A Captured Lamb [Strumfelder]

[Heidi]

OOC - Don't worry Jonas, this isn't the actual thread where you come and save me. It's more of a prologue, and I haven't used Adelheid in a while now, either.

Country: Germany
Current Time: 17:22
Weather Conditions: Wet, some sun, mostly overcast. It's been raining on and off all day.

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Her ink-black eyes gazed wistfully out the window, one arm leaning on the windowsill that grey light streamed through. She had been sitting like that for hours now, her lunch just barely touched and now stone-cold. Adelheid wasn't all that hungry, and besides, the food was tasteless, and like the room around her, it lacked colour. The only thing vaguely colourful to her anymore was the landscape beyond the city rooftops, the flecks of green and blue in-between the grey-brown buildings that called to her. One day, she hoped to be in the world again, instead of being a prisoner of some wicked, wicked doctor.

It had been more then a week now - nine days, actually - since Adelheid had been shot and beaten, left to die by Herr Jonas. Six or five days earlier, she had finally woken up, but she had not seen Doctor Strumfelder since he had attacked her. The guards of her room, however, assured the child Doctor Strumfelder and her would meet again.

But why was he doing this, though? Why had he hit her, and why was he so angry? Why had he shot an innocent man that he had probably scared? These questions were always at the front of Adelheid's mind. He was a doctor, and he was a Nazi - both healer and killer. How could he be both knowing how evil the Nazis were? Or...or did he, perhaps, see them as good? If so, then he was wrong. So very, very wrong.

There was also another that she had not seen since that day: her Rhys-angel. Had he, too, left her? Or had Strumfelder somehow scared him away? Adelheid hoped not. She liked her Rhys-angel; he had saved her a lot, and he seemed to always be protecting her until that day. Despite her praying at night, he had not come, and roughly two days earlier, Adelheid found herself praying less and less. She had noticed she had been praying a lot, and she didn't want to annoy God or her angel into helping her. Only bad children annoyed someone into doing something for them.

A small rumble came from Adelheid's stomach, but she passed it off as just trapped gas. Two days after waking up, she had tried to eat her first meal, and found she could only eat a handful of it. Her stomach was unwilling to take food, and Adelheid simply obeyed, since eating seemed pointless if she could only eat a little bit at a time. A Nazi would come on occasion and try and get her to eat, but it was no use. One had smacked her over the head for not eating, but otherwise, she had been left alone. That was a good thing, since Nazis were meaner then most, and liked to hurt people a lot when angry - Doctor Strumfelder was a perfect example.

And she had forgotten that with Herr Jonas. Never again would he, nor any other soldier, have her trust. Soldiers only made everyone sad, what with their big guns and their rolling house-things, and their wars and their...meanie-ness...and their hate....

[∬: Erhard Strumfelder]

Steeping out of his dark Mercedes, Strumfelder looked the Hospital up and down. It was of modern construction, but there was a certain elegance in its construction. Maybe it was the work of Albert Speer. Either way, it was far better than what the French could have provided the girl with. They would probably stuck her in a rat ridden outhouse, which Germans wouldn’t have used for a prison. Well maybe for Jews… This building would keep her alive, if the head doctor wanted to remain that himself. Strumfelder had to admit he felt pleased with himself. He’d removed an enemy of the state from the streets, severed the link between him and the girl so they wouldn’t try to find one another, and then used the girl to drag back an old friend of Strumfelder’s. He was a true Nazi mastermind.

The Mercedes drove off, without its usual driver. Jonsen was in a military hospital himself, being treated for a nasty concussion. The Captain would probably pay the price for that action soon enough. Strumfelder continued through into the hospital, and quickly moved up to the corridors, towards the private rooms. They were all on the ground floor, useful to Strumfelder who did not want the girl to fall to her death after such an ordeal. He would not find that irony amusing at all. He continued through into a waiting area which was mostly empty, with just two or three old people reading newspapers and one young man dozing, a baby wining slightly in a basket next to him. Strumfelder stepped over to it and looked down at the white clad bundle. The baby looked up at him unsure, but Strumfelder slowly stroked it on its head with his leather covered hand. It sighed slightly, then stretched and fell asleep. Cute.

He moved over to the reception desk, where a middle aged women looked up at him. “Wo ist die Aufgabe Doktor?” he asked. She opened her mouth to speak, but a figure appeared from a door behind the desk, from a small office. He was very smartly dressed, but also about Strumfelder’s age. “Hier. Was ist es Sie Notwendigkeit?” The man spoke. “Es gibt ein junges Mädchen, das Sie hier behandeln. Ich fordere ihre medizinischen Anmerkungen.” The doctor stood up slightly straighter and looked Strumfelder in the eye, bleeding confidence. “Ich bin von einem SS-Doktor, bestellt worden sie nicht zu jedem aufzudecken. Ich bin traurig.” The grip on the silver end of the walking cane tightened considerably. “Ich bin der SS-Doktor, und ich bin der Grund, dass Gör innen hier an erster Stelle ist. Ich schlage vor, dass Sie ihre Anmerkungen schnell finden, wenn Sie nicht wie sie oben beenden möchten.” Strumfelder spoke loudly, and heads turned in their direction. The doctor’s face looked like it could turn objects to stone, but he stepped back into his office and retrieved a cardboard file, with a few leafs inside.

Strumfelder snatched from the doctor’s hand, but disliked the look he was getting form such a stuck up man. The doctor turned to enter the office, and Strumfelder raised his cane into the air, before swiping the man across the side of his head with the heavy sliver ball. The blow sent the man flaying backwards on to the reception desk, knocking papers and a phone off. Before he could clamber to his feet, Strumfelder brought his cane down on the front of the man’s face, breaking his nose. The receptionist stared at him as if he was a mad man, but stayed out of the way. Strumfelder placed his hobnailed heal between the man legs and leant forwards. The doctor started gagging with pain and tried to swift Strumfelder with his two hands, but failed. Finally, there was a very audible pop. The doctor started to scream but couldn’t move. Strumfelder just stepped away with the cardboard file and walked down one of two corridors leading off from the waiting area.

He flicked open the file, ignoring the screams from behind. The girl had under gone surgery twice, each time patching up one hole. One bullet remained inside her while another had been removed. She had been placed on a weeks worth of antibiotics, but seemed to be recovering well for someone who had just been shot. Although she did not seem to be eating well. She would eat, or she would be beaten.

After two turns, Strumfelder found the room, two guards standing proudly with their rifles. They saluted Strumfelder as he approached, clicking there heels. Strumfelder always had hated that sound, through he never knew why. “Niemand ist hereinkommen. Ich muss mit dem alleinmädchen sprechen.” One guard opened the door and Strumfelder stepped into the room. He could still hear the loud screaming until the door was shut. The girl sat at the window, a plate of food untouched next to her. “Guter Tag, Adelheid. Ich habe etwas Nachrichten für Sie.”

Translations:
“Wo ist die Aufgabe Doktor?”
~ Where is the duty doctor?

“Hier. Was ist es Sie Notwendigkeit?”
~ Here. What is it you need?

“Es gibt ein junges Mädchen, das Sie hier behandeln. Ich fordere ihre medizinischen Anmerkungen.”
~ There is a young girl you are treating here. I require her medical notes.

“Ich bin von einem SS-Doktor, bestellt worden sie nicht zu jedem aufzudecken. Ich bin traurig.”
~ I have been ordered by an SS doctor not to reveal them to anybody. I am sorry.

“Ich bin der SS-Doktor, und ich bin der Grund, dass Gör innen hier an erster Stelle ist. Ich schlage vor, dass Sie ihre Anmerkungen schnell finden, wenn Sie nicht wie sie oben beenden möchten.”
~ I am the SS doctor, and I am the reason that brat is in here in the first place. I suggest you find her notes quickly if you do not want to end up like her.

“Niemand ist hereinkommen. Ich muss mit dem alleinmädchen sprechen.”
~ Nobody is to enter. I must speak with the girl alone.

“Guter Tag, Adelheid. Ich habe etwas Nachrichten für Sie.”
~ Good day, Adelheid. I have some news for you.

[Heidi]

Adelheid flinched at the screaming, jumping back slightly from the frightening sound. It wasn't an unusual sound to her - children screamed, people in pain screamed, Nazis angrily screamed - but it was still not nice to hear. Even less nice was the fact that Doctor Strumfelder was indeed back, and with a hungry, predatory glimmer in his eye. The girl had a feeling that the screaming might have been caused by him.

Once more, it was just a Nazi and her, the wolf and the lamb. This wolf, however, was always thirsty for blood.

"Guter Tag, Adelheid. Ich habe etwas Nachrichten für Sie."

"Hmm?" said Adelheid quietly, tilting her head to side and blinking like a curious puppy. It was the only trace of emotion on her stony face; ever since she had woken up, she had reverted to her old coping method of keeping a neutral stance. If she didn't feel or show her emotions, she found that life was easier in more difficult times. "Danke, Doktor Strumfelder, für herkommen, zu erklären mir. Ich höre nicht Nachrichten sehr häufig."

Despite the fact that she hated the man, she would remain polite. He was stronger and more dangerous than she, and the last time they had met, she had said the wrong thing. The consequence? A cane was brought down on her face, breaking her nose and leaving two long gashes. Said gashes were now stitched up, but they still hurt when she slept on them, and Adelheid didn't want them to hurt worse.

With slight effort, Adelheid moved herself towards the end of the bed, attempting to appear competent and willing to listen. Her leg was still bothering her - it would be several weeks before it was healed up - but she didn't want to show that to the wolf before her. Instead, her face only faltered slightly, the girl fighting to keep a neutral expression despite her injuries.


+++++++++++++++++

Translations:

Thank you, Doctor Strumfelder, for coming here to tell me. I don't hear news very often.

[∬: Erhard Strumfelder]

The girl had changed slightly, she seemed almost dead inside to Strumfelder. He wasn’t too sure what was wrong with her, maybe it was just the business of the hospital was overwhelming her? She would learn to get over it soon enough. And now he needed to tell her about that Captain. He would appear kind and loving for the time being. Her diary had been most interesting and maybe what the Captain had been saying did contain some ironic truth, that this girl did know a lot of useful things. They just needed to be prised out, voluntarily or otherwise.

“Ich hoffe, dass seine Nachrichten gut sind, aber ich einen Punkt meine Bedrängnis Sie fürchte. Erstens weil wir Ihren Wächter für einige Tage nicht finden könnten, bin ich es geworden. Sie sind Adelheid Strumfelder von diesem Tag weiter. Sie beziehen auf mich sich noch als Doktor jedoch.” Strumfelder had already decided that if she wasn’t saying anything of use within six weeks she would go under a train, in a very tragic accident of course. But reading her diary from time to time could prove useful. That reminded him he should return that, it would make her trust him more, and it could only be a useful tool if applied properly. He reached inside his long overcoat and removed the small book.

“Dort gehen Sie Adelheid. Ich habe nicht eine Seite gelesen.” There was some truth in this statement. Strumfelder hadn’t read it, he’d just read the notes which a team of Gestapo analysers had compiled, which were actually longer than the book itself. But what it did seem to show was that her father seemed to be a Welsh soldier, and there seemed to be quite a few similarities between a Staff Sergeant recently killed in action. The biggest problem of the diary through was it asked more questions than it answered. But together all this information was certainly worthy of a promotion.

Finally, the Captain. The man was even now being put through extreme anguish. To Adelheid he had to be dead, and he probably wanted to be too. But the Getsapo would keep him alive and in pain until Strumfelder deemed him of no more use. “Die schlechten Nachrichten sind, dass Ihr Freund, dieser Kapitän, er tot ist. Er wurde festgehalten, aber versucht, um vom Polizeirevier zu entgehen. Während er entging, wurde er von einem Schutz abgeschossen. Der Schutz glaubte, dass es ein Mord war, der die Straßen gedurchstreift hatte, und nicht ließ ihn bekannt geschossen haben würde. Wir sollen seine Tätigkeit begnadigen, wenn Sie wünschen?”

Strumfelder tried to look appealing to the girl, and wanted to ignore what had happened the other day. She had probably been knocked around so much that she was unsure what did happen. Maybe the worse parts could be simply put as dreaming while she was asleep for so long?

Translations
“Ich hoffe, dass seine Nachrichten gut sind, aber ich einen Punkt meine Bedrängnis Sie fürchte. Erstens weil wir Ihren Wächter für einige Tage nicht finden könnten, bin ich es geworden. Sie sind Adelheid Strumfelder von diesem Tag weiter. Sie beziehen auf mich sich noch als Doktor jedoch.”
~ I hope his news is good, but I fear one point my distress you. Firstly, because we could not find your guardian for several days, I have become it. You will be Adelheid Strumfelder from this day forth. You will still refer to me as Doktor however.

“Dort gehen Sie Adelheid. Ich habe nicht eine Seite gelesen.”
~ There you go Adelheid. I have not read a page.

“Die schlechten Nachrichten sind, dass Ihr Freund, dieser Kapitän, er tot ist. Er wurde festgehalten, aber versucht, um vom Polizeirevier zu entgehen. Während er entging, wurde er von einem Schutz abgeschossen. Der Schutz glaubte, dass es ein Mord war, der die Straßen gedurchstreift hatte, und nicht ließ ihn bekannt geschossen haben würde. Wir sollen seine Tätigkeit begnadigen, wenn Sie wünschen?”
~ The bad news is that your friend, that Captain, he is dead. He was arrested, but tried to escape from the police station. As he escaped, he was shot down by a guard. The guard believed it was a murder who had been roaming the streets, and would not have shot had he known. We shall pardon his action if you want?

[Heidi]

Adelheid Strumfelder. The thought of her name carrying what seemed to be the Doctor's surname sent a shiver down her spine. Her being put in his care robbed her of what little freedom she had left; he would most likely just beat her if he was angry enough or something. This nice act he was putting on didn't fool little Adelheid, who had seen enough of the darker deeds done by both sides to know better.

Adelheid's eyes watched as her new guardian stuck his hand into his coat, fishing around for something. Moments later, a small brown book was pulled out - it was her journal! She could vaguely remember him searching her pockets, but she couldn't remember exactly when. But he had her journal, and he could see all her secrets, all her desires, her hopes and dreams....

"Dort gehen Sie Adelheid. Ich habe nicht eine Seite gelesen," said the doctor, attempting to sound kind. This burnt wolf, once again, did not fool Adelheid; he had probably done something with it. Quickly but still politely enough, Adelheid took back her journal, and held it tightly to her chest. At least it was back, but could she ever write in it again, with this Nazi knowing it was in her possession?

Doctor Strumfelder then went on to speak of someone called a "Kapitän" - whatever that was. The doctor said he had been Adelheid's friend, and that the police had shot him when he escaped from a police station. Then, Strumfelder asked if Adelheid would pardon the "Kapitän"'s killer; the girl's face looked slightly confused beneath the mostly-expressionless exterior. Why was he asking for her pardon when Adelheid didn't know who Doctor Strumfelder was talking about...?

"Ich interessiere mich nicht," the girl said emotionlessly, and with a small shrug. "Ich nicht sogar weiß, was ein Kapitän ist."

Pulling out her journal, Adelheid would quickly flip through the pages, checking to see if anything was out of the ordinary. Although it was subtle, there were a few signs someone had flipped through it - a dog-eared page here, an odd stain there...she had an eye for these things. After all, when one lives in an orphanage most of their lives, having to share a room with ten other girls and having little privacy, one had to watch where their belongings ended up. Adelheid could recall a few times where her slingshot had been stolen by some of the bolder bullies at Heiliges Peter's-Hafen.


++++++++++++++++++++++++

Translations:

I don't care. I don't even know what a Captain is.

Saint Peter's Haven

[∬: Erhard Strumfelder]

Strumfelder raised an eyebrow, unsure if this girl was being surly and speaking back to him, or rather that she had never known of Merhoff’s rank. That was very unlikely, but if he was to repair his burnt bridge, he must act kind and not lash out at this child, however appealing it seemed. He sighed. “Der Kapitän. Merhoff, Jonas Merhoff. Er wurde Verstorbene vor ein paar Tagen geschossen, als er versucht hat, der Polizei zu entkommen. Tham, der ihn geschossen hat, könnte zu Gefängnis für Mord geschickt werden. Jedoch, sein Verbrechen wird verziehen werden und wird ignoriert werden, wenn Sie so wünschen.” Strumfelder looked away, unsure of how the girl would react. If she fell apart she would have obviously believed his words. That would be where Strumfelder could play the caring father, helping her through her time of grief and build trust. If she remained how she was, she would not have believed him. But that could be easily cured.

He smiled at the girl, trying to change the subject. “Wie haben Sie geschlafen, Adelheid? Die Krankenschwestern und die Ärzte haben mich, dass Sie Albträume gehabt haben, erzählt und sagend dass ich... Ich habe Sie verletzt? Ich lasse naver legen einen Finger auf Sie, außer zu versuchen und Sie lebend zu behalten, nachdem Merhoff versucht hat, mich und Schuss durch Sie zu töten. Erinnern Sie sich an jenen Tag gut nicht? Ich kam, Sie zu kontrollieren, aber Jonas hat mich nicht gewollt, Sie zu sehen, weil ich relise er würde, war ein Verräter. So hat er Sie geherausschlagen und verschlägt Sie, behaltend Sie als seine Geisel. Als ich schließlich Halt von Ihnen erhalten habe, hat er versucht, sie beiden zu töten. Jetzt ist er tot.”

He needed to sound postive. The girl woul dlike him more if he seemed up lifting rather than depressed, though Strumfelder wasn’t sured he’d ever been uplifted since his wife and son’s death. “Es ist ein gutes Ding obwohl. Er war ein Verräter zum Staat, und hat Deutschland gewollt, schwach und arm zu sein. Vor dem Krieg und den Nazis war Deutschland ein Durcheinander. Ein Schubkarren des Gelds hätte auch nicht Ihnen einen Laib des Brots gekauft! Leute haben Heime und Teile von Deutschland waren voll von feindlichen Truppen nicht gehabt. Aber Hitler, oder glourious Leiter hat Deutschland groß gemacht, aber er musste einige Dinge machen, die andere Leute nicht gemocht haben. Aber wenn er hat gehabt die Dinge nicht anzieht, wären wir noch arm. Ihr Freund hat Deutschland schwach gewollt, deshalb könnte er stark in der neuen Welt sein. Er hätte Sie verletzt, es zu erhalten.”

Translations:
“Der Kapitän. Merhoff, Jonas Merhoff. Er wurde Verstorbene vor ein paar Tagen geschossen, als er versucht hat, der Polizei zu entkommen. Tham, der ihn geschossen hat, könnte zu Gefängnis für Mord geschickt werden. Jedoch, sein Verbrechen wird verziehen werden und wird ignoriert werden, wenn Sie so wünschen.”
~ The Captain. Merhoff, Jonas Merhoff. He was shot dead a few days ago when he tried to escape the police. The man who shot him could be sent to prison for murder. However, his crime will be pardoned and will be ignored if you so wish.

“Wie haben Sie geschlafen, Adelheid? Die Krankenschwestern und die Ärzte haben mich, dass Sie Albträume gehabt haben, erzählt und sagend dass ich... Ich habe Sie verletzt? Ich lasse naver legen einen Finger auf Sie, außer zu versuchen und Sie lebend zu behalten, nachdem Merhoff versucht hat, mich und Schuss durch Sie zu töten. Erinnern Sie sich an jenen Tag gut nicht? Ich kam, Sie zu kontrollieren, aber Jonas hat mich nicht gewollt, Sie zu sehen, weil ich relise er würde, war ein Verräter. So hat er Sie geherausschlagen und verschlägt Sie, behaltend Sie als seine Geisel. Als ich schließlich Halt von Ihnen erhalten habe, hat er versucht, sie beiden zu töten. Jetzt ist er tot.”
~ How have you been sleeping, Adelheid? The nurses and doctors have told me you have been having nightmares, and saying that I... I hurt you? I have naver laid a finger upon you, except to try and keep you alive after Merhoff tried to kill me and shot through you. Do you not remember that day well? I was coming to check up on you, but Jonas didn't want me to see you, because I would relise he was a traitor. So he knocked you out and beat you up, keeping you as his hostage. When I finally got hold of you, he tried to kill both of you. Now he is dead.

“Es ist ein gutes Ding obwohl. Er war ein Verräter zum Staat, und hat Deutschland gewollt, schwach und arm zu sein. Vor dem Krieg und den Nazis war Deutschland ein Durcheinander. Ein Schubkarren des Gelds hätte auch nicht Ihnen einen Laib des Brots gekauft! Leute haben Heime und Teile von Deutschland waren voll von feindlichen Truppen nicht gehabt. Aber Hitler, oder glourious Leiter hat Deutschland groß gemacht, aber er musste einige Dinge machen, die andere Leute nicht gemocht haben. Aber wenn er hat gehabt die Dinge nicht anzieht, wären wir noch arm. Ihr Freund hat Deutschland schwach gewollt, deshalb könnte er stark in der neuen Welt sein. Er hätte Sie verletzt, es zu erhalten.”
~ It is a good thing though. He was a traitor to the state, and wanted Germany to be weak and poor. Before the war and the Nazis, Germany was a mess. A wheelbarrow of money would not have even bought you a loaf of bread! People did not have homes and parts of Germany were full of enemy troops. But Hitler, or glourious leader made Germany great, but he had to do some things that other people didn't like. But if he had not done those things, we would still be poor. Your friend wanted Germany weak, so he could be strong in the new world. He would have hurt you to get it.

[Heidi]

So...Herr Jonas was dead, or so the doctor said. The numbness inside Adelheid simply grew, and her face became like stone, unreadable and seemingly set in but one expression. She only nodded to show she understood, and when Doctor Strumfelder again asked if she wanted to pardon the killer, Adelheid said, "...Ich interessiere nicht."

Doctor Strumfelder then went on to explain that he had heard of her nightmares. He tried to convince her they were lies, that she mistaken him for her attacker. But oh no, Adelheid's memory was clear; she could still feel the sting of her hair being pulled by his claw-like hand, leading the child along with it up the inn's staircase. Blinking slowly, she looked into Strumfelder's one blue eye with her black own. Her eyes held no emotion...they were empty, only reflecting the look the Nazi doctor was giving her.

"Sie müssen nicht zu mir liegen," she said quietly, perhaps almost sadly. "Ich erinnere an Sie, mein Haar zu ziehen. Es gezogen worden vor, und ich mag es nicht ziehend. Jemand auch geschaut durch mein Journal - Sie lagen zu mir über das, auch."

Her eyes fell to the book in her hands, all emotional value sapped from its pages. With one finger, she traced a circle along the cover, as if she was cutting out the shape. His words about the Nazis were lies, too. Herr Jonas had said the same thing, and then, he had stopped, and something...something had changed in him. No longer did he try and sway Adelheid to his side of the war after that.

"Was wünschen Sie von mir?" the young girl asked. She didn't know why he had come back in the first place - after all, he had smacked her in the face with his cane not too long ago. What did he want beneath that false smile, that sickeningly sweet expression meant to lure her in like a piece of chocolate? "Ich habe nichts."


++++++++++++++++++

Translations:

I don't care.

I remember you pulling my hair. It has been pulled before, and I don't like it being pulled. Someone also looked through my journal - you lied to me about that, too.

What do you want from me?

I don't have anything.

[∬: Erhard Strumfelder]

That was it. He’d tried being kind, and nice to this brat and yet this girl had just thrown it in his face! Strumfelder could continue this stupid story, but what would that achieve? This girl was determined to work against him and not with him, and so be it. The Gestapo wouldn’t mind breaking the fingers of a child any more than an adult. She would reveal the information Strumfelder wished, either by her own choice, or under his tools. He would not be beaten by a ten year old girl!

He snatched hold of the leather backed diary on the girl’s bed, and held it up in the air. The Gestapo had had their fun with it, and it was no longer needed. Strumfelder flipped open the cover, and showed the girl the first page of her untidy handwriting. “Wenn Sie mit mir, Adelheid, nicht arbeiten wollen, belegen Sie mit einer Geldstrafe.” He grabbed hold of the top of the page, and ripped. The page came loose in Strumfelder’s grip. He scrunched it up in his gloved hand, before letting it fall to the ground. As it kissed the floor he squashed it with the toe of his boot. He turned the next page, and repeated the action, goading the child on.

“Wird Ihr kleiner Winkel kommen und wird Sie sparen? Wird er durch die Wand bersten und wird mich töten? Ich denke nicht!” Strumfelder began to laugh, as he took hold of yet another page, and slowly parted it with its binding, a little tear at a time. When it came loose, he crumbled it, then flattened it, before deepening his laugh. “Vielleicht wird glourious Rhys Laden durch die Tür kommen, tötend die ganzen Nazis und außer Ihnen?”

He flipped through more pages, until came about half way through. Strumfelder tugged at a cluster of about six or seven pages and tore them away, one containing a scruffy drawing he’d seen toddlers do better. He dropped the diary and placed his heavy heel over it, pinning it to the floor. With his free hand he reached inside his long jacket and removed an old but very delicate cigarette lighter. He placed the corner of one of the pages to the edge of the lighter and flicked the rear catch, igniting the flame. The paper took just seconds to burn, the flames curling around the picture as the ink burned green. Within just moments, they had been cremated.

But Strumfelder was not finished. He returned the lighter and withdrew his knife, the silver blade glimmering in the light. He reached down and lifted the leather book before quickly examining his handiwork. He’d done well. Strumfelder looked at the girl’s eyes and smiled, before tossing the book up into the air and throwing the knife. Its blade tore through the paper, propelling the book forwards. The knife pinned itself to the wall, trapping the diary with it.

“Sie sehen, Adelheid? Wenn Sie mich herausfordern, sind Sie die Person, die verletzt ist. Ich könnte Ihnen Sachen, welche Ihr Leben, zerstören würden alles, die Sie innen, glauben nach rechts unten zu Ihrem Vater erklären und Ihr Onkel, von dem einer Sie sich getroffen haben, der andere Sie nie werden. Sie sind mein Gefangener und Sie sind in meiner Energie. Sie haben niemand.”

Translations:
“Wenn Sie mit mir, Adelheid, nicht arbeiten wollen, belegen Sie mit einer Geldstrafe.”
~ If you do not want to work with me, Adelheid, fine.

“Wird Ihr kleiner Winkel kommen und wird Sie sparen? Wird er durch die Wand bersten und wird mich töten? Ich denke nicht!”
~ Is your little angle going to come and save you? Is he going to burst through the wall and kill me? I think not!

“Vielleicht wird glourious Rhys Laden durch die Tür kommen, tötend die ganzen Nazis und außer Ihnen?”
~ Maybe glorious Rhys will come charging through the door, killing all the Nazis and save you?

“Sie sehen, Adelheid? Wenn Sie mich herausfordern, sind Sie die Person, die verletzt ist. Ich könnte Ihnen Sachen, welche Ihr Leben, zerstören würden alles, die Sie innen, glauben nach rechts unten zu Ihrem Vater erklären und Ihr Onkel, von dem einer Sie sich getroffen haben, der andere Sie nie werden. Sie sind mein Gefangener und Sie sind in meiner Energie. Sie haben niemand.”
~ You see, Adelheid? When you challenge me, you are the one who is hurt. I could tell you things which would destroy your life, everything you believe in, right down to your father and your uncle, one of which you have met, the other you will never. You are my captive, and you are in my power. You have nobody.

[Heidi]

Now, he was trying to get at her feelings with her journal. Like the children at the orphanage, Doctor Strumfelder held her diary aloft, waving it around and trying to get a reaction. In fact, he was acting slightly childish, with how he tried to get at her emotions by hurting what was supposed to be precious to her. The girl remained neutral, unfazed, only further lost in a blankness of her own doing.

Then, Doctor Strumfelder began to insult her Rhys-angel. A hint of indignation rose up within her, but it was torn away with the ripping of the pages. How could he act this way? Did he have no shame, no dignity or consideration for another? Adelheid had seen many people sink to the lowest of the low, but Doctor Strumfelder's acts were, by far, some of the most low. He had looked through her diary, then he was burning it, thinking she would still be attached.

Adelheid was...disgusted. The feeling of hate led to another feeling she could not describe, one that made her warm and fuzzy to see the doctor so frustrated. It was almost satisfying, and with a prideful sort of edge to it; the last time Adelheid had felt it, it had been when she discovered that she could use a slingshot. The slingshot had given her something to proud of, to use, to no longer keep being defenseless.

It was smugness.

The Nazi tossed her journal into the air. His knife came next, slicing through the book and pinning to the wall behind her. The noise made Adelheid jump slightly and tense, but she was not sorry the book was gone. After all, the thoughts were old, and another had seen them; why should she care now about a secret that another's eyes had discovered?

“Sie sehen, Adelheid? Wenn Sie mich herausfordern, sind Sie die Person, die verletzt ist. Ich könnte Ihnen Sachen, welche Ihr Leben, zerstören würden alles, die Sie innen, glauben nach rechts unten zu Ihrem Vater erklären und Ihr Onkel, von dem einer Sie sich getroffen haben, der andere Sie nie werden. Sie sind mein Gefangener und Sie sind in meiner Energie. Sie haben niemand.”

Once more, proof that he was just a bully, like some of the children at the orphanage. A strange sort of...reassuring calmness...descended upon young Adelheid. He was using the truth, as brutal as it was, to try and break her - but she already knew the truth. He would have to do something else if he wanted to get into the orphan's head.

Her dark eyes lifted towards Strumfelder's beady, blue one, and locked with it. Her voice was still hollow as she spoke, her face still devoid of emotion, but her eyes showed peace. Acceptance. They agreed with Strumfelder, that he spoke not a lie. Adelheid's head then tipped downwards submissively, attempting to show Strumfelder she was not a threat.

And Adelheid said, "Ich weiß. Viele Leute haben mir die erklärt. Ich fragte gerade, was Sie wünschten; Ich bedeutete keine Handlung, Doktor Strumfelder. Verzeihen Sie mir bitte, wenn ich Sie umkippe bildete."


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

OOC - Adelheid, two. Strumfelder, ZERO! XD

Translations:

I know. A lot of people have told me that. I just asked what you wanted; I meant no offense, Doctor Strumfelder. Please forgive me if that made you upset.

[∬: Erhard Strumfelder]

A reaction?! Was that too much to ask for?! The girl just sat there, watching him, making no attempt at challenging him. Why!? He relaxed slightly, trying to be clean and calm about this. Anger got you nowhere, where clear methodical thinking moved you faster to your objective than anything else. He wanted information from this girl, so he might as well begin to extract it. He would try once more, before slicing open old wounds, literally. Those stitches would come open cleanly with his blade.

Strumfelder was an intellectual. He was far cleverer and superior to this girl, he just had to remember that and he would be fine. He was acting on impulses as if he was a child. That would not do for one of the Führer’s elite! The girl was just a test. A test from God, and he had to prove his worth. Maybe something good was on the way to him, if he passed this trial. A promotion maybe? There was only one way to find out about this.

“Sie haben meinen Adelheid, groß tatsächlich verärgert. Ich wünsche nicht zurück plaudere von Ihnen, oder ich tue zu Ihnen, was ich zu Ihrem Tagebuch getan habe. Ich warne Sie, nun da ich nicht dem Quälen Sie zu dieser Information entgegengesetzt werde. Verstehen Sie?” Strumfelder looked up down at her, then removed his cap and hung it on a short post of her bed. He ran a hand through his hair, being careful with the bristles which had sprouted from the remains of his burnt scalp. He removed his eye patch, allowing the girl to see the empty socket, before replacing and straightening it. “Möchten Sie wissen, warum ich schaue, wie ich Adelheid tue? Er war, weil ich versuchte, ein Kind vom Tod zu speichern, an den Händen der Leute, denen Sie Ausgabenzeit mit gewesen sind. Ich lasse zu, dass ich die Schmerz verursachen kann den Kindern, aber auf diese Art ich Tausenden mehr vom Tod speichern kann. Ich versuchte, einen Jungen zu speichern und versteckte mich und ihn innerhalb eines kleinen Toyshop. Dann brannten sie uns heraus. Der Junge überlebte nicht.”

He moved over beside the girl, and twisted the knife out of the wall, a few chunks of plaster raining down with a little white dust. He admired the blade in the light as he spoke. “Zuerst weg, erklären Sie mir über Ihren Freund, Jonas Merhoff. Wo und als Sie ihn trafen, warum, was er für Sie getan hat, was Sie für ihn getan haben. Was er Ihnen über Adolf Hitler und die Nazin und selbst erklärt hat. Sprechen Sie so Mädchen.”

Translations:
“Sie haben meinen Adelheid, groß tatsächlich verärgert. Ich wünsche nicht zurück plaudere von Ihnen, oder ich tue zu Ihnen, was ich zu Ihrem Tagebuch getan habe. Ich warne Sie, nun da ich nicht dem Quälen Sie zu dieser Information entgegengesetzt werde. Verstehen Sie?”
~ You have angered my Adelheid, greatly in fact. I do not want back chat from you, or I will do to you what I have done to your diary. I will warn you now that I am not opposed to torturing you for this information. Understand?

“Möchten Sie wissen, warum ich schaue, wie ich Adelheid tue? Er war, weil ich versuchte, ein Kind vom Tod zu speichern, an den Händen der Leute, denen Sie Ausgabenzeit mit gewesen sind. Ich lasse zu, dass ich die Schmerz verursachen kann den Kindern, aber auf diese Art ich Tausenden mehr vom Tod speichern kann. Ich versuchte, einen Jungen zu speichern und versteckte mich und ihn innerhalb eines kleinen Toyshop. Dann brannten sie uns heraus. Der Junge überlebte nicht.”
~ Do you want to know why I look like I do Adelheid? It was because I was trying to save a child from death, at the hands of the people who you have been spending time with. I admit I may cause pain to children, but in doing so I may save thousands more from death. I tried to save a boy, hiding myself and him inside a small toyshop. Then they burnt us out. The boy did not survive.

“Zuerst weg, erklären Sie mir über Ihren Freund, Jonas Merhoff. Wo und als Sie ihn trafen, warum, was er für Sie getan hat, was Sie für ihn getan haben. Was er Ihnen über Adolf Hitler und die Nazin und selbst erklärt hat. Sprechen Sie so Mädchen.”
~ First off, tell me about your friend, Jonas Merhoff. Where and when you met him, why, what he has done for you, what you have done for him. What he has told you about Adolf Hitler, and the Nazis and himself. So speak girl.

[Heidi]

The wolf was more scarred then he looked, half of his head covered in nothing more then bristles, the flesh forever burnt and hair forever slow to grow. Where his other eye had been, it was now just a depression, an empty socket that Adelheid found creepy. Looking at his face, she could see the faint outlines of how the fire had burnt him, how it had...hit...part of his face, and then splattered, spreading out in streaks and flecks. He said he became that way when he was trying to save a boy....

A light formed behind Strumfelder, a light only Adelheid could see. It shifted and flowed, becoming a faint, winged outline, the dark hair and eyes soon coming afterwards. Rhys was now there, standing calmly as Doctor Strumfelder walked over to the wall, removing his knife and the book impaled upon it. He looked at it like a proud father, the blade reflecting the dim light of the room, and then spoke.

"Zuerst weg, erklären Sie mir über Ihren Freund, Jonas Merhoff. Wo und als Sie ihn trafen, warum, was er für Sie getan hat, was Sie für ihn getan haben. Was er Ihnen über Adolf Hitler und die Nazin und selbst erklärt hat. Sprechen Sie so Mädchen."

Herr Jonas said not to speak of the Nazis or the Not-Nazis to Doctor Strumfelder. Adelheid bit her lip, her eyes falling to the bedsheets, then glanced over at Rhys. He faded a little, and took a step back, his face portraying a, "Don't worry, I'm here," kind of look. Adelheid looked over at the doctor, then back at Rhys, then back to the doctor and then back at Rhys again, trying to make up her mind as to what she should do. She locked eyes with Rhys, seeking comfort in his warm gaze, but then looked back at her new guardian, shrinking a little.

"Er speicherte mich," Adelheid said timidly. "Einige Nazi-Jungen kamen und versuchten, mich zu erdrosseln, und sie nahmen mein Spielzeugpferd und meinen Slingshot. Er ließ sie weggehen, und er speicherte mich, und er gab mir einen Platz, um zu schlafen und zeigte mir, was Strudel war. Wir sprachen nie wirklich…über Hitler? Ist das, was sein Name ist? Ich weiß nicht."

Just in case she said the wrong thing, she shrunk further, her shoulders hunching up defensively.

"Ich sage die ehrliche Wahrheit…."


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Translations:

He saved me.

Some Nazi-boys came and tried to choke me, and they took my toy horse and my slingshot. He made them go away, and he saved me, and he gave me a place to sleep and showed me what strudel was. We never really talked about...Hitler? Is that what his name is? I don't know.

I am telling the truth...honest....

[∬: Erhard Strumfelder]

For some unexplained reason, the girl kept glancing behind Strumfelder. He turned his head slightly, a tad paranoid that somebody had entered the room. How could they without him hearing? But of course there was nobody there, and neither was there anything of any importance or interest. Maybe some sort of imaginary friend? But wasn’t ten years of age a little old for that? This girl seemed to have had a messy life, maybe that could explain some of it? But the feeling that somebody else was in the room was a littler disturbing to say the least. It made Strumfelder feel uncomfortable.

He listened to the girl’s words and his lips tightened at ‘saved’. “Kommen Adelheid, ich denken, dass dieses für das Lügen ein wenig spates ist. Sie sind, mir erklärend, dass die Jungen, die unseren Führer dienen gerade, geschahen, Sie anzugreifen. Sie dachten gerade ' lassen Sie uns ein girl' in Angriff nehmen;. Für was nehmen Sie mich?” Yet again his voice hardened.

Strumfelder had met criminals more trustworthy than this girl! Every word which came out of her spiteful, self-centred mouth was a lie, in an attempt to save her own skin, and not the lives of brave German soldiers. This brat, this bitch, didn’t know what she was involved in. All she cared about was herself. “Ich denke, dass was ist wahrscheinlicher ist, dass Sie Ihren Slingshot gegen jene Jungen benutzten und störten sie, als sie versuchten, Nazideutschland zu helfen. Sie kamen zu Ihnen vorbei und erklärten weg für Sein solch ein böses kleines Mädchen. Sie bildeten dann sich Blick schwach und bildeten ' Herr Jonas' kommen Sie Ihnen helfen. Warum zu Ihnen bestehen Sie fort, auf zu liegen zu mir!?”

Strumfelder raised his voice loudly, letting his words echo off the four white walls. What to do with this girl. He was very temped to take a finger for his trouble. This girl had to learn what and what he did not want to hear. Strumfelder thought for a second. She didn’t have anywhere to go, no light at the end of the tunnel, so him hurting her and killing her were not having too great an effect purely because it wasn’t a great difference to normal life for her . Maybe dealing with this girl would be more productive. Shit, he couldn’t believe he was doing this, sinking this low.

Still portraying an angry man, he flipped the catch off his holster’s cover, then removed the pistol. He dived into an inside pocket and removed a small magazine, about the size of a matchbox. He slotted it into the base of the guns magazine housing, then drew back the rear slide with a click, cocking the weapon. Strumfelder then placed the weapon in front of the girl, on her bed sheets.

“Adelheid, hören auf mich. Wenn Sie alle diese Schmerz stoppen möchten, dieses heben ganzes Leiden, diese Waffe und Tötung sich auf. Wenn Sie eine normale Kindheit, in einer Schule mit Freunden und Lehrern wünschen, helfen Sie mir. Es ist Ihre Wahl.”

Translations:
“Kommen Adelheid, ich denken, dass dieses für das Lügen ein wenig spates ist. Sie sind, mir erklärend, dass die Jungen, die unseren Führer dienen gerade, geschahen, Sie anzugreifen. Sie dachten gerade ' lassen Sie uns ein girl' in Angriff nehmen;. Für was nehmen Sie mich?”
~ Come Adelheid, I think this is a little late for lying. You are telling me that boys serving our leader just happened to attack you. They just thought 'let us attack a girl'. What do you take me for?

“Ich denke, dass was ist wahrscheinlicher ist, dass Sie Ihren Slingshot gegen jene Jungen benutzten und störten sie, als sie versuchten, Nazideutschland zu helfen. Sie kamen zu Ihnen vorbei und erklärten weg für Sein solch ein böses kleines Mädchen. Sie bildeten dann sich Blick schwach und bildeten ' Herr Jonas' kommen Sie Ihnen helfen. Warum zu Ihnen bestehen Sie fort, auf zu liegen zu mir!?”
~ I think what is more likely is that you were using your slingshot against those boys, disturbing them when they were trying to help Nazi Germany. They came over to you and told off for being such a nasty little girl. You then made yourself look weak, and made 'Herr Jonas' come and help you. Why to you persist in lying to me!?

“Adelheid, hören auf mich. Wenn Sie alle diese Schmerz stoppen möchten, dieses heben ganzes Leiden, diese Waffe und Tötung sich auf. Wenn Sie eine normale Kindheit, in einer Schule mit Freunden und Lehrern wünschen, helfen Sie mir. Es ist Ihre Wahl.”
~ Adelheid, listen to me. If you want to stop all this pain, all this suffering, pick up that weapon and kill yourself. If you want a normal childhood, in a school with friends and teachers, help me. It is your choice.

[Niamh Dunlevy]

They all said she was lying. They all said she was a Nazi, that she was on their side, and that she wasn't worth anything. They all said she was an orphan, and that she was just that, and that she was a witch and a thief and a bad girl. Whatever Adelheid said in return meant nothing - nothing - to them. Nobody would believe her, Not-Nazi or Nazi, and they all said she was always wrong.

His hardened voice cowed her, and she shrunk down. Her neutral face broke, a tiny sob escaping her lips as her face scrunched up. She shuddered, her eyes slamming shut, another sob coming forth. The edges of Adelheid's eyes burned, and she could feel her stomach twisting, her heart falling to her feet. Strumfelder had won; the reaction he wanted so badly from her was there, right before him, where he could savour the moment and take pride in making the little girl crack.

Then, something clicked, the sound harsh and metallic. Adelheid recognized it as a gun, and she gave a tiny whimper. He was going to kill her - no...he was speaking...he wanted her to -

Adelheid tensed, her eyes flying open. She was terrified of the sight before her: a gun, on her bed, loaded and ready for use. If she didn't want to help Doctor Strumfelder, then Adelheid would have to kill herself. If she did help Doctor Strumfelder, however, she could go to school. Adelheid could have friends, and learn things, and become smart and not be called stupid anymore. Her heart ached at the thought of being a girl like everyone else, but then, her distrust kicked back in.

He had shot her. He was lying. He was the wrong one here.

And Adelheid snapped.

"Nicht Doktor Strumfelder," the girl said, a little more fiercely then what one would expect from her. "Ich hasse Sie. Ich hasse die ganze Sie Nazin. Sie sind falsch und ich liege nicht. Ich sage die Wahrheit, aber Sie glauben mir nicht, und niemand glaubt mir!!"

With rage and pain in her black eyes, she looked up at Strumfelder, a look of anger on her face. She leaned forward, pushing herself slightly off the bed, and grabbed the gun.

"ICH HASSE SIE! Sie verletzen mich und Sie halten zu liegen, und Sie können zur Hölle gehen!! Ich INTERESSIERE mich nicht mehr, wenn der schlecht ist, weil Sie ES! VERDIENEN! Sie verletzen kleine Mädchen und kleine Jungen, und Sie machen sich über Leuten lustig, weil sie nicht blond sind oder blaue Augen haben! ES IST NICHT ANGEMESSEN! Gehe ich hasse Sie weg! GEHEN SIE WEGGEHEN WEGGEHEN WEG!!"

With a mighty throw, her aim true and on the spot as any Bevan's, Adelheid threw the gun hard against the wall beside Strumfelder. It went off with a loud bang[/i], firing at an angle so that the shot would strike Strumfelder somewhere in the upper torso. The wound itself wouldn't be fatal, unless it went untreated.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


OOC: Once again, I forget to log out. -facepalm-

Translations:

No, Doctor Strumfelder.

I hate you. I hate all of you Nazis. You are wrong, and I am not lying. I am telling the truth, but you do not believe me, and nobody believes me!

I HATE YOU! You hurt me, and you keep lying, and you can go to Hell!! I do not CARE anymore if that is bad, because you DESERVE IT!! You hurt little girls and little boys, and you make fun of people because they are not blond or have blue eyes. IT IS NOT FAIR! Go away, I hate you! GO AWAY GO AWAY GO AWAY!!

[∬: Erhard Strumfelder]

Strumfelder wasn’t actually sure what this girl was going to do, but he doubted that she would kill herself. Human instincts would kick in first, but he had cleverly tricked her. She would believe that in not choosing one choice, she had to choose the other, and therefore would help him. The girl sobbed, making the moment even more rich. Strumfelder had broken a few hard men in his time, but this girl had been toughest. It was a nice feeling of completion. He felt very pleased with himself. He was surprised that it had taken so long, but the heart of a weak child needs to be handled carefully if it is to be used again. He wished his medical students would learn that.

She certainly didn’t like the sight of the gun; Strumfelder had lost count of how many people he’d killed with that. Maybe he should have applied this level of pressure form the start? She seemed to examine it with her eyes, as if it was the source of all evils. Odd child. He was about to speak, when the girl did.

Strumfelder wasn’t sure what to make of her outburst. So she hated him, a lot of people did but that was why the job paid so well. He wondered how many people want to kill him. It was surprising he wasn’t the most paranoid person on earth. But there was something in her eyes. Not the desperation he had seen in them before, more anger… or confidence. For a split second Strumfelder though she was going to shoot him, but a ten year old girl would barely know which end the bullet came out of, let alone how to use it.

Then she dared to insult the Nazis. The people who had clothed and kept her safe, and made her a member of the supreme people. Strumfelder was more insulted by that. It was understandable that Brits, and Yanks would hate them, but this was coming from a child, of the Aryan race! What had Merhoff done to her?!

She held the gun in one hand, the heavy weight unusual to the girl. Strumfelder laughed slightly as she seemed unsure what to do. She would not shoot him. She was a coward, who was just annoyed that he had seen through her childish lies. Too much power in those hands. He reached forward slightly to relieve her of the weapon, but she threw it hard against the wall. He heard the gun discharge a moment after his chest became numb.

Strumfelder looked down to see a mess of torn fabric down to his skin which was rapidly disappearing in a pool of crimson. He touched it slightly, and then fell backwards to the floor as his legs buckled. He was going into shock; no pain. The colour drained from everything and he could barely hear. Two guards rushed into the room, one looked over Strumfelder while another dragged the girl from her bed, and started pointing and shouting frantically, presumably scolding her. The other guard looked down, and started shouting for help, aid, and bent down to see Strumfelder’s damage. Strumfelder looked up at him, and then to the girl, and pointed with all the strength left in his body. Finally, he let his head roll back and his eyelids close, as he passed out.

[Niamh Dunlevy]

She had shot him. Shot him. Bang, point, dead, a harsh smell and all that blood, blood, blood...it was everywhere. Adelheid's mouth formed a little "o" as she watched Strumfelder collapse, numb and icy as a lake in winter. The door flew open, and the guards to her room ran forward, one grabbing her by her raven hair. Adelheid shrieked as he yanked her off the bed by it.

"SIE DUMMES KIND! Haben Sie keine Idee, was Sie?! Getan haben!" the guard screamed, spittle flying from his mouth and landing on Adelheid's body. The girl's head was spinning wildly; she had landed on her injured leg, and a wave of pain was washing through her body. Whatever else the guard said, she could barely make it out, the world fading in a blur of whiteness and light. Once more, her emotions shut off, and she couldn't feel anything except the floor and her hurting leg.

Rhys....

The world was very cold all of a sudden. She had shot a man, just as he had shot her. In Adelheid's mind, he was going to die. She was going to die, too. Those Nazis, they would never forgive her for this; if anyone so much as touched them, bad things happened to that unlucky person. And the punishment wouldn't stop there, either - God was probably furious with her. Thou shalt not kill was a commadment from the Lord in Heaven himself.

Something that felt like arms wrapped themselves around her. At first, Adelheid thought it was the guard, but then saw him run out the door from the corner of her eye. She looked at her arms, and noticed that something white had wrapped itself around her body. Something tickled her cheek, and when she glanced downwards, Adelheid swore that there were feathers against her face. A small, shuddering sigh came from her, a sleepy, strange peacefulness washing over her.

"Cer i gysgu, Adelheid. Dwi 'ma."

The words were like a verse from a song, and even if she couldn't understand them, they were still comforting. In fact, they were all that was needed to ease Adelheid into unconsciousness.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


OOC: I used a Welsh translator for the Welsh if you read this, Welshmen of IO.
Edit: Oh, COME ON! I forgot to log out AGAIN!! >.<

Translations:

YOU STUPID CHILD!! Do you realize what you have done?!

Go to sleep, Adelheid. I am here.