Hanna

~ A standalone historical flash fiction piece ~

We’re taking a little break from the Colours Of The World series in today’s post with a standalone flash fiction piece I wrote a little while ago, inspired by memories of the film One Life.

Enjoy!

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Hanna yanked the stack of documents from where they lay on the desk. Quickly checking that they were all there, she stepped outside.

As she strode down the street, her eyes took in the giant swastikas hanging from each house.

She looked away.

Another image replaced the first in her mind, and she bit her lip.

Blond hair. Blue eyes. Black suit.

She shoved the thought away as a lump rose in her throat.

It only took her a few moments to reach her destination. She stepped through the gates of Valriy train station, holding the papers beneath her coat.

Once she reached the platform, a young woman with urgent eyes approached her.

Her blonde hair whipped around her shoulders, and behind her, a group of haggard, shivering children stood.

The young woman took Hanna’s arm and pulled her towards the platform’s edge.

“Do you have the papers?” Her voice could barely be heard over the noise of the crowd, but the words came out sharply through her tight lips.

Hanna nodded. She grabbed the documents from her coat, quickly moving to each child and tucking one into their pockets.

The other young woman cast a stricken glance towards the end of the station. She turned back to Hanna. “Where is Mikel?”

“I don’t know, Rosa. He said he needed to go to Josef for something, but he never came back.” Hanna swallowed. “Let’s hope he made it there.”

Rosa’s eyes flashed as she looked once more towards the tracks, then back to her sister. “Hanna, we have to leave. The SS are almost here; this is our last shipment. We can’t keep this up.”

“I know. Mikel said this would be our last chance to get out.”

In the distance, a whistle blew sharply.

Hanna nudged the children a little closer to the edge of the platform, constantly searching the crowd behind them over her shoulder.

A moment later, a train pulled into the station, sparks flying as its wheels screamed in protest.

The instant the doors were open, Hanna and Rosa urged the children onto the train.

“Don’t stop, and don’t look back.”

Across the station, harsh voices filled the air, soon echoed by shrieks of terror.

A group of six SS officers shoved their way through the crowd.

The train whistled again.

With one last furtive glance over the station, Rosa jumped onto the train and turned back to help Hanna on.

No.

Something was pulling Hanna back. She couldn’t get on that train. She couldn’t leave.

But Rosa…

She looked up at her sister, whose eyes were wide with terror.

Hanna faltered for a moment.

Then her jaw hardened and her eyes filled with tears. “Go, Rosa,” she choked. “I have to stay, there are more children who need help. I can’t leave now, not after Moses. They don’t know who I am yet, so I- I’ll be safe. Get them to safety, Rosa, and once this war is over, I will find you-” She couldn’t finish, almost flinching at the torn chasm in her sister’s eyes.

Rosa opened her mouth to speak, but the train wrenched away.

On the platform, Hanna turned and bit her lip. She shut her eyes tightly, but that didn’t stop the memory.

She could still see every detail of his desperate face before the Nazi officer pulled the trigger.

Shaking brown eyes. The torn green coat. And…. and the faded yellow star.

A sob tore from her throat, but she pushed it down, clenching her teeth.

I won’t let it happen again, Moses. Never again, ahuvi.

She dragged herself away from the edge of the platform, scanning the crowd with wet eyes. An SS officer shoved past her, but it was too late for him. The train had left.

Oh, help them, Adonai. Please help them.

Hannah swallowed down her tears and sucked in a breath. She forced away the doubts that were rapidly filling her mind and stepped forwards.

As she left the train station, her steps led in a clear path towards the one place in the whole town that was so fiercely despised.

The Ghetto.