Paris, France
March 8th, 1946
1:21 A.M.
"I think we should go back." A chill went down Miguel's spine as he read the German words. Adelie felt his hand tighten around her own.
"No, this is exactly where we need to be." Moisey corrected. Without another word, he stepped through the ruined shop window. The muffled sound of crunching glass came from under his boots.
Reluctantly, the Leons stumbled through the storefront after him. Their small feet clumsily sliding ontop of the shards. Moisey visibly winced at the noise. Every little sound always seemed amplified when you were somewhere you weren't supposed to be. Miguel mouthed a silent "Sorry." to Moisey.
The Resistance fighter scanned throughout the ruined store. It was obvious that someone had caused a fire. All of the grocery's stock had been haphazardly tossed and smashed. Charred displays of once fresh foods scattered the floor. The cash register had been bashed and thrown from the counter. Everything was covered in a thick layer of soot. The place had been absolutely, and utterly gutted.
Adelaide looked around the destroyed stop in complete shock. She fondly remembered taking trips there with her mother. She helped her Mama gather groceries. Begged Mama to let her have candy. Held her Mama's hand as they walked up and down the towering aisles. It was always the highlight of her week. She absolutely loved running errands with her beloved mother.
But now everything was so different. The store was no longer bright and colorful like it had once been. The moon shed a pale filter into the grocery, causing the scorched structure to appear absolutely absent of any color. There was no more candy. No more neighbors and friends chatting in the aisles. The happy cashier with the sing-songy voice was now long gone. Mama was gone too.
Now, Adelie held her brother's hand instead of her mother's. She followed Papa's best friend instead of her Mama. It all felt so strange to little Adelie. Like she was living in an entirely different world. A different life.
"Gather up as much as you can. Look for anything that will last us a long time." Moisey interrupted the solemn silence with a whisper. He bent down to hold up a dented can of beans for an example.
The siblings quickly went to work alongside Moisey. Their young minds focused on stuffing nonperishables into their coats. Though as Adelie's little hands sifted through the charred remains, she couldn't help but notice a set of footprints among the ash. There in the black dust was only one distinct shoe print. The other mark was a messy, dragged line. The mysterious trail led down the aisle, towards the back of the store.
She peeked over her shoulder at her guardian and brother. Moisey was busy prying parts from the smashed register, while Miguel scooped up some charred goods. Adelie's eyes shifted towards the trail again. Curiosity got the best of the girl as she locked onto the footprints. Adelaide began to cautiously trace the steps.
While on her stealthy pursuit, she heard shuffling and odd scraping from beneath a knocked over shelf. It was leaned against the wall, creating a structure similar to a lean-to. The mysterious footprints trailed directly underneath.
Detective Adelaide crept closer, closer, closer. Until she was standing right infront of the shelf. Scuffling and stifled breathing could be heard from the hiding spot. Adelie paused and took one deep breath before crouching down to meet whatever, or whoever, was below.
Adelaide was quickly met by two wide, winter blue eyes. They stared back at her in pure fear. The face to which they belonged was bleach white, with hints of faded freckles speckled across their nose. Within seconds, the girl realized that she was nose to nose with a fellow child. The owner of the footprints jolted in surprise, falling on his back with a gasp. He frantically tried to move away.
"Gah! Bitte! Bitte! Geh weg von mir!" The scratchy voice attached to the icey eyes quietly pleaded. But Adelie didn't understand. She had no knowledge of German unlike her brother. She only crept closer in pure wonder. Who was this boy? She didn't recognize him. And Adelaide Leon knew just about every child on this side of Paris.
The mystery boy infront of Adelie was as white as snow. His physique was made up of mere skin and bones. His hair was a shade of pale gold. Disheveled, german clothes limply clung to his lanky body. With the moon's gray light shining through the busted store front, the stranger looked to be nearly see through. Blue veins and boney joints were easily seen beneath his papery skin. He was the ghost of a perfect Aryan child. In wonder, Adelaide reached out to touch the boy's arm. She was curious to see if her hand would go right through him. The boy flinched away from her fingers.
"Are you a ghost?" Adelaide asked, keeping her voice down so that Miguel and Moisey wouldn't hear. She couldn't believe that someone else willingly occupied the dilapidated store. He had to be a ghost. He sure looked like one. Was this ghost boy here to borrow things like them too?
"Was? Bitte lassen Sie mich allein!" The German boy recoiled in scared confusion, trying to scoot away from Adelie. Though he struggled terribly, for on his right leg was a heavy metal brace. As he moved, the contraption scraped against the tile floor like nails on a chalk board. The rats and the ghost all froze due to the sudden loud, piercing noise. It sent a screeching echo down the street.
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Down the road, two young German soldiers lazily waltzed along as they patrolled. A German Shepherd trotted between them, her nose trained to the ground. The men were casually chatting with one another when the dog lifted her head. Her ears swiveled towards a sound unheard by her masters. With little warning, the dog lurched forward. The sudden jerk caused her handler to stumble.
"Woah! Einfach, Holle, einfach!" The soldier called out, struggling to keep his grip on the eager dog's leash.
"Looks like something's finally picked her interest, eh?" His comrade snarked as he jogged to keep up.
"About time! It's cold as saukult out here! My hands are freezing!" The handler complained.
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"Adelie! We must be as quiet as possible, remember?" Moisey hissed as he saw the girl crouched behind a shelf. He began to walk over. Miguel curiously followed after the Frenchman. His arms were full of ash covered goods.
Upon hearing the others come closer, the ghost boy only struggled more. As Adelaide watched in frozen confusion, the ghost reminded her of the rat that Miguel had caught. He seemed trapped, hurt, scared. Was he a rat like them?
The Aryan phantom frantically dragged himself away from Adelie, attempting to stand up with great difficulty. He huffed and whimpered as he tried to pull himself up against a charred display. Though the weakened structure loudly snapped under his weight. The ghost was sent crashing to the ground with a thud and a scrape of metal.
Moisey now stood next to Adelie. He pushed the girl behind him as he stepped towards the terrified boy. Moisey slowly put his hands up to show that he meant no harm. But the ghost didn't seem to take the cue. Out of pure panic he scrambled to stand again. The German braced himself against a nearby shelf. His shakey hands causing a few cans to roll onto the floor with a loud clatter. The rats winced at the ruckus.
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Holle the dog paused for a moment. Her ears stood straight up as she picked up more sounds. The dog gave a low growl as she resumed her concentrated sniffing. The two soldiers hurriedly followed after her.
"What do you think she's after?" The handler's companion asked.
"Knowing Holle, it's probably just a cat."
"Well, at least its some sort of action." The comrade commented. "Now come on, Holle! Finde die Miezekatze!" Both soldiers chuckled. Holle was only encouraged by the mock command, giving an impatient whine as she pulled ahead.
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"Calm down. It's alright. We won't hurt you." Moisey switched to German as he approached the frazzled child. The Aryan was now on his feet, but he had a hard time standing on his own. His braced leg was slipping out from underneath him. The boy looked like a newborn fawn trying to find their footing. Shakey, unstable, wide-eyed, and utterly helpless.
Miguel and Adelaide stayed behind the towering safety of Monsieur Moisey. They watched the scene before them with confusion and anxiety. Who was this kid? Why was he here? What was that thing on his leg for? Why was he creating so much noise?
"Leave-Leave me alone! G-Go away! Please don't tell father I got out!" The ghost begged in German. He looked like he was about to cry as he tried to limp away from Moisey.
"I don't even know who your father is. Now please, calm down." The elder rat's hands motioned for him to calm down. The ghost reluctantly stopped his escape attempt. He steadily watched Moisey with pale, wary eyes.
"Who are you? Why are you here? N-no one is supposed to be here!" The boys's voice called out in discomfort and worry.
"We're here gathering food. Now, where are your parents? Do they know where you are?"
The Aryan Ghost hesitated. His eyes darted away as he was thinking of an answer. He made eye contact with both of the wide eyed Leons that peeked out from behind the strange man. He quickly looked away.
"I... I don't want to go back to them. I don't want them to know where I am."
"That's alright... I understand... We don't want to be found by your parents either." Moisey mumbled as he glanced at the small Nazi flag stitched onto the boys coat. "Maybe you can come stay with us if you'd like. It's a great hiding place. And maybe we can help you with your leg there." The Rat gestured to the Aryan's leg brace.
"Really...? Y-you can fix me? Maybe Papa will-"
The boy's words hovered in the air. The silence of the night around them shattered. The sound of approaching footsteps and German tongue could be faintly heard outside the shop.
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"Fuss." The canine handler uttered to Holle. The two Germans now stood outside the dilapidated store. Hands on their hips as they stopped to catch their breath and assess what they shall do. The Shepherd sat on her haunches next to her master's side. Quietly panting as she stared into the dark building. The fur on Holle's back stood straight up, causing her to look like she had a Mohawk. Or perhaps, maybe a shark fin. She was on the hunt, and her keepers were preventing her from catching her prey.
"Well, Luther, should we go in? Holle seems sure that there's something inside." The handler's companion inquired.
"What other choice have we got, Odie? I don't think Holle will let us walk away from this anyways. There's definitely something in there. Do you have a flashlight?" Luther inquired as he squinted into the darkness. "Isn't this the grocery that Max said was giving away free food to the Juden?"
"I think so? Either way, looks like they got what was coming then, heh!" Odie smirked as he pulled out a flashlight and stepped into the shattered storefront. The flashlight's beam danced across the floor as he carefully stepped.
"Scheiße! There is glass everywhere. Watch your step, Luth."
"I'm fine, but I'm worried about Holle." Luther had not yet entered the grocery, but instead stood outside with the hound. He looked from the glass, then to Holle's paws.
"Sorry, Old Girl. But I think you'll have to sit this one out. We'll be right back." He whispered as he tied the Shepherd's leash to a nearby street light. After leaving a reassuring pat on Holle's head, he stepped in line behind his partner. The dog began to whimper in frustration as she pulled against her restraints.
Odie's flashlight sliced through the thick darkness of the shop, illuminating all of the chaos that had occurred there. They began to scan the sooty aisles for movement. Not a sound could be heard except the pair's breathing, and the occasional nervous whine from Holle.
"This place is giving me the creeps. Something isn't right. It's almost... Too quiet." Luther softly spoke as he glanced around. He reached behind his back to grab hold of his rifle.
"Yeah, you got that right-" Odie paused to sneeze. "Augh! All the ash in this place is driving me crazy. Makes me itchy." The smaller German complained as he scratched at his face.
"Me too. Let's hurry it up then, the quicker we sweep this place the sooner we'll be out of here." Luther agreed.
"Don't have to tell me twice." Odie chimed as he picked up the pace, still rubbing at his agitated eyes. The two soldiers turned down a random aisle and began to head towards the back of the grocery.
As they walked, Luther couldn't help but notice a few scattered footprints on the soot covered floor. He placed a hand on his comrades shoulder and silently pointed to them.
"Uh-huh?! What? C'mon Luth let's keep going I want to lea-" Odie loudly spoke as he turned to Luther and blinked his watery eyes. He froze as his partner clamped a firm hand over his mouth and nodded down to the foot prints. Odie gave a muffled exclamation as he shared a fearful expression with Luther.
There was several different tracks. Each one varying in size. Small, medium, and large. The two smaller tracks seemed to wander ahead for a few feet, while the larger tracks lead towards the front counter.
"Split up." Luther mouthed to Odie. The other soldier nodded in agreement.
"I'll follow this one. You can figure out those two." Odie whispered as he began to creep after the larger footprints towards the front of the store.
Luther followed the pair of small tracks for a few feet before they simply, disappeared? The tracks had simply ended without warning. Surely two people couldn't have disappeared into thin air. The German began to look around him, and noticed a few scattered cans on the floor. As he stooped to pick one up, he realized it has small ashy handprints all over it. Kids? The same messy handprints had been smeared all over the shelves to his left. Luther's eyes began to wander upwards until he spotted two shadowy figures perched atop the towering shelves. He squinted as he began to raise his rifle-
"LU- ACK! LUTHER! HILFE! ER HAT MICHE-" Odie's strained voice suddenly choked out. The man's feared voice echoed through the silent streets like a gunshot. Holle began to viciously bark outside.
Luther ran only to find his companion pinned against the counter by a mysterious man. The stranger had one of his hands around the smaller German's throat, while the other pressed a pistol to his head. Luther aimed his rifle at the attacker.
"You shoot me, and I shoot your friend." Moisey growled in German to the soldier before him. "I recommend you put that rifle down, boy."
"You first! I know who you are. You're the filthy Jew that keeps stealing from our bases!" Luther sternly called out, slowly stepping closer. His weapon aimed right at Moisey's head.
"Oh my... I'm famous? I didn't even know. Are you two my fans then? Is that why you were searching for me? I would've given you my autograph if you just asked..." The Frenchman remarked in a mocking tone. As he spoke, Odie began to frantically thrash and writhe under his grip. Moisey gave him a sharp wack on the head with his pistol. "You move one more time and your pretty little face will be splattered all over these walls!" Odie let out a struggled whimper as Moisey twisted the pistol's barrel against his forehead. The soldier's wide, cold eyes began to fill with tears.
Luther watched the scene before him with a ghastly expression. He couldn't decide what he wanted to do. He didn't want Odie to die. But he also really, really, wanted to put a bullet straight through the Jew's skull.
"So, are you going to put that gun down yet?" Moisey questioned, nodding to the weapon. "I'll give you 10 seconds to drop that rifle. Or your little buddy here is going splat!"
"No way! You'll just shoot both of us then!" Luther argued, squinting down the sights of his gun.
"1...2...3...4..."
"Luther just- Auck! Do it! Drop the- Hurk-" Odie coughed out, his gasped words quickly cut off by Moisey squeezing his throat. He began to slowly lose consciousness, growing limp. The Resistance Fighter's piercing dark eyes burned a hole through Luther's soul.
"5...6...7...8.......9......"
Clang.
The sound a gun loudly clattering against the floor rang through the shop. Luther had dropped the rifle, and now held his hands above his head.
"Okay, okay, you win! Scheiße! Just let him go please! No more!" Luther cried out, nodding to his best friend. "Please!"
"Not yet. I want you to get on your knees, put you hands on your head, and close your eyes." Moisey commanded. Luther was eager to obey. "And whatever you do, don't you dare open your eyes until I tell you to."
"Okay. Okay I won't. I won't..." Luther nervously mumbled. He felt like crying. He was a coward. A failure. And now he was being bossed around by a Jew? Was Odie even still alive? He looked rather still. Oh god, please let Odie be alive. Why did he have to close his eyes? What was happening? Luther's mind swirled with emotions as he scrunched his eyes shut.
"Allons-y! The coast is clear! Run back home, you know where!" Monsieur Moisey called out.
Miguel was the first to climb down from the top of the shelves. He held his arms upwards to help his sister down.
"C'mon, Adelie! You heard Moisey, Allons-y!" Adelaide peered down at Miguel with an unsure expression. There was Germans with guns, a dog barking, and Moisey sounded mad.
"Se dépêcher!" The Frenchman impatiently called out once again.
With Moisey's urging, Adelie finally climbed down with Miguel's help. Miguel grabbed hold of her arm as he began to dash for the door. He made but a moment of eye contact with Moisey before leading Adelaide through the shattered storefront. The older Rat shot the youngsters a wink as they darted by.
As they ran, Holle viciously snapped, barring her fangs at the two children. She reared up on her hind legs as she fought against her leash. Adelaide gave a startled shout at the hellish hound before Miguel tugged her away. Never before had Adelaide seen such a mean looking animal. The dog's golden eyes burned with a terrible, rabid hunger. They were eyes of pure evil. The children kept running, never looking back.
Moisey waited until he heard the metallic sound of a sewer cover sliding into place. The cubs were safe. He turned his gaze to his right, where the Aryan boy sat on the ground behind the counter. He had his hands placed over his eyes. The Fighter finally released his grip on Odie's throat, and let the little soldier limply side to the floor. He called out to Luther as he bent down to carefully pick up the ghost.
"Your friend here doesn't look to good, you know. It's a shame. If only you had put your rifle down sooner..." Moisey drawled as he lifted the boy into his arms. The Aryan gave a scared gasp as he peeked his eyes open and saw Odie on the floor. He clung to Moisey's jacket as he stared down at the fellow German.
"Oh Gott... Gott, nein... You... You killed him?! You killed Odie?! You said you wouldn't!" Luther cried out, his voice breaking from emotion. He couldn't keep his eyes closed any longer, he needed to know if his friend was alright. His frazzled gaze twitched back and forth from Moisey, then to the boy's. His expression froze in realization. That boy looked way too familiar...
"I never said I wouldn't kill him. I just said I wouldn't shoot him. Also, I never said you could open your eyes either, you know..." Moisey trailed off as he kicked Luther's rifle away from his reach. "But, I'll let that slide. Why don't you go check on your friend..."
Luther gulped and nodded up at the Jew. As Moisey walked away, the soldier crawled over to Odie. Sinister, hand shaped bruises had formed around his throat, and a hefty gash marred his forehead due to being pistol whipped. Luther pulled his companion's head into his lap and tried to shake him awake.
"Odie! Odie wake up! Come on, come on, please..." Tears began to fall as Luther looked down at his limp comrade. Though his sobbing was stifled after he heard a shallow, raspy, gasp for air come from Odie's lips.
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Moisey exited the store with his usual slinky gait. The young Aryan in his arms peaking over the Rat's shoulder at the two distressed soldiers as they walked away. He was in even more trouble... He shouldn't have been seen by them... They know his-
Holle ravenously snarled and barked as Moisey casually strutted away. She used all her strength to pull against her leash. Repeatedly, and furiously trying to charge at the Resistance Fighter with all her might.
Rrrk... Rrrk... Snap.
The leash snapped. Holle was free, and with that, so was all her pent up aggression. Her rage. She began galloping after Moisey and the Aryan ghost. She became a furry bullet of teeth and fury. The sound of her claws scrambling across the concrete clacked down the street.
"Hund!" The ghost cried out.
"Merde." Moisey mumbled in realization.