ProjectX2
Don't expect me to take you with me when I go to s
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Survival Of The Fittest
Craig McQuinn
Craig McQuinn
POLAND. 11 SEPTEMBER 1941.
I walk a lonely road
The only one I that have ever known
Don't know were it goes
But its home to me and I walk alone
The only one I that have ever known
Don't know were it goes
But its home to me and I walk alone
It had happened so quickly.
Nazi soldiers had marched into the small Polish village, firing their guns into the night and burning down buildings. It took them a single night to capture all the Polish-Jews living in the small village, and the next day they separated them. 12 boys were pulled out of a crowd, and were escorted off to a truck. Their families cried out for them, but were merely beaten back by the soldiers.
The boys wiped the tears out of their eyes as the truck pulled out of the village, unaware of the chance that they would ever see their families again.
The truck had stopped at a small abandoned prison, which the Nazi’s must have been using as a camp. As soon as the truck was brought to a halt, soldiers opened the back and pulled the boys out. The dirt ground was covered in dust; the chilly wind blew it into their eyes. They were pushed into a small room, which looked like it had once been used as a shower. The soldiers left, apart from one man. He was the leader. He was dressed in the typical Nazi uniform, complete with the Swastika on his jacket. His eyes were cold, and his moustache sat on top of a straight line which was supposedly a smile.
“You are about to participate in a game,” He stated with a raspy voice. His face was devoid of any human expression. “This game will require strength, speed, smarts and skills. To play this game, you need to survive.” He paused, presumably for effect. The boys stood still, too scared to do anything.
“You are in an abandoned prison, many miles away from the nearest town. Do not try to escape. You will be killed instantly. When the game has begun, you are free to go anywhere in the camp. I will return in 24 hours time, and whomever is left will be free to go, their family will not be gassed and their life will be restored.” The leader explained.
“Whomever is left?” One of the boys suddenly spoke up.
“Yes, the aim of the game is to make sure you are the last one standing. You will find various weapons around the camp, and you will kill your opponents with these weapons. If no one is dead by the time I get back, then my soldiers will kill you anyway.”
The boys were speechless and scared. They were all sweating, from the youngest to the oldest, and knew that they had to kill if they wanted to ever see their family again.
“Now… Take off your clothes.” The man demanded, without averting his eyes. The boys quickly obeyed, and were stripped naked in less than a minute.
“Good. The game will start once you all wake up in around an hour. I’ll see you in 24 hours after that.” He left the room, making sure to lock the heavy door behind him.
Before the boys could act, a green gas began to spray through the vents. It quickly filled the room, and the boys began to cough. It wasn’t lethal, but it was powerful enough to put them to sleep. After a few minutes, the last of the 12 boys dropped to his feet, and the game had begun.
Ben awoke with a start. He was lying on the ground, covered in dust. He jumped to his feet, and brushed off the dirt. How long had he been out? He wondered what the time was and looked at his watch. It was no longer there.
“Great.” He mumbled. The soldiers must have taken it. He realised he was no longer in his normal clothes either. The soldiers must have dressed him again. He presumed all the boys were wearing the same uniform, which was a dull grey colour. He was in some kind of barn, and made his way to the entrance. The Nazi’s had taken them in the morning, and had driven for about an hour until they had reached the camp. It had been another hour since he had been gassed, so it was probably around midday. The sun was hidden behind some clouds.
He didn’t want to kill. There had to be some other way around it. He wanted to see his family again. He had to escape, or think of some way out. Ben was fourteen, reasonably smart and quite athletic. He could get out of this place and rescue his family, if he could figure out a plan. And what if the soldiers caught him trying to escape? They would shoot him dead on the spot. He needed a weapon for protection. He wouldn’t kill anybody, he would just hold onto it. To make him feel safe.
He examined the barn walls. Immediately, he spotted a case on a shelf. Sure enough, when Ben opened the case, a small handgun fell out. It had a lot of ammo, which he placed in his pocket. The gun was already loaded, and he gripped it with his clammy hands. If he could find his friend, Daniel, they could work together to escape. And so, Ben left the barn carefully and safely, and began looking for Daniel.
David paced the house frantically. He didn’t know what to do. If he left the house, he was sure to be killed by one of the other boys. They would want to survive, and they would kill if they needed to. But David couldn’t. David couldn’t even kill a fly. He knew he would never see his family again. But there was one way…
He quickly got to work. He rummaged through draws in a cupboard until he found some rope. There was a big chandelier over the table; it would be perfect. He threw the rope towards the chandelier and missed. He tried again and got the same result. On his third attempt, David managed to hook the chandelier and the rope stayed firm. He then climbed onto the table and grabbed the other end. He tied it into a noose, which he placed softly around his neck. He prayed quickly, made sure the rope was still attached to the chandelier and stepped off the side of the table. He hung himself, and knowing his parents were going to die in the camps, he hoped to see them in Heaven.
The death camp David’s family were in was liberated in 1945. They managed to survive for around ten years after that.
1 DEAD.