Well its been a while since I've been on, and I've finally gotten back to rewriting my novel. I know all the grammatical errors in this, but I seriously want to know what you guys think of my first chapter. This story is set in WW2/Holocaust and the first few chapters is BEFORE the war, when persecution of Jews was starting. Enjoy!
Chapter One
The room was silent. The air was tense. The clock ticked in a solemn, impatient way, and everyone in the room was holding their breath. Even me. My foot tapped impatiently, as did many others. Until that final moment…
Ring! The bell rang, sending shrieking children out the door, candy canes and crafts in their hands. I let out a sigh of relief. Christmas break had finally arrived. Two weeks of time with my family, and no care in the world.
After placing a grade on the final paper, I left the little elementary school in Munich for two weeks. Snow fell softly on the sidewalk, muffling the click-click of my heels. I loved the feeling of winter. There was always something poetic about the way the trees’ lanky, naked arms were like ink writings across the skyline. The snow seemed to be so pure and perfect, outlining exactly where children had been only moments before.
The crisp, cold air began to turn into a biting wind as I stepped inside the little store on my street. I smiled at the sweet smell of peppermint and chocolate that filled the room. Ivy green leaves and scarlet berries lined the counter, red ribbons curling themselves around the small Christmas flora.
“Miss Dresner! How are you this holiday season?” the scruffy man, who was only a few years older than myself, stepped out from the back room and to the counter.
“I’m very well thank you,” I said, smiling. It was strange how this man seemed to know me so well, even though I could barely remember his name. “What about yourself?”
He smiled. “Doing just fine.” He said it confidently, but there was some uncertainty hidden in his dark eyes. “Anyways, how can I help you?”
“I need some hair ribbons for my little sister, I completely forgot about her present!” I replied with a laugh.
“Well you’re in luck, we just got a new shipping today,” he said, pulling out a small wooden box filled with different assortments of colors.
“I’ll just take these,” I said, pulling out two reds, four blues, and two pinks. I slid the proper amount of money onto the counter as he placed the ribbons in a small bag.
“Thank you Mr. Gottlieb, and Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas, Katarinna,” he whispered as I stepped out into the icy cold, the wind biting at my golden curls.
“And the mountains in reply, echoing their joyous strains,” the words of the Christmas carol rang through the night as my father, sister, mother and I walked through the streets. Our voices were hardly melodic as other neighborhood members began to join our caroling party.
The street lights glistened on the freshly fallen snow and a gentle, chilly wind was beginning to make our faces flush. Gretel, my little fifteen-year-old sister, and I tossed back our heads and laughed as we slid on the ice as if we were still children. “Katarinna, you know better,” my father said to me, his tone stern.
I bowed my head in disappointment and watched as Gretel and her friends giggled with a joyous childish glee. As a young woman of twenty four, it was improper for me to be one of “the children”. Teaching little children had not improved my proper behavior much.
“Silent night, Holy night,” the sound of glass breaking made our heads turn. I could see lights glimmering in the night and shards of glass glistening in the footprints made in the snow. Shouting could be heard through the street, as more glass was broken.
“Kat, what’s going on?” Gretel asked me in her naïve, innocent way.
“I’m not sure,” I whispered, my heart pounding.
My father broke the silence of our group. “Come on, no need to worry, let us continue caroling.”
“All is calm, all is bright,” the song continued, but all was not calm. I could see the frantic eyes and puzzlement in our party’s faces. I wondered as we walked through the night, what shop had been broken into, and why had my father pushed it away so easily? As a man of the Fuhrer’s army…shouldn’t he have been concerned?
My red satin dress enwrapped my legs like a bell, the white lace covering my pale knees. My blonde hair fell down my back in golden curls, but I was unsatisfied with my appearance.
“Katarinna! You look beautiful,” my mother gushed as she stepped in my room.
“It doesn’t look complete,” I replied, unsure. It was Christmas dinner after all, and people I hardly knew would be there, I felt it was my duty to make a good impression.
My mother’s eyes swept over me, her lips pursed. “You’re right, one moment. I think I have just the thing.” She came back in what seemed like a millisecond with a glittering necklace. The ruby glistened against my bare skin, the diamonds adding a shimmering white light.
A knock interrupted the silence, and I could hear the buzzing of guests downstairs. “Oh dear! I forgot the wine!” My mother cried, rushing downstairs and leaving me alone.
I took in the site of myself in the mirror, but my mind kept wandering back to the night before when the sound of breaking glass joined our chorus of singing. I had wished all day that I could push the thought out of my head, but all my attempts had failed.
“Katarinna! Come downstairs!” Gretel’s voice called up the stairs. I took a deep breath, turning my focus to Christmas dinner, if I could focus on that for the next few hours, I would be alright.
The aroma of ham and freshly baked bread made my heart rejoice. The familiar warm feeling of Christmas filled the house as guests could be heard talking, wine sloshed in crystal glasses, and presents were opened by the children.
“Miss Dresner?” a voice behind me made me turn, facing a young man, who only seemed to be a year or two older than me. His blonde hair was neatly combed over and his blue eyes seemed to sparkle.
“Yes?”
“I’m Kurt Müller, I am a member of your father’s regiment,” he said, flashing a smile.
“Oh yes! He’s talked about you before.”
“As he has you,” he said. “He always brags to the men about his beautiful daughter. You’re very lucky to have him as a father Miss Dresner.”
I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks as I gazed into this soldier’s eyes. “Please, call me Katarinna,” I said, smiling.
“Alright then, Katarinna. I hear you teach at the elementary school just down the way, is that correct?”
I nodded. “Yes, its something I love to do. Would you care to sit down?” I asked, gesturing towards two empty chairs in the crowded parlor.
“Thank you. Now, is there anything else I should know about you? What do you like to do, besides teaching the children?”
“Well…” our conversation suddenly grew larger as we spoke of our likes, dislikes, politics, family, our pasts, and even child memories.
“Time for dinner!” My mother’s sweet voice called from the dining room.
“May I ask for a spot next to you?” Kurt asked me. “We need to finish our conversation, and I’m not sure if I can wait till after.”
“Of course,” I replied. Kurt had a direct way of saying things, he seemed to be very sincere from what I could tell, and was very bold when it came to interacting with me. He made me feel all in a whirl, making me forget all thoughts of the crashing of glass the night before.
As Kurt took a chair next to me, I saw my parents’ eyes sweep over me, and their lips curve into a smile. I looked down, my cheeks rising in color.
Conversation reigned at the table, mainly directed towards my parents, but Kurt did not once take his eyes off me while I spoke. He seemed interested in what I had to say, making me feel important.
The Christmas party lasted deep into the night, until it was only Kurt and I soaking up the warmth radiating from the fireplace. The moon was like a pool of light as it shone through the window. The sound of my mother washing dishes and the crackle of fire were the only sounds aside from our conversation.
“It’s late,” Kurt said, standing up from his chair. “I’m afraid I must take my leave, as much as I would like to stay.”
I smiled, standing up as well. “I was glad to have finally met you Kurt.”
“As I was you,” he whispered, taking my hand and kissing the fair skin. “But, would it be too bold of me to ask you to dinner after only knowing you for under five hours?”
“Not too bold at all,” I replied.
“Dinner next week? I’ll pick you up at say…five-thirty?”
I nodded in reply.
“Thank you for such a wonderful evening, Katarinna Dresner, and Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas to you too,” I replied, walking him to the door. He stepped out into the cold air, bringing his scarf closer to his face. I shut the door forlornly, sad to see him go.
I sat in the chair, recounting the things we had said that night. A smile formed on my lips at every memory of what Kurt had said to me. The thought of the man I had met only a few hours before suddenly filled my mind, completely engulfing the thoughts of our caroling party the night before.
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