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Fredrick was in the distance making his normal rounds and his black helmet bobbed up and down like a crow strutting around a cornfield. The radio crackled, "Steffen, the order came that this village is going to be targeted." "Targeted for what?" "For extermination. Commander Heydrich was killed. A message the SS found hinted that the assassins had a link here. Tomorrow more soldiers will come then we proceed to get revenge for his death." "What about the people?" Fredrick remained silent. "They can't just kill them," Steffen said. "I heard the orders came from the Fuhrer himself. The woman and children will be sent to Ravensbruck. The men killed." He stopped talking when Julia walked toward him. "What's keeping you?" He shut off the radio and tried to speak but no words came out. "Well?" "Nothing, you look beautiful." "You just love me because you're lonely." "That is not true. It's because you're the prettiest girl in Czechoslovakia." "What about Germany?" "Yes, and I'm not lonely. I have Fredrick." She laughed. He wanted to warn her but if she told the others, he would be killed or worse. He has seen what the SS can do. She smiled at him and his heart fluttered. He remembered the first day he saw her. She walked through the village carrying flowers in a basket decorated with pink bows that matched the ones in her hair. He watched her plant wildflowers that bloomed under her tender care. They were sent here to patrol the village looking for resistance fighters and everyone despised the sight of him. But she brought him food and companionship when he was alone. He loved the way she tucked her hair behind her ears when she talked. And the way she pronounced the German words she learned from him. They watched the stars together, and then one night with gunshots echoing in the distance, she held his hand. They became lovers after that. They were often together despite the stares of the other villagers. The sound of explosions in the distance reverberated through the air and brought him back to the reality of the present. It meant war was not far away. Then, she grasped his hand and he felt warmth spread through his body and he knew how much he desired her. They walked to an empty barn on the outskirts of the village. The field around it was rutted and torn up by tanks and trucks that rumbled through it in the recent past. The family abandoned it after that and left for parts unknown. They pushed the creaky doors in and saw two stray dogs. They growled until Julia approached them. "Nice dogs," she whispered. Steffen gripped his gun. She reached out a hand and the dogs approached, then sniffed and licked her. She petted the dogs and they succumbed to her charm. "Come on," she said and signaled him to follow. She climbed up a crooked ladder to the loft. "Careful," he said. The loft groaned under their weight. They sat on a bed of straw and she kissed him. "Julia, I have to sneak you out of Lidice." "Why?" "I can't tell you." "Why not?" If he told her she would warn the others. He had to help her escape without telling her why. "Can you just please leave tonight?" "No. I'm not just leaving everyone I know without a reason." "Just go to Prague. Do it because I love you." "I can't leave without telling anyone. Why are you acting like this?" He looked into her blue eyes and his resolve weakened. "It's your country's fault. They killed Heydrich, the SS commander. Now, they want revenge." "Here?" She stood up and clenched her fists. "Someone intercepted a message and they think it originated from here." "But they already searched all the houses and found nothing when you arrived." "It doesn't matter. They just want revenge. I'm afraid of losing you. I want to marry you." "That's not possible." "Why?" "Would your country allow that?" "I don't know. Just leave while you can then I'll come find you when this is over." "What about the others?" "They mustn't be told." "They will be killed?" "I hate you." She slapped him across the face and grabbed onto the ladder then climbed down. He heard her crash when she missed the bottom steps. She stormed out followed by the stray dogs then slammed the door behind her. A tear cooled the hot red mark on his face from her slap. There was an eerie silence until the hoot of a mournful owl filled the night air like it knew the doom that was to come. Steffen awoke to the sound of engines as a parade of jeeps and trucks entered the town. He looked out the barn window and saw that villagers walked out to watch the arrival of more soldiers while shading their eyes from the sun. It filled him with sadness and he wished it was a rainy day. It would be more fitting. A few children ran around playing games as the jeeps lined up on the street. It's better they don't know what is going to happen he tried to convince himself. He walked past the curious people and toward the center of town where Fredrick waited. It became quiet when the soldiers stopped the jeeps and lined up. A man holding a map got out and then proceeded to give instructions to bring all the residents to the center of town. Steffen ran toward Julia's house. He hoped she'd snuck away in the night. She had no family here since her father disappeared while serving in the army and her mother died. To his dismay her door opened and she stepped out. "Julia? Why didn't you leave?" "I'm not going to run away from my friends and neighbors while they are killed because I failed to warn them." "Why didn't you tell them?" She just looked at him. His radio crackled, "Steffen, you better come here. The major wants everyone to report to him now." A soldier came up to them. "That lady is to report to the school," he said. The soldier saw Steffen and left. "Julia, don't go. They'll send you to Ravensbruck. I heard stories about that place. Nobody survives there." Shots filled the area causing a flock of crows to take to flight. A few moans could be heard from the barn where they first made love. "What's going on?" "It's started. Come with me, we'll run away." "Where can we go?" "I don't know. Anywhere as long as we're together." "It's too late for that," she said. He should have thought of it sooner. His parents worked in factories in Munich and his sister was recently married. It would hurt them if he disappeared but he would have done it to save Julia. Time ran out as more gunshots filled the air. "They're killing the men." She tried to run toward them but he grabbed her by the waist. "No, they'll kill you." "Let me go." "I can't lose you." He led her to the school. "I will think of something." She gave up when she saw all the soldiers in the town square. She looked up at him as he held her in front of the school. "I didn't tell anyone because I knew they would kill you," she said. "I…" The major saw them and yelled out, "Put her in the school. Here comes the truck." A large truck parked near the front of the school. The soldiers forced the woman and children to board it. Julia stood at the end of the line. She slumped down and flinched every few seconds. She was crying. It felt like his heart broke and the pieces fell into his stomach. He had to do something. What could he do? He tried to think and paced around the jeeps while the misery spread. Children called for their fathers while mothers sobbed and cried for mercy. The once happy school became a place of sadness. A grim line formed to enter the trucks. They looked like mourners at a funeral. If he didn't do something now he would never see her again. He saw her blonde hair start to flutter when the wind increased. The woman all sobbed and cried when the line shuffled forward. Blonde hair. Lebensborn. "Major," he yelled. "Yes, what is it?" "That woman with blonde hair is pregnant." He pointed at Julia. "From you?" "Yes." "Good job. Now she can have the baby in Ravensbruck." "I wanted to ask about her going into a Lebensborn home. She has blonde hair and blue eyes. I want to take care of the child." The major thought for a while. "You there." He pointed at a chubby soldier sitting on a stump. "Get that blonde hair girl and bring her here." "Thank you." "Himmler will thank you. It's his program." The chubby shoulder dragged her over while she struggled to get free. "Send her back to the medical unit in Prague. Tell them that she is for the Lebensborn program." "Yes sir." He forced her into the jeep. "Steffen, where are they taking me?" Julia yelled out. "To a safe place." "Why?" The jeep started forward. "To have a baby." "I'm not pregnant." The jeep drove away. He saw her look back once and hoped they wouldn't find that out for a few months. Fredrick called him on the radio, "Come join the fun. It's like shooting fat pigs. They just stand there." He heard shots and laughter coming from the barn. He ran toward it. Inside, men lay on the floor while circles of crimson grew under them. A few soldiers picked through the dead men's pockets. The remaining men from the village huddled in the corner. Fredrick pointed a rifle at one of them. "No," Steffen yelled and knocked him to the ground. He pummeled him with fists while Fredrick tried to block his punches. A strong hand grabbed him by the collar and threw him against the wall. "Take him out." When the major saw him he shook his head.
"I don't know what is wrong with you. It must be because
you're going to be a father. Instead of shooting you I'm sending
you to the Russian front. The truck left with the woman and children
to Ravensbruck. He shivered at that thought and wondered if he
could have done more. The soldiers weren't finished until they
destroyed and burnt every house and even toppled every tombstone
in the cemetery. There was nothing left. Lidice had vanished. Steffen limped to the spot where Julia's house used to stand. He reached down with his hand and picked up a clump of purple heather. It felt soft on his hand and filled the space left by the loss of two of his fingers. He put it up to his nose and hoped to smell traces of Julia. Only a few women returned from Ravensbruck. Eighty two children died. The wind changed directions and he heard a soft voice. A boy with blonde hair ran up to him, "Mister, you want to see the garden my mother planted?" "Steffen, leave that man alone." It made him stop. He knew that voice. He looked up. The face looked older and the eyes emptier but she was beautiful. "Julia." "Steffen, this is your son." He fell to his knees. "I'm sorry." He cried. She reached down and touched his face. "You saved my life." "But how?" he pointed at the boy. "It turns out that I was pregnant." Julia smiled. The boy ran over and asked, "Are you okay, mister." "I'm wonderful." He looked into her eyes. She smiled and helped him up, then held his hand while they walked toward the center of Lidice where a field of wildflowers had started to bloom.
William Falo lives in Southern New Jersey with his wife and two daughters. His fiction has appeared in the Northwoods Journal, 55 words, Zapata, Pens on Fire, Brilliant, Bewildering Stories, Long Story Short, The Greensilk Journal, Yellow Mama, Shalla Magazine, Skive Magazine, ShatterColors Literary Review, Sage of Consciousness, Bartleby-Snopes, Delinquent, Mississippi Crow, 34th Parallel, The Bottom of the World, Frame Lines, Delivered, eMuse, and Shine and is forthcoming in Cantaraville.
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