When the shower stopped

As she entered the shower her thoughts were about her family. Only of her family. Not herself because her end was coming very soon. Were they still alive? And if they were, what an existence! They were taking her life but the fire in her heart would never be existinguished. There would be a reckoning. As they closed the metal door hastily behind her she heard gunfire and shouting. The gas never came. The door opened. The G.I. looked at her with pity.

"My God, the stories are true... not a trick," he said.

A mirror would not have done her a better justice than the look on his face at the sight of her. She collasped in a heap of anguish and weakness. Some of the others did the same, while some just looked blankly at the G.I.

"News of my family?" she said in german. He only stared at her with sympathy and offered his canteen.

She grabbed the canteen. Her arm fell with the wieght of it. The soldier grabbed the canteen and opened it for her. He put it to her lips. She took a sip and coughed.

"Danke," she said.

The soldier smiled as the others crept slowly towards him holding thier hands out.

Weakened whispers of "Wasser" filled the vast room.

More soldiers appeared in giant iron frame of the door. She noticed they had a red cross on thier sleeves and she knew what that meant. A much better thing than what her family were forced to wear on their sleeves.
"Gott sei Dank* ," she managed. "Gott sei Dank..."


*Thank God