The wind blew hard as our group marched down the dark, damp alley toward the court yard of the prison. I could hear men screaming, though it did not bother me as much anymore, the sound still mad me shiver. I pushed the feelings of mercy that I had for these traitors out of my mind, and concentrated on the rhythmic marching. The footsteps of our squad echoed off the sides of the dank walls. This is what I imagined hell would feel like. No flames, no demons, just endless, dark, and being led by a man who never smiles. I’m only sixteen I thought I have no place here.
Another scream sounded from one of the frightened prisoners, this time I could see his face. The man was tall, and very lean. His thighs were as big as a healthy mans arms. It was sickening to see his tortured naked body being beaten by one of the officers. Again I pushed the sympathetic feelings aside and proceeded to my position on the line up.
Standing directly across from me was another badly beaten, terribly skinny man. His pale face was calm, and as he stood across from me, only his knees shook. His lips moved noiselessly. He was praying. God can’t help you now I thought maliciously.
Our Scharführer walked past me to the end of our squad line and shouted “Ready your arms!” I lifted my gun, and looked through the guide until my aim was dead on in the middle of the man’s forehead not thirty feet away from me. I thought I saw something glisten on his cheek as my squad leader shouted “Ready!” he paused as one of the other leaders ran quickly across the line of HJ to make sure all of the beginners had their guns properly placed and situated. He did this so we wouldn’t have any extra prisoners we would have to shoot twice. Even for me, a hardened youth, the twitching of a half lifeless soul was hard to watch. “Fire!” the Sharführer shouted, and out of the corner of my eye I saw twelve instantly lifeless prisoners fall to the hard cobblestone. I put my gun to my side, turned on command, and marched, following the man who never smiles. And though we head back out of the alley, there is no way out of Hell.