He threw open his bedroom door, and ran into his room. He picked up a pillow case off his bed, and tossed 3 days worth of clothes into the bag. Then he put his journal and pens into the bag, the picture of him and his parents, and his dad’s dog tag. He ran down the stairs, and stopped. He looked at his mother, her cold body on the floor before him. He knelt down, and kissed his mother. “I’m sorry mama,” he said, then walked out the door with the old woman. The woman led him to a truck with a canvas cover over the back. The woman moved one of the water soaked flaps away, and gestured for Elijah to get in. He crawled in the back, and the flap was shut. Through the dim moon light, Elijah saw three other people. In the corner near the cab were a man and a woman. By the way they talked and acted, they must be married. Complete opposite to them was a young boy, probably 3 years younger than Elijah. Elijah went to the free corner near the canvas, and looked out the flap. The truck started with a rumble, and moved off.
The storm was breaking up, and the moonlight became more present in the cabin. He could see the young couple pulling out some cornhusk from under the slats that made up the floor. They started to shove them into their jackets to make some pillows and cushioning. They then took some ripped canvas and used it as blankets and fell asleep side by side. Elijah looked over at the boy and saw him lying down with no blankets, pillows or cushioning. He felt sorry for the boy, and offered him his pillow case filled with clothes. “I couldn’t take from you. I will never take from anyone anymore!” The boy broke out in tears. “What do you mean anymore?” Elijah asked with a great sorrow. The boy stopped crying and answered,”One day I was walking home and I saw a bar of gold in a gutter. We were very poor so I picked it up and ran back home. My mom took the bar and, for the first time since I was born, she smiled. Then, two Nazis broke down our door and started shooting. My mother shoved me behind the couch and dropped the bar on the floor as she went behind a table. The Nazis stopped shooting, and looked around. They saw what they were looking for; the 24 c. bar of Nazi gold. He picked it up and was about to leave when my mom stood up and yelled for him to stop. She started yelling how we were so poor that that gold could keep us alive for 3 more months, just enough time for my baby sister to be born. The Nazi just turned around, pulled out a pistol and shot my mother through the skull. She fell down and died, and the Nazis left. All this time I believed that it was my fault my mother died and I vowed I will never take anything from anyone or anywhere again.” The boy curled up against the wall, and then cried himself to sleep. Elijah lifted the boy’s head up and laid the pillow under his head. He shouldn’t be blamed. Elijah then made himself a pile of cornhusk and lied down.
Elijah stayed up the whole night, lying on his back, staring at the canvas ceiling. The young boy snored, and Elijah found that comforting. It brought back memories of when it would be raining and Elijah would run into his parents’ room, and crawl in between his mother and father. His father had a faint snore, caused from a broken nose he got when he was 12. A tear rolled down Elijah’s cheek. Elijah went to wipe the tear, when someone else wiped it for him. It was the woman. She had been awake. “There, there…no need to cry,” the woman said in her thick Russian accent. She stroked Elijah’s hair, just like his mother used to. Elijah lied down, the woman still stroking his hair. Finally, Elijah fell asleep.
The morning sun crept into the cabin through the holes in the canvas. A bright light woke Elijah up. The woman had fallen asleep, her hand still entwined in his hair. Elijah decided not to wake her, and carefully moved her hand onto her chest, right over her heart. Elijah crawled over to the back flaps, and moved one aside. The truck was on a rocky path carved into a cliff. The wheels of the truck spat bits of rock out behind them. Elijah wondered where they were heading. Far below, at the base of the cliff, Elijah saw an army camp. He couldn’t tell if they were allies or Nazis until the American flag was raised on the flag pole. Allies. A burst of joy ran through Elijah. Allies were so near, the war must be closing. Elijah crawled back to his sleeping spot, and laid there.
The truck stopped suddenly, and Elijah saw the old woman run into the back. She was screaming, “Get down! Get down now!” The couple sprawled onto the floor, as did the old woman and Elijah. Elijah didn’t see the other boy. He went to turn his head when a bullet ripped through the canvas and hit the metal pole. Elijah now knew what was happening. A battle was going on and the truck was stopped. He heard screams, shouts, and gun fire. Then he heard an unmistakable scream. The scream of the young boy.
Elijah was paralyzed with fear. Fear from the gunfire, fear from the scream, and fear from the rocking of the truck. He knew the rocking was moving the truck towards the edge of the cliff. They were closer to the ground than before, but it was still a fifty foot fall. Elijah jumped up when he heard the first tire go over. He grabbed his bag, and ran out the back flaps. The married couple closely followed him, but before the old woman could get out, the Nazi brigade pushed the truck off the cliff. It fell to the ground, and then impacted with an explosion. A piece of shrapnel came up and hit one of the Nazis in the head. He dropped down dead. His fellow soldiers looked at him, crossed themselves, and pushed him off the cliff as well. The soldiers then looked up at where Elijah had been standing, but he was gone, as was the married couple.
Elijah ran along the road, the man holding one hand, the woman the other. They ran until they reached a climbable cliff. They climbed the small summit, and then collapsed onto a ground of moss and ferns. They were in a forest. Elijah had never seen a forest before. He learned about them in class, but he lived in a city. A city with no forest in sight. Elijah didn’t know what to do, so he crawled over to a tree, and passed out in its tangle of roots.
He awoke 12 hours later. The midnight moon was high above him and the couple. They lay, side by side, against a boulder. Elijah knew he couldn’t stay with them. They brought him too much pain of his parents. Elijah left them a note, and then climbed back down the mountain. He reached the road and went to where the fight had been. It was all over now, the only memory being a blood stain here and there and some cloth. Elijah walked along the road. When he reached the base of the cliff, he saw a port. A shipping port. Elijah started walking towards the small town.
When Elijah made it to town, he saw it was deserted. Windows were shut, doors locked, and shops closed. No smoke billowed from the factory’s smokestacks. No children were running around in the park. No merchants were haggling in the town square. It was empty, emptier than Elijah’s life. Elijah walked to the port, where a boat was docked. He wondered why a boat was in the deserted town. He walked down the wooden dock, and walked up to the man standing at the base of the gangplank. “What happened to the others?” the man asked Elijah. Elijah didn’t know what the man meant, and then he understood. The old woman must have arranged for them to go onto the boat. Elijah responded, “Their…ummm…dead.” The man was stricken by Elijah’s words, and then told Elijah to get on the boat. Elijah walked up the gangplank, and went to a room the man pointed him to. The plank was lifted and the boat set off.
Elijah walked into the room and put his bag down. He pulled out the picture of him and his parents, and just stared at it. The man walked into the room. “Elijah Polanski?” the man asked. “Yes, that is correct sir.” Elijah responded. He put the picture down. “Welcome aboard the Liberator. My name is Corporal Hair.” The man put out his hand, and Elijah shook it. The man spoke again, “We’re taking you to a place of freedom and opportunity.” Elijah knew of where he was going. He smiled for the first time since his mother died, knowing he was heading the America. The land of the free and the home of the brave.
About thirty minutes later he heard a knock on the door. He walked down stairs, and gingerly stepped over the body of his mother, her pained expression stabbed at Elijah’s heart. He unlatched the door, and turned the handle open. He was greeted by an old woman dressed in a floor length cloak. “Hurry. Gather only what you need and come with me. All questions will be answered later.” the old woman said. Elijah nodded, and ran up the stairs. He threw open his bedroom door, and ran into his room. He picked up a pillow case off his bed, and tossed 3 days worth of clothes into the bag. Then he put his journal and pens into the bag, the picture of him and his parents, and his dad’s dog tag. He ran down the stairs, and stopped. He looked at his mother, her cold body on the floor before him. He knelt down, and kissed his mother. “I’m sorry mama,” he said, then walked out the door with the old woman. The woman led him to a truck with a canvas cover over the back. The woman moved one of the water soaked flaps away, and gestured for Elijah to get in. He crawled in the back, and the flap was shut. Through the dim moon light, Elijah saw three other people. In the corner near the cab were a man and a woman. By the way they talked and acted, they must be married. Complete opposite to them was a young boy, probably 3 years younger than Elijah. Elijah went to the free corner near the canvas, and looked out the flap. The truck started with a rumble, and moved off.
The storm was breaking up, and the moonlight became more present in the cabin. He could see the young couple pulling out some cornhusk from under the slats that made up the floor. They started to shove them into their jackets to make some pillows and cushioning. They then took some ripped canvas and used it as blankets and fell asleep side by side. Elijah looked over at the boy and saw him lying down with no blankets, pillows or cushioning. He felt sorry for the boy, and offered him his pillow case filled with clothes. “I couldn’t take from you. I will never take from anyone anymore!” The boy broke out in tears. “What do you mean anymore?” Elijah asked with a great sorrow. The boy stopped crying and answered,”One day I was walking home and I saw a bar of gold in a gutter. We were very poor so I picked it up and ran back home. My mom took the bar and, for the first time since I was born, she smiled. Then, two Nazis broke down our door and started shooting. My mother shoved me behind the couch and dropped the bar on the floor as she went behind a table. The Nazis stopped shooting, and looked around. They saw what they were looking for; the 24 c. bar of Nazi gold. He picked it up and was about to leave when my mom stood up and yelled for him to stop. She started yelling how we were so poor that that gold could keep us alive for 3 more months, just enough time for my baby sister to be born. The Nazi just turned around, pulled out a pistol and shot my mother through the skull. She fell down and died, and the Nazis left. All this time I believed that it was my fault my mother died and I vowed I will never take anything from anyone or anywhere again.” The boy curled up against the wall, and then cried himself to sleep. Elijah lifted the boy’s head up and laid the pillow under his head. He shouldn’t be blamed. Elijah then made himself a pile of cornhusk and lied down.
Elijah stayed up the whole night, lying on his back, staring at the canvas ceiling. The young boy snored, and Elijah found that comforting. It brought back memories of when it would be raining and Elijah would run into his parents’ room, and crawl in between his mother and father. His father had a faint snore, caused from a broken nose he got when he was 12. A tear rolled down Elijah’s cheek. Elijah went to wipe the tear, when someone else wiped it for him. It was the woman. She had been awake. “There, there…no need to cry,” the woman said in her thick Russian accent. She stroked Elijah’s hair, just like his mother used to. Elijah lied down, the woman still stroking his hair. Finally, Elijah fell asleep.
The morning sun crept into the cabin through the holes in the canvas. A bright light woke Elijah up. The woman had fallen asleep, her hand still entwined in his hair. Elijah decided not to wake her, and carefully moved her hand onto her chest, right over her heart. Elijah crawled over to the back flaps, and moved one aside. The truck was on a rocky path carved into a cliff. The wheels of the truck spat bits of rock out behind them. Elijah wondered where they were heading. Far below, at the base of the cliff, Elijah saw an army camp. He couldn’t tell if they were allies or Nazis until the American flag was raised on the flag pole. Allies. A burst of joy ran through Elijah. Allies were so near, the war must be closing. Elijah crawled back to his sleeping spot, and laid there.
The truck stopped suddenly, and Elijah saw the old woman run into the back. She was screaming, “Get down! Get down now!” The couple sprawled onto the floor, as did the old woman and Elijah. Elijah didn’t see the other boy. He went to turn his head when a bullet ripped through the canvas and hit the metal pole. Elijah now knew what was happening. A battle was going on and the truck was stopped. He heard screams, shouts, and gun fire. Then he heard an unmistakable scream. The scream of the young boy.
Elijah was paralyzed with fear. Fear from the gunfire, fear from the scream, and fear from the rocking of the truck. He knew the rocking was moving the truck towards the edge of the cliff. They were closer to the ground than before, but it was still a fifty foot fall. Elijah jumped up when he heard the first tire go over. He grabbed his bag, and ran out the back flaps. The married couple closely followed him, but before the old woman could get out, the Nazi brigade pushed the truck off the cliff. It fell to the ground, and then impacted with an explosion. A piece of shrapnel came up and hit one of the Nazis in the head. He dropped down dead. His fellow soldiers looked at him, crossed themselves, and pushed him off the cliff as well. The soldiers then looked up at where Elijah had been standing, but he was gone, as was the married couple.
Elijah ran along the road, the man holding one hand, the woman the other. They ran until they reached a climbable cliff. They climbed the small summit, and then collapsed onto a ground of moss and ferns. They were in a forest. Elijah had never seen a forest before. He learned about them in class, but he lived in a city. A city with no forest in sight. Elijah didn’t know what to do, so he crawled over to a tree, and passed out in its tangle of roots.
He awoke 12 hours later. The midnight moon was high above him and the couple. They lay, side by side, against a boulder. Elijah knew he couldn’t stay with them. They brought him too much pain of his parents. Elijah left them a note, and then climbed back down the mountain. He reached the road and went to where the fight had been. It was all over now, the only memory being a blood stain here and there and some cloth. Elijah walked along the road. When he reached the base of the cliff, he saw a port. A shipping port. Elijah started walking towards the small town.
When Elijah made it to town, he saw it was deserted. Windows were shut, doors locked, and shops closed. No smoke billowed from the factory’s smokestacks. No children were running around in the park. No merchants were haggling in the town square. It was empty, emptier than Elijah’s life. Elijah walked to the port, where a boat was docked. He wondered why a boat was in the deserted town. He walked down the wooden dock, and walked up to the man standing at the base of the gangplank. “What happened to the others?” the man asked Elijah. Elijah didn’t know what the man meant, and then he understood. The old woman must have arranged for them to go onto the boat. Elijah responded, “Their…ummm…dead.” The man was stricken by Elijah’s words, and then told Elijah to get on the boat. Elijah walked up the gangplank, and went to a room the man pointed him to. The plank was lifted and the boat set off.
Elijah walked into the room and put his bag down. He pulled out the picture of him and his parents, and just stared at it. The man walked into the room. “Elijah Polanski?” the man asked. “Yes, that is correct sir.” Elijah responded. He put the picture down. “Welcome aboard the Liberator. My name is Corporal Hair.” The man put out his hand, and Elijah shook it. The man spoke again, “We’re taking you to a place of freedom and opportunity.” Elijah knew of where he was going. He smiled for the first time since his mother died, knowing he was heading the America. The land of the free and the home of the brave.