Life Is Beautiful

"We can't stay here." Rebecca whispered to Frank.
Her head rested on his chest as they she layed upon him in the tiny vents.
"We can run but theres really no place to hide." She went on, her voice a rough whisper.
Frank was hardly paying attention, his mind was going through plans and ideas of where to go and where to stay.
They could wait until the Allies put out an attack on Amsterdam, but it was impossible to figure if they would.
He could try and find a way into the small battles between the Allies and Germany around here but again it was impossible to figure where they were.

"We can pray for a miracle to happen." Frank spoke for the first time in hours.
The day had gone by and it was past dinner time for the both of them.
"God isn't here Frank. He's left us for ourselves." Rebecca whispered back, her voice hinting betrayal.
He didn't speak again, he just kept thinking of how to get out safely.
Rebecca sat up as far as she could and balanced herself with her elbows.
She studied and stared at Frank through the night, neither of them saying a word.
The only audible sound was their breathing.

-

Rebecca's head pounded with every sound of every bullet and bomb hitting its target.
The house shook and the sounds echoed throughout the vents.
Only a day had passed since the Straughtens had been caught and sent to God knows where.
But an attack had been raging on Amsterdam for the past fifteen minutes of the night.
Frank knew the Allies were out there and he knew he could go out and show them his dog tag and he would be drafted right back in.
But the only problem was Rebecca.
He knew they wouldn't let him bring her along, it was War for Gods sake.
But if they only let him take her to a safe village or town she would be fine and it would all work out.

He didn't have time to think.
"We're leaving." Frank said loud enough for both of them to hear.
Rebecca's expression was just as he expected it to be.
Bewildered, disbelieving and terrfied.
"I have a plan, come on." He shimmied his way out of the vent first and once he was down he called out for Rebecca.
Cautiously she went down, not having an idea what they were about to do but she felt nothing anymore.
If they were to die then so be it. She had lost everything.

He spoke quickly and hastily, "I'm sure American soldiers are out there. At least one. I'll show them my dog tag and I'll be placed back into formation. I'll

convince them to take you to a safe town. We have to be quick and we have to be invisible out there. If the Germans see either of us, we'll be shot like

dogs. Alright?"
Rebecca nodded, her expression blank and her mind going in circles.
He grabbed onto her hand tightly and quickly but quietly, they went down the attic stairs to the Henry's house and saw that everything had been

ransacked.
They didn't stare or get taken in by the moment, they composed themselves for the fight outside.
Frank looked out of the window but hid his face with the curtain.
"I see some of the men on foot. They're behind the stone wall. Why would they attack a town with civillians so early? It doesn't make sense." Frank

whispered the last part to himself but crouched behind the door.
"If the Germans see us, they won't waste their amo on us and neither will the Allies. But they'll try to catch us so we must be quick to get to the allies,

alright?"
Rebecca only nodded as she had before and prepared herself next to Frank.

The bullets and the grenades weren't going to die down anytime soon. They could hear bullets hitting fresh men and sending them to the floor.
"One...two...three...now!" Frank counted and pulled Rebecca out of the house and they sprinted as fast as they could down the street, the soles of their

feet slamming hard on the pavement.
"You there! Halt!" Rebecca heard a German officer shout menacingly but she kept up with Frank.
"Keep up with me Rebecca, we're almost there!" He shouted and he could see the top of the mens helmets behind the stone wall.
He could hear their shouting and he could feel their adrenaline mixed in with fear.
"Hey! Help! Help!" Frank shouted at the Allies in perfect English but they paid no attention.
"We need your help!" Frank shouted even louder and threw his free hand around.
The Allies had seen them both now but they couldn't interact with civilians. This boys English is perfect they thought, it must be a trap.
The soldier on the corner of the wall stood up and grabbed Frank down with him to the floor.
"What do you want you German son of a bitch!?" He snarled at Frank.
Frank's breathing was staggering and he could hardly talk. "I'm American. A soldier. My dog tags under my clothes. Frank Iero. I was sent by my troop to

find extra food after we were shot down but I was shot and wandered the streets." He spoke in short breaths.
The soldier who had a hold of him was the only one paying attention.

The soldier ripped open Frank's shirt and searched for his dog tag.
Once he found it his grip loosened on Frank and he looked him in the eye. "Are you still wounded?"
"No, I'm fine now. My..." He looked over to see Rebecca holding his hand but she wasn't there. He twisted his head and looked.
"Rebecca!" He shouted.
"Where is she?! Rebecca!" He shouted even louder at the soldier and twisted and turned trying to find her in the darkness.
His heart was beating faster, its pace racing.
"What girl?" The soldier asked, looking around.
"She ran with me. She was holding my hand!"
He caught sight of her standing tightly pressed against the wall a few feet away, trying to stay clear from ammunition.
"Rebecca!" He called out for her and their eyes connected.
"Frank!" She shouted and cried, her eyes wide with fear and her whole body shaking.
She knew she was going to die but she couldn't. She couldn't leave Frank.
Frank pushed the soldier off of him and stood up, not minding the bullets targeted at him.
"Run! Rebecca, run!" Frank shouted desperately at her.
She looked back and forth between him and the Germans and took a deep breath.
She ran as fast as she could to Frank but felt a sharp pain in her left arm and fell in pain a few inches from him.
He grabbed her off the floor and brought her down on his lap.
"Where are you hurt?!" He shouted and she groaned in agonizing pain and held her arm.
He looked down at her arm and gasped at the bullet stuck right in there.
"We can't have civilians involved!" The soldier shouted at Frank but shouted for a medic.
"We have to help her! She saved my life!" Frank shouted back and left the soldier bewildered.

It was utter chaos during that battle, especially in Frank's mind behind the stone wall.
He could see Rebecca perfectly in the cracked darkness.