Run My Darlings, Run
Chapter 9
It was a long and painful journey to the meeting place. It took me about an hour, while it would have taken Liesel ten minutes. As I hobbled along, I took note of my surroundings. There was a large boulder about the size of a small house, a tree that looked like a face, and a large clump of chamomile growing next to a small ditch lined with cornflower.
When I arrived at the meeting place, I whistled four short notes, our signal. Liesel whistled back, slipping down the tree in which she was hiding. Liesel was a very good tree climber. She scared Mama half to death when she was five, climbing up trees almost all the way to the top.
She flung her arms around me, crying softly.
“I thought you were dead,” she choked out. I stared back the way I had come, remembering the soldier’s small smile as he lied to save me.
“I almost was,” I whispered.
Liesel made me sit down while she cleaned up my feet. Every little touch made my feet feel like they were going up in flames. Even the tiniest dab of Liesel’s cloth. I pulled my feet away hastily, making Liesel lose her balance and roll down a small hill. She climbed back up, cheeks burning in anger, puffing madly.
“K-keep S-still!” she shouted. I looked at the ground.
“I’m trying,” I said angrily.Glaring at me, she sat back down and pressed the cloth sharply against my foot, making me yelp in pain.
“You did that on purpose,” I accused. She ducked her head, but I could see a tiny smile across her face.
“Don’t be such a baby.”
Finally, Liesel had me clean, again. It seemed like Liesel was taking care of me, when it was meant to be the other way round. But I was grateful for the attention. My feet felt new and soft, like a baby’s, slightly pink from blood that had escaped Liesel’s cloth. I sighed with relief – the torment was finally over. I put one foot on the ground cautiously. There was pain, but not enough to raise it again. I put the other one down, with the same result. Slowly, I began to put weight on them, raising myself up bit by bit, until I was in a standing position. Liesel sighed in relief.
“At least you can stand up,” she said. I grinned sarcastically.
“Oh yes, and if anyone comes I’ll just stand up and they’ll run away from me in terror.” Her face clouded over.
“Well, it’s a start. You can stand, in a couple of day’s time you will walk, like it or not. If you don’t walk, I will leave you here.”
“Yeah, and I’m going to be leader of Germany” Fury rolled over her face like storm clouds in a fierce wind.
“Stop being sarcastic! I will and am going to leave you here if you refuse to walk.” Her voice quietened. “And you never know, you might just be leader of Germany someday Hans.”I stared in disbelief at her. She gave a small smile back.
“There’s always a chance,” she whispered, kissing me on the cheek. My cheeks grew red, and Liesel laughed. It sounded right, and soon we were both laughing, breaking the silence of the forest.
When I arrived at the meeting place, I whistled four short notes, our signal. Liesel whistled back, slipping down the tree in which she was hiding. Liesel was a very good tree climber. She scared Mama half to death when she was five, climbing up trees almost all the way to the top.
She flung her arms around me, crying softly.
“I thought you were dead,” she choked out. I stared back the way I had come, remembering the soldier’s small smile as he lied to save me.
“I almost was,” I whispered.
Liesel made me sit down while she cleaned up my feet. Every little touch made my feet feel like they were going up in flames. Even the tiniest dab of Liesel’s cloth. I pulled my feet away hastily, making Liesel lose her balance and roll down a small hill. She climbed back up, cheeks burning in anger, puffing madly.
“K-keep S-still!” she shouted. I looked at the ground.
“I’m trying,” I said angrily.Glaring at me, she sat back down and pressed the cloth sharply against my foot, making me yelp in pain.
“You did that on purpose,” I accused. She ducked her head, but I could see a tiny smile across her face.
“Don’t be such a baby.”
Finally, Liesel had me clean, again. It seemed like Liesel was taking care of me, when it was meant to be the other way round. But I was grateful for the attention. My feet felt new and soft, like a baby’s, slightly pink from blood that had escaped Liesel’s cloth. I sighed with relief – the torment was finally over. I put one foot on the ground cautiously. There was pain, but not enough to raise it again. I put the other one down, with the same result. Slowly, I began to put weight on them, raising myself up bit by bit, until I was in a standing position. Liesel sighed in relief.
“At least you can stand up,” she said. I grinned sarcastically.
“Oh yes, and if anyone comes I’ll just stand up and they’ll run away from me in terror.” Her face clouded over.
“Well, it’s a start. You can stand, in a couple of day’s time you will walk, like it or not. If you don’t walk, I will leave you here.”
“Yeah, and I’m going to be leader of Germany” Fury rolled over her face like storm clouds in a fierce wind.
“Stop being sarcastic! I will and am going to leave you here if you refuse to walk.” Her voice quietened. “And you never know, you might just be leader of Germany someday Hans.”I stared in disbelief at her. She gave a small smile back.
“There’s always a chance,” she whispered, kissing me on the cheek. My cheeks grew red, and Liesel laughed. It sounded right, and soon we were both laughing, breaking the silence of the forest.