mattchatalot
Well-Known Member
Hello everyone! I thought I'd share my obsession, which is writing! I started almost two years ago and have grown into an excellent writer. I have written fan-fics, and now am in the process of finishing my first book! It's called The Blue-Star Warrior, and details about how my great-grandfather endured through two concentration camps during the Holocaust. Here is the prologue... enjoy!
Prologue:
Journal of Marcus Sternblau:
10. November 1938 ? Morning, 8 a.m.
Last day of Kristallnacht
I remember it like it was yesterday; black and white. The worst of days for all Jewish people. That day was ? and I still think of it as so ? the most frightening time of my life. It had a name of course, one that I dread to utter.
Kristallnacht; meaning Crystal Night in German. It was a series of attacks from Nazi-Germany in Austria. The constant drumming of bombs going off caused a harsh ringing in my ears. I was hiding in my homestead within the enclosed Austrian woods, to hide from the Germans amongst the busy streets. I was scared, but held up fine. That was when I heard the door leading outside knock.
?Achtung! (Attention)? a voice yelled from outside speaking in clear German. ?This is the Gestapo! Open this door at once, or you shall be shot!?
I then crawled out of the hiding place beneath the floorboards in the back room, went to the door, and opened it. In-front of me stood three clothed men. One of them, a Gestapo policeman and the other two being Waffen-SS officers. I was frightened, worried that I was in trouble.
The Gestapo policeman then said, ?You are Marcus Jonas Sternblau, yes? Good, step aside then.? He and the rest immediately entered without my consent. They began to walk about, as if they were looking for something.
?Is there something wrong?? I asked, confused and fearful. I hoped they had not come here to kill me.
One of the SS men then answered, ?On this day you are no longer a free Jew of Austria. By federal decree of the F?hrer, Adolf Hitler, you are to be taken at once to a camp in southern Poland and work for the Reich.?
I stood almost frozen when I realized what he was saying to me. Too afraid, I simply nodded and was about to be handcuffed when another voice from behind the two officers interrupted them.
?Wait! This one is mine,? a man who stood about 6? 2? said to the two shorter men. He appeared to be a more higher ranking than the SS men, evident from their widened eyes. His face was serious, intimidating, and authoritative; the same went for his thick fleshy lips. Though his hands were gloved, they appeared to be alike to vicious wolf paws. His broad shoulders combined with his bulky frame added menace to this already roguish figure.
One of SS men scoffed in sarcasm, ?By whose command do we owe this??
The taller man narrowed his eyes and stepped toward the SS men. In a cold voice he replied, ?Watch your tongue, idiot. The name is Scharf?hrer Volk Durban, for your information. I take orders from the Commandant of Dachau himself, Hans Loritz.?
Intimidated by the imposing man, the foolish SS and Gestapo officer retreated quickly without a trace.
After they were no longer in sight, Volk observed me with watchful eyes. ?Answer me honestly. Are you Marcus Jonas Sternblau?? he asked me sternly, more bold than the men before him.
?Yes I am,? I replied softly with a nod.
Volk pulled out a piece of paper, bearing the symbol of Nazi-Germany: a German Eagle holding a swastika, and began reciting from it.
?I have been assigned in the task of finding you,? he read while regarding me. ?You are to be taken to the work camp of Dachau at once. Your crime is to be determined; for now you are an enemy to the Reich, a Jew. Now if you comply quietly, I can promise your safety.?
I looked at him, perplexed for a moment. I had no say in this matter, so I decided to go along with it, seeing that I was promised protection if I cooperated. ?Very well,? I said with a deep breath. ?It appears I have no other choice, do I??
?No you don?t, Jew. Now, into the jeep. Jetzt! (Now)? he growled quietly, showing his annoyance of me.
Like a slave, I obeyed, and marched forward. He then stripped me of all my personal belongings that included all my jewelry, clothing, and Jewish related items.
Volk then led me to a jeep parked outside, and shoved me into one of the seats. As we were about to leave, the he looked at me with slight curiosity.
?You do know where you are going, right?? he asked, wondering if I knew or not.
To be honest, the thought of where I was being taken never crossed my mind at this point. I shook my head slowly, and there was a moment of silence before I asked, ?Do you know??
There was a faint pity in Volk?s eyes, though I did not know it was directed at me. He struggled to find the right words to deliver to me. ?Where you go, Herr Sternblau, know this. It will demand much from you, perhaps more than you can possibly handle; your labor, your respect, your vitality. I ask that you carry through all of it?s drudgery. Take these words with you, and never look back.?
That which he said to me now, did not and could not make any sense in my mind. What did he mean by, ?more than I can handle?? Surely he isn?t leading me to certain death... But later his advice would become my principles, to survive the great fires of Hell.
This is the start of my story, on how I survived this part of my life. My name is Marcus Jonas Sternblau, and I hope to enlighten you on this dark chapter of history: The Holocaust.
Prologue:
Journal of Marcus Sternblau:
10. November 1938 ? Morning, 8 a.m.
Last day of Kristallnacht
I remember it like it was yesterday; black and white. The worst of days for all Jewish people. That day was ? and I still think of it as so ? the most frightening time of my life. It had a name of course, one that I dread to utter.
Kristallnacht; meaning Crystal Night in German. It was a series of attacks from Nazi-Germany in Austria. The constant drumming of bombs going off caused a harsh ringing in my ears. I was hiding in my homestead within the enclosed Austrian woods, to hide from the Germans amongst the busy streets. I was scared, but held up fine. That was when I heard the door leading outside knock.
?Achtung! (Attention)? a voice yelled from outside speaking in clear German. ?This is the Gestapo! Open this door at once, or you shall be shot!?
I then crawled out of the hiding place beneath the floorboards in the back room, went to the door, and opened it. In-front of me stood three clothed men. One of them, a Gestapo policeman and the other two being Waffen-SS officers. I was frightened, worried that I was in trouble.
The Gestapo policeman then said, ?You are Marcus Jonas Sternblau, yes? Good, step aside then.? He and the rest immediately entered without my consent. They began to walk about, as if they were looking for something.
?Is there something wrong?? I asked, confused and fearful. I hoped they had not come here to kill me.
One of the SS men then answered, ?On this day you are no longer a free Jew of Austria. By federal decree of the F?hrer, Adolf Hitler, you are to be taken at once to a camp in southern Poland and work for the Reich.?
I stood almost frozen when I realized what he was saying to me. Too afraid, I simply nodded and was about to be handcuffed when another voice from behind the two officers interrupted them.
?Wait! This one is mine,? a man who stood about 6? 2? said to the two shorter men. He appeared to be a more higher ranking than the SS men, evident from their widened eyes. His face was serious, intimidating, and authoritative; the same went for his thick fleshy lips. Though his hands were gloved, they appeared to be alike to vicious wolf paws. His broad shoulders combined with his bulky frame added menace to this already roguish figure.
One of SS men scoffed in sarcasm, ?By whose command do we owe this??
The taller man narrowed his eyes and stepped toward the SS men. In a cold voice he replied, ?Watch your tongue, idiot. The name is Scharf?hrer Volk Durban, for your information. I take orders from the Commandant of Dachau himself, Hans Loritz.?
Intimidated by the imposing man, the foolish SS and Gestapo officer retreated quickly without a trace.
After they were no longer in sight, Volk observed me with watchful eyes. ?Answer me honestly. Are you Marcus Jonas Sternblau?? he asked me sternly, more bold than the men before him.
?Yes I am,? I replied softly with a nod.
Volk pulled out a piece of paper, bearing the symbol of Nazi-Germany: a German Eagle holding a swastika, and began reciting from it.
?I have been assigned in the task of finding you,? he read while regarding me. ?You are to be taken to the work camp of Dachau at once. Your crime is to be determined; for now you are an enemy to the Reich, a Jew. Now if you comply quietly, I can promise your safety.?
I looked at him, perplexed for a moment. I had no say in this matter, so I decided to go along with it, seeing that I was promised protection if I cooperated. ?Very well,? I said with a deep breath. ?It appears I have no other choice, do I??
?No you don?t, Jew. Now, into the jeep. Jetzt! (Now)? he growled quietly, showing his annoyance of me.
Like a slave, I obeyed, and marched forward. He then stripped me of all my personal belongings that included all my jewelry, clothing, and Jewish related items.
Volk then led me to a jeep parked outside, and shoved me into one of the seats. As we were about to leave, the he looked at me with slight curiosity.
?You do know where you are going, right?? he asked, wondering if I knew or not.
To be honest, the thought of where I was being taken never crossed my mind at this point. I shook my head slowly, and there was a moment of silence before I asked, ?Do you know??
There was a faint pity in Volk?s eyes, though I did not know it was directed at me. He struggled to find the right words to deliver to me. ?Where you go, Herr Sternblau, know this. It will demand much from you, perhaps more than you can possibly handle; your labor, your respect, your vitality. I ask that you carry through all of it?s drudgery. Take these words with you, and never look back.?
That which he said to me now, did not and could not make any sense in my mind. What did he mean by, ?more than I can handle?? Surely he isn?t leading me to certain death... But later his advice would become my principles, to survive the great fires of Hell.
This is the start of my story, on how I survived this part of my life. My name is Marcus Jonas Sternblau, and I hope to enlighten you on this dark chapter of history: The Holocaust.
