Personal Narrative: My First Holocaust

I was running as fast as I could. I didn't know where to, all I knew was that I couldn't stop. Pushing myself to run faster, I sprinted down the nearly deserted street. I could hear the smashing of glass and gunshots behind me, only matched by screams of terror, as they invaded Szczebrzeszyn like a tidal wave. Drowning any Jews that were too slow to escape. I cried out as my knees buckled, causing me to collapse to the ground. Too weak to stand, I dragged myself towards a nearby car and crawled underneath it. Trying not to make a sound, I lay there tear spilling silently down my face. My breath, like a dragon's fire, clouded the surrounding air. There was no escape. I listened to the smashing and shouting increase in volume, and held my breath
The rumbling of empty stomachs filled the silent air, invading the little space we had. Trying to take my mind off my thoughts, I focused on seeing my family again, wondering whether they managed to escape. I had heard stories of what had happened to captured Jews in Germany, but that's all I thought they were. Stories. A vision of a nightmare, fuelled by fear of the unknown. Unfortunately, judging from the events of today, they seemed all too true. Suddenly, a whistle blasted, and the train lurched forward. Terror shot through my veins as we left Szczebrzeszyn, heading towards our inevitable future. My bottom lip quivered as I stood gazing into the darkness, unable to prevent the tears that dripped down my face. I stayed to myself throughout the journey, as did everyone else. The amount of oxygen in the air made me feel light-headed, as we continued to stand, crowded together like cattle. Days passed before we finally arrived. The journey was mostly a blur. I hadn't eaten or drunken since stepping into the boxcar, and I knew I would die if I went a few more days without water. The only thing that had kept me going was the thought of seeing my family
An Officer sorted us, one at a time, into two groups. One little girl clung to her mother, refusing to be separated from her. Reluctantly she let go, after being reassured that her mother would be fine, but the obvious smirk on the officer's face hinted that he was lying. When my turn came, my legs were almost too weak to hold me up. Using all my energy, I stood taller, trying to look stronger than I was. The Officer studied me for a minute, before sorting me into the group on his left. Once the Officer finished sorting everyone, he signalled for another Officer to take away the group on his right. Shaking with fear, we watched as the Officer took them towards an ominous looking section, called block 11. After a while another Officer came and took us in the opposite direction, away from the gunshots and screaming that would forever haunt my dreams. The Officer took us to a large courtyard, and made us stand to the side, watching as the other Jews made their way back from work. To my horror, I noticed people carrying dead bodies between them, struggling as they made their way forward. They all looked completely drained, their clothes hung loosely from their thin frames, and most looked as if they hadn't washed in