Used To Be | Teen Ink

Used To Be

May 18, 2015
By Alyssa_R BRONZE, Franklin, Wisconsin
Alyssa_R BRONZE, Franklin, Wisconsin
4 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Todd pushed himself through the crowd, clutching his large overcoat around him. It carried his redemption, and he’d be damned if he let anyone steal it. A shout rang out from the middle of the street, reverberating off the old brick row houses. Todd shouldered a Nazi officer to the side and suddenly he was off the edge of the curb and onto the cobblestones, out of the frying pan and into the fire. A mass of tattered people trickled past him, forming a sort of sick parade. The yellow Stars of David sewn to their shoulders shone dully in the afternoon sun. Todd swallowed and reached his hand into his overcoat, pulling out a handful of bills and pushing them towards the nearest Jew. The man paused, fear and apprehension flashing across his face. “Go on, go on, take it.”, whispered Todd, folding the money into his hand. The man didn’t look up, didn’t say anything, but his hand tightened around the bills. Todd didn’t waste anymore time with him, he moved forward and weaved between the prisoners, shoving money at them. A gunshot rang out and his heart skipped a beat. An army of blonde was marching towards him, guns drawn. Todd squeezed his eyes shut and continued passing out the bills. It was a sorry substitute for what they really needed, but maybe they could bribe their guards for food with it. Hell, they could even burn it for fuel. “Why are you doing this?” Todd looked down in surprise; a young woman dressed in rags was at his elbow, a wad of bills clutched in her hand. “Why are you doing this?”, she repeated, eyes dark. “I have to.”, Todd swallowed. He glanced up at the Nazis marching towards him. “I used to be as bad as them.”



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