In Emden Wilhelm Hartmann was standing out on the wharf gazing out at the storm in the distance. A low rumble of thunder echoed in the distance. The sky was dark like the shadows from his past that lingered in the recesses of his mind. The chill of the ocean breeze blew through his coat and his hair. Eventually, he heard the wooden boards behind him creak softly. Turning around he saw a woman with short, straight light brown hair and emerald eyes. The woman was wearing a sky blue dress and black shoes.

"Who are you?" Wilhelm asked.

"I am Carla Assing. My daughter has been seeing you every day," Carla replied.

"She has been seeing me a lot and she has also been very kind to me,"

"She has told me that you escaped from East Berlin and now you are just living in a tent.
"She also has told me that you don't have much with you.
"Are you sure that you don't want a proper place to stay?"

"I think that I'm alright-"

"I insist that you come stay with us,"

Wilhelm looked out at the storm and then back at Carla who was smiling a little bit.

"Follow me I shall lead you to my home,"

Carla started walking away and Wilhelm followed her. Walking down the street Wilhelm noticed that it was quite quiet due to many people having arrived home from work an hour ago and also due to the incoming storm. Eventually, they arrived at a brick house with two small windows on the front and a dark wooden door with a shiny gold door knob. Carla opened the door which quietly creaked upon being opened. Carla entered the house followed by Wilhelm who politely closed the door behind himself.

Wilhelm saw Koralin in the kitchen sitting at the large round wooden table which had a tablecloth with a red and white checker pattern on it. Carla walked into the kitchen and started preparing dinner. Wilhelm awkwardly stood by the door for a couple of moments before deciding to wander into the kitchen. Entering the kitchen he walked over to the table the wooden floorboards creaking underneath him. Sitting down at the table he smiled at Koralin who was reading an English book.

"Are you planning on learning English Miss Assing?"

Koralin stopped reading her book upon recognizing Wilhelm's voice and she looked up at him with a smile.

"Yes I am trying to learn English Mr. Hartmann," Koralin said.

"English and German are similar in a way. Both of them are a part of the Germanic languages it should be easy for you to learn due to them being so similar," Wilhelm replied.

"That is very true,"

Koralin then went back to reading the book and Wilhelm looked up at a small picture that was hanging up on the floral wallpaper in a dark wooden frame. The picture was of a man with short dark brown hair, hazel eyes and a moustache. The man was wearing a Nazi uniform which was decorated with many medals.

"Who is that?"

Carla stopped cutting up some vegetables and looked over at the picture with a slight look of sadness in her eyes.

"That is my husband Leon Assing.
"He was a Lieutenant Colonel and supported the Nazi regime despite his father being very against it. As Mathias Assing was previously a guard for the Kaiser.
"I still loved Leon even though he was supporting an awful cause,"

"What happened to him?"

"He was shot during the Battle of Stalingrad,"

"I'm sorry to hear that,"

Carla went back to cutting up some vegetables. Wilhelm gazed up at a small black and white grandfather clock which read 5:45. Watching the pendulum slowly swinging back and forth he felt himself zoning out while he watched the time pass by. Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door. A young man with short dark brown hair, and emerald eyes who was wearing a black suit, black pants, black shoes and a red tie entered the house. He politely closed the door behind himself and wandered into the kitchen. But stopped in the entryway upon noticing Wilhelm sitting at the table.

"Who is this mother?" The man asked.

"He is our guest Otto. His name is Wilhelm Hartmann," Carla replied.

Wilhelm stopped staring at the clock and looked over at Otto who was straightening his scarlet tie. Once he was finished straightening his tie, Otto walked into the kitchen over to the table and sat down beside Koralin. Otto watched Koralin read the English book with a hint of disgust.

"I can't believe that you are planning to learn such a language," Otto said.

Koralin closed the book and stared at Otto.

"I am allowed to learn whatever language I wish Otto," Koralin said.

"Have you forgotten what the British and the Americans did to this country?"

"No, I haven't forgotten. I understand that you don't like them. But you can't force me to do things, Otto,"

Otto folded his arms and looked up at the picture of his father. Eventually, Carla placed four bowls of vegetable soup on the table along with four silver spoons. She sat down beside Wilhelm and stared at Otto who was still staring up at the picture. The smell of the vegetable soup filled the room making the atmosphere feel somewhat comforting.

"Otto I understand that you are upset about what happened to our country. But you can't force your sister to do things," Carla said.

"I don't approve of what she is doing. But I do understand that I can't force her to do things," Otto replied as he went to stare at Carla.

Otto gazed at Wilhelm with a look of curiosity and Wilhelm felt a sudden feeling of recognition upon staring at Otto.

"You remind me of someone Mr. Hartmann.
"Someone who I only met once when I was at the University of Leipzig.
"Someone who I didn't expect would join the Nazis. Due to him wanting to put his teachings first," Otto said.

"Who did you meet in Leipzig?" Wilhelm asked.

"Werner Heisenberg a great man who knew more about the universe's secrets than I did. Yet I don't understand why he joined the Nazis,"

"My brother worked with him. He told me that Heisenberg was the most intelligent man he knew,"

"At least the Nazi scientists didn't support what my father supported,"

Carla, Koralin, Otto and Wilhelm all started eating their vegetable soup. After a few moments, Wilhelm stopped eating even though there was still half of the soup left in the bowl.

"I apologize but can you please just excuse me for a moment," Wilhelm said as he got up from his seat.

Wilhelm wandered out of the kitchen and down a short hallway that had the same floral wallpaper on the walls. Eventually, he reached a small bathroom and entered it. Closing the oak door behind himself he wandered over to the sink and gazed and his reflection in the mirror above the sink. He felt as if the walls of the room were slowly closing in on him and his heart rate was increasing.

Wilhelm thought to himself anxiously. "I forgot that I met Otto Assing. How did I not recognize his name? And how has he not recognized me? What am I going to do if he does recognize me? He is a supporter of the Soviets he would probably tell them that I'm here. I just have to hope that he doesn't recognize me."

Wilhelm turned on the cold tap and the water slowly flowed into the sink the sound filling the room. Wilhelm placed his hands under the cold tap in a cup shape. The water felt cold on his hands as if they were dipped into the ocean. Splashing the water on his face he attempted to quell his anxiety although the cold water did very little. Turning off the tap he grabbed the light grey towel off the wooden towel rack and dried his face. The softness of the towel against his skin felt oddly comforting. After he finished drying his face he neatly placed the towel back on the rack. Walking back over to the door he took a deep breath opened it up walked back into the hallway and shut the door behind himself.

Wandering down the hallway Wilhelm entered back into the kitchen sat back down at the table and finished eating his vegetable soup. After a few minutes, everyone was finished eating their vegetable soup.

"I must say that I have missed your cooking mother," Otto said as he wiped his face with a scarlet handkerchief that he had taken out of his suit pocket.

"And I have missed you a lot, Otto and I am glad that you came to visit us," Carla replied.

"Well, I suppose that I better be off,"

"Aren't you going to stay with us Otto?"

"Unfortunately I can't I already have a place to stay and I'm not cancelling my reservation,"

"I see well goodnight Otto,"

"Goodnight," Otto said as he got out of his seat.

Otto walked over to the door opened it and exited the house closing the door behind himself. Carla got up from her seat and started cleaning up the bowls and spoons. Koralin opened her book and continued reading it and Wilhelm watched her with a smile.

"Do you know why your brother doesn't approve of you learning English?" Wilhelm asked.

"It's because of what happened to our country after the war. And because he still sees the British and Americans as enemies," Koralin replied with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"I understand why he still sees them as enemies. But I don't see them in that way and I can tell you don't either,"

"I don't see them as the enemy I see them as friends and the ones who helped our country in a way,"

Carla eventually finished cleaning up and she looked at the clock and then looked at Wilhelm.

"Do you want to stay here tonight Mr. Hartmann?" Carla asked.

"That would be nice thank you," Wilhelm replied.

Koralin stopped reading her book and got up from her seat.

"I can go get your things for you, Mr. Hartmann," Koralin said.

"That would be kind of you Miss Assing. But please don't open any of the cases I have things in there that I want to stay private," Wilhelm replied.

"I promise that I won't open them, Mr. Hartmann,"

"Thank you, Miss Assing,"

Koralin walked over to the door opened it and exited the house closing the door behind herself.

"Do you want me to show you where you will be staying?" Carla asked.

"That would be helpful thank you," Wilhelm replied as he got up from his seat.

Carla and Wilhelm both exited the room and wandered down the hallway. Eventually, they reached an oak door at the end of the hallway.

"This is where you will sleep,"

"Thank you,"

Carla walked back down the hallway and Wilhelm opened the door and flicked the light switch on. The room was small with light grey walls a single window with pale blue curtains a small oak desk was sat in front of the window. A small oak bookshelf that was half empty was close to the door. A single bed with a pale blue blanket that had a floral pattern on it was up against the wall on the left hand side. There was also a small white wooden bedside table with a small black and white lamp on it next to the bed. Wilhelm wandered over to the bed sat down on it and removed his shoes placing them down in front of the bedside table. Eventually, Koralin entered the room and placed the two briefcases down at the end of the bed.

"Thank you, Miss Assing,"

"Your welcome Mr. Hartmann,"

Koralin then exited the room leaving Wilhelm alone with his thoughts.

***

A few hours later Wilhelm was lying awake in bed staring up at the wooden ceiling. The sound of the rain pelting down on the roof and the occasional rumble of thunder was all Wilhelm could hear other than the sound of his breathing. The dim light from the lamp filled the room with a soft glow. Suddenly the door to the room opened slightly and Koralin poked her head into the room.

"Goodnight Mr. Hartmann," Koralin whispered.

"Goodnight Miss Assing," Wilhelm replied softly.

Koralin then closed the door again leaving Wilhelm alone with his thoughts once more. He continued to stare up at the ceiling unable to rest due to what happened during the day.