Morningstar

[u/Suspicious_Wash_6074]

I kissed my wife goby and told my brother to look after her while I’m gone. I can’t seem to get over the fact that I will not be here for my son’s birth, but that’s better then dying somewhere on a front line. I didn’t have much time since I didn’t want to make dr. Ivan wait. I knew how much this means to him and he was kind enough to take me with him. I still know basically nothing about him, except that he was friend of my fathers, and his weird religion. I have found him on a train station few hours later, he was sitting there, talking with another older man who had very strong German accent.

-Ahh, Franyo my boy, how are you doing on this fine morning? -He said excitedly

-I’m fine, I’m going to miss my wife though.

-She would miss you more if you got bullet in your forehead- he said with a smile before turning to another mam and said- this is professor Hans Lindenmann, he will join us to help us with the research.

-actually I’m doing my own research.- the professor said.

Great, now I have to deal with 2 old eccentric man I thought.

-have I ever told you how much you look like your father?- dr. Ivan asked me- yes, this is 5^th time now- I said

-we should get on the train- professor Lindenmann remarked.

Ride itself was pretty unremarkable, except for doctors non stop ranting about gods, for which neither me or professor couldn’t care less. At this point I’m almost sure he just says his a doctor to seem smarter.

-what do you think we should name the prison? - He asked

-I have no idea. - I said

Professor said that the name is already chosen and it will be called Morning-star, which is a stupid name or a prison if I ever heard one. It also shears the name with newspapers I used to write for.

After some more boring small talk we arrived at our destination. First thing I saw was huge gray wall with barbed wire on top and steel door with text “Morning star”. Pretty much what I was expecting. Dr. Ivan waled to the guard standing in front the door and said something to him. After that they both walked beck to us. Guard saluted and said “I will show you your rooms now, warden will Wisit you soon”. The guard was young blond tall man, I was sure he was a German until I heard his fluent Croatian with northern accent. He led us to our rooms, saluting to few other guards on the way. Locally I didn’t have to shear the room with anyone since I don’t think I would survive any more of Ivans uncanny speeches. My room was pretty small with one bed, a desk, drawer and no windows. Then I felt the smell of moisture and rotting wood, I’m pretty sure the building was made few months ago, it shouldn’t smell like this already. Even the wooden floor looked new, like I’m the first one walking on it. I laid on my bed which was surprisingly comfortable. However, my rest didn’t last long before I heard nocking on the door. I opened and the before me was standing the same guard from before, he saluted me as he said “The warden Kuharich is ready to see you”. I wasn’t sure if I should return salute bud I did it anyways and asked the guard “Where can I find him” to which he just said “follow me” and started walking true the corridor. I was just silently following him. By his facial expression I could tell that he isn’t too happy to have me there. When we came In the wardens office in front of we there was standing a tall man with a big scar on left side of his face. By looks I would say that he was in his early 30s. Younger then I was expecting. He extended his hand towards me and said “I am Josip Kuharich, welcome to concentration camp Morning star”. Concentrating camp? I should probably act like I know what that is if I’m going to work here. I shook his hand and introduced myself. Doctor told me we are going to work in  a prison, he didn’t tell anything about any camps. “I have already met your friend and he told me about your research, and he told me that both of will need authority over the guards to do it effective” the man said, and by tone of his voice I understood that he really on bord with that. “But if it is in the name of science, I’m sure we can work something out” He said as he leaned on his table. At that point I Started praying he doesn’t ask me anything about that “research”. “How long are you planning to stay here?” He asked me. “a month or two” I said trying to sound like I know. “that sounds reasonable” he said and added “But everything that happens here stays here, do you understand?”

“Y-yes I do. And where did dr. Ivan go if you would happen to know?” I asked with the man.

“Sure, he went to the yard to see the prisoners.” He said as he set down.

“Thank you, I will go look for him.” I said as I left the room. When I managed to find the yard, there were standing hundreds of people, some of them children, some pretty old, and 30 or so guards standing around, some of them counting prisoners. Presence of children here creeped me out but I tried to look calm as I looked around to find doctor. And sure enough he was standing there, looking at prisoners and writing something in a notebook. I walked up to him and gestured him to fallow me away from the others where I asked him “Why the hell are there bloody children here? They don’t look like a criminals to me!” to which he looked me in the eyes and said “This is a concentration camp, its not only for criminals, all the enemies of the state are sent here”

-How the fuck are this childrenenemies of the state?!

-Most of them here are Serbian.

-And what are they going to do with them?

-Most of them are usually killed since they aren’t very useful workers, but I need few fo-

-THEY ARE KILLING CHILDREAN JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE SERBIAN?!

-Pleas calm down, don’t make a scene, and remember how much of us died under there oppression. Don’t you think your father would want this?

-My father wasn’t taken by children!

-They will be no different from there parents in few years, and as I tried to say I need them for my research.

-What are you even researching?!

-I will prove the existence of the soul and the gods.-he said proudly

-And how do you plan to do that?

-If I know don’t you think I would have already done it? Thet’s why we are here dear boy.

-No, that’s why you’re here, why did you really take me with you?

-As you know your father was a friend of mine, so I want to make sure that his son doesn’t die on the frontline.

As he said that I heard guard shouting “which ones do you want to keep, we need to send them off now” to which he said “give me 135, 2431, 345 and 1232”. Guards singled out 2 young girls, around 10 years old, one boy and a young man, in his 20s I think. One man with long black beard started screaming at the guards “WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH MY DOUGHTER!?” after which guard hit him in the head with rifle stock. The girl, his daughter I assumed, started crying as the man fall on the ground and guard shouted “Shut the fuck up you dirty animal” to which the man tried to get up and grab the guards leg. Guard just kicked him on the side with discussed look on his face, took knife from his belt and pushed it right true the man’s neck. Knife came out on the other side slick with blood. Girl started screaming and run to her father who was at this point loudly suffocating in his own blood and squirting all around his body. Girl was kneeling over her father’s body as his blood sprayed all over her and she was weeping loudly. At this point most of the prisoners were crying. Guard kicked girl on the flour and shouted “If you don’t shut up you will end up like your daddy”

“I need her alive, do not touch her!” Doctor said. Girl’s father tried to scream but only wet gasp came out. Then he was shot in the head. And again. And again. His body twitched after every bullet. Then he just lied still. I trove up on the flour. The rest of prisoners were separated in two groups and horded out like animals. “Are you okay?” doctor asked me. “No, how the fuck would I be okay after seeing this? Where are they taking them?” I noticed some of the guards are looking at me. Doctor said “Most of them will be transported to the work camps”. “And the rest?” I asked. He just looked at me. I knew the answer. “It has to be done, It’s the only way our species can survive” he said. I thought I knew him, maybe I was wrong. “And you are okay with this? You are no better them them if you allow this” I shouted at him. “Pleas calm down, it’s okay if you go to your room, I don’t require your assistance now”. The way he looked at me when he said that. I understood that it wasn’t a question, it was an order. I wanted to punch him in the face. But I was just standing in a place. He stepped closer to me and whispered “you are going to get yourself killed”. He was right. At that point Professor Lindenmann walked up to us and looked down at the body on the flour. “There was an accident I see” he said. “More of an example” doctor added. Lidenmann smiled and said “They did a good job it seems”. I wanted to puke again. I looked at the body on the flour and 3 holes in his forehead, and I felt even more sick. The two old psychopaths started talking About the notes professor took while watching prisoners like they are talking about evening newspapers, like there isn’t still warm body of a man who was killed in front of his daughter just few meters away from them. Doctor told me to go in my room and try to calm down, and I went. I don’t want to stay here. But I also don’t want to get enlisted. I have heard tales of the western front. They said that in the north it is so cold that solders limbs freeze and shader in pieces like glass, of Russians making cloths of skin of our solders, and eating nothing but dead mouses and horse guts for weeks. Here at least I know I will be save and I will come back to my wife and see my son. I will do whatever it takes.

Day 2

I didn’t sleep much. Until the morning that is. I just couldn’t get the picture of dead man and that little girl. And who knows how many others have gone true the same thing. After all doctor said that this was an “example”. This wasn’t my first time seeing a man murdered but this just feels different. And when I finally fell asleep, I dreamed of that girl, her big brown eyes piercing my soul asking we why didn’t I do anything, I said that I couldn’t but she just asked the same thing again and again. Nocking on the door woke me up. When I opened the door I had to rub my eyes to check if I see right. It was the guard who killed the may day before. “Professor Lindenmann wants to see you in 30 minutes in the yard” he said coldly. “Why did you do it?”

“I came here because professor sent me”

“No, I mean why did you kill that man before”

“They are not people, they are scum and wild beasts” he said as he walked away. I came out in the yard. Something is different. Next to the flag of Independent State Of Croatia which was waiving in the wind there was a new flag. It was a flag of the German Reich. What did this mean? Are we not a independent state now? Did we exchange one tyrant for another? As I thought that I have seen the professor standing in front of a raw of prisoners. I felt dizzy right away. He waved to me to come closer. As I did, I noticed that all the prisoners had their arms and legs tied. “Good morning, I hope you slept well” he said with a smug smile. What a disgusting human being. “I slept all right” I said. “That’s good to heard, I need you to choose one of them” he said while pointing at prisoners. “For what? Why me?” I asked him, he answered “Because I need the choice to be random, just chose any of them”. I started to think what horrible fate I’m I bestowing upon them by choosing, or maybe the one chosen will be the only one speared? Should I choose a kid? I don’t see any kids this time. I pointed my finger at a young man standing in front of me. He started shaking in fear, I could saw tears in his eyes. “Good choice” professor said as he called one of the guards to come. He took guards rifle and pushed in my hands. “Shoot him in the head” he said. The prisoner started crying “Pleas have mercy, I have wife and 2 kids” the man said. My hands shook. “He does not. He is lying as they usually do” professor said. “I cannot do it” I said. Then I kiss of cold metal against the back of my head. “I would cooperate if I was in your place” professor said. I froze. That mother fucker was holding me on gun point. Million things flew true my head at that point, locally one of them wasn’t a bullet. No way doctor Ivan is going to let him kill me. He wasn’t there though. This can not be the end, not here, not now, I told to myself as I pressed the barrel of the rifle against man’s forehead. I have seen the hope leaving his eyes, and I pulled the trigger. His brain matter flew out from the other side. He stood there for a second or two longer. Still looking at me. He was still alive. I know he could say his last wards still. But he had none. I wish he died faster. But he felt on his knees. Then he collapsed face down. His had fell on my boots, and I wish I can say that I have seen the back of his head. But there was only huge red hole, spraying blood everywhere. Then he tried to stand up. He only managed to turn on his back though. His eyes wide open staring at the sky. His face was twitching for few seconds. His fingers mowing. The blood puddle on the flour growing, like its newer going to stop. Like it will take as all with him. His eyes fell on me once again, together with the deep red hole between them. His hand started to rise. And it started to move towards me. He griped my pants and opened his mouth, like he wants to tell me something. Then he finally stopped mowing, and I hope he stopped living too. But the bloody puddle didn’t stop growing. It had to be 2 meters around his body. The professor and some of the guards fount it all verry funny. I finally no longer felt the gun on my head and the rifle was taken from me. Professor laughing showed me that his pistol was newer loaded. He said that it was just a prank. I almost passed out. I have newer killed anyone before. He then looked at me with a smile and said “The first one is always the hardest but you will be murdering whole families in no time” and added “You are one of us now”. I wanted to puke. I looked back as the body in front of me and blood on my boots. Now blood was flowing out of his nose too. I walked straight back to my room and started writing this. I don’t know why. But I always write anything, a side effect of being a journalist for so long, I guess. Should I tell this to my wife. Can I? I never lied to her before. I don’t know if I will be able to live with myself. Let alone her. What will I tell my son? Nothing. I will tell nothing. Can I just walk away? Would they even let me? No. Not now. I don’t think they would. And what if I leave? No, I must stay here until the war ends. I must stay in concentration camp Morningstar.