Run My Darlings, Run
Chapter 17
I stopped in my tracks. Not Tulpe. No. Mama stood beside me, tugging my arm.
“Come on Hans!” she screamed. I pushed her aside.
“Those bastards shot my dog,” I said quietly. “And they are going to pay.” I took the gun and strode back to the camp. A crowd of soldiers were all standing to attention just inside the fence. In front of them was the small body of Tulpe. I couldn’t tell if she was alive or not. I didn’t think anymore. I ran as fast as I could, and faster still, all the time yelling and shooting the gun.
The soldiers jumped like they’d been stung by a wasp. They fumbled with their weapons as I shot round after round of bullets into their midst. A few yelled, a few ducked for cover, a few even shot back. But it was like I was untouchable. No bullet even got close to me.
When all the soldiers were lying in the mud, I stumbled over to Tulpe. Tears squeezed themselves out of my eyes as I knelt down and cradled her small body. Her eyes stared out, looking at nothing. Her mouth was fixed in a permanent snarl and her frozen legs clawed at the empty air. I buried my face in her soft fur and screamed in anguish. I yelled up at the sky, cursing every living thing in existence. Most of all, I cursed Adolf Hitler. I cursed his name to high heaven, and used the dirtiest words I have ever used in my whole life. So consumed in my grief was I that I didn’t notice the soldier creeping up on me. But Mama did.
“Mein Liebling!” she screamed. But her call came too late, and the echo of the gunshot rang around the camp. I sat, frozen to the spot. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. I was dimly aware of a burning sensation in my chest, and the distant shrieks of Mama and Liesel. I looked down, and saw the small hole the bullet had made. My blood looked so dark as it dripped onto the ground. The strength went out of me, and I started to fall, toppling slowly like a felled tree.
My lips moved slowly as I tried to form the words. My last words. I looked at Mama, and Papa, and Liesel, and said one word.
“Run.”
Then I slumped sideways, sprawled out on the ground with a growing pool of blood beside me. The last thing I heard before I blacked out completely were two words. Just two little words, but those two words had the meaning of a thousand.
“Mein Liebling.”
“Come on Hans!” she screamed. I pushed her aside.
“Those bastards shot my dog,” I said quietly. “And they are going to pay.” I took the gun and strode back to the camp. A crowd of soldiers were all standing to attention just inside the fence. In front of them was the small body of Tulpe. I couldn’t tell if she was alive or not. I didn’t think anymore. I ran as fast as I could, and faster still, all the time yelling and shooting the gun.
The soldiers jumped like they’d been stung by a wasp. They fumbled with their weapons as I shot round after round of bullets into their midst. A few yelled, a few ducked for cover, a few even shot back. But it was like I was untouchable. No bullet even got close to me.
When all the soldiers were lying in the mud, I stumbled over to Tulpe. Tears squeezed themselves out of my eyes as I knelt down and cradled her small body. Her eyes stared out, looking at nothing. Her mouth was fixed in a permanent snarl and her frozen legs clawed at the empty air. I buried my face in her soft fur and screamed in anguish. I yelled up at the sky, cursing every living thing in existence. Most of all, I cursed Adolf Hitler. I cursed his name to high heaven, and used the dirtiest words I have ever used in my whole life. So consumed in my grief was I that I didn’t notice the soldier creeping up on me. But Mama did.
“Mein Liebling!” she screamed. But her call came too late, and the echo of the gunshot rang around the camp. I sat, frozen to the spot. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. I was dimly aware of a burning sensation in my chest, and the distant shrieks of Mama and Liesel. I looked down, and saw the small hole the bullet had made. My blood looked so dark as it dripped onto the ground. The strength went out of me, and I started to fall, toppling slowly like a felled tree.
My lips moved slowly as I tried to form the words. My last words. I looked at Mama, and Papa, and Liesel, and said one word.
“Run.”
Then I slumped sideways, sprawled out on the ground with a growing pool of blood beside me. The last thing I heard before I blacked out completely were two words. Just two little words, but those two words had the meaning of a thousand.
“Mein Liebling.”