⬆Picture is Alisz. Edited. Please tell me if there are errors so I can fix them. Please. Graphic below made by Baneen121.

Dear Book Club readers,

Telling me their are grammatical errors doesn't help me in any way. Try to point them out like I do for you guys. I have people look at this book and they don't see any that's really noticeable, so when you do, please point them out. If not, it seems you're just saying that like the comments ahead of you and I will just ignore you. Be helpful to fellow writers and actually point out things you like or dislike. It doesn't even have to be inline comments either. 

Thank you,

The Author.
_________________________________________________________________________________

August 19th, 1934

I sat on my bed, reading a book in the darkness with only a candle to light the pages. Father and Mother voices drifted up from downstairs. I could faintly hear their soft conversation, but I understood them only if I stayed deathly silent. Father's voice was so quiet, so soft. He must not had wanted me or my brother to hear what he was going to say, but I did.

I wish I didn't.

President Paul Von Hindenburg had died.

I imagined our country was, of course, distraught about our president's unfortunate death. I was too. We had nothing. Our country was in a great depression. Families were kicked out of their homes onto the streets; mothers were left with screaming children to feed; husbands tried to provide for their families with small jobs;  and children starved and had no schooling. Even Father could hardly provide for us. The Allies took everything from us. Everything. For our part in the World War.

Their small voices continued so I got out of bed and opened my door up just a bit so I could hear more clearly, but it squeaked like a mouse. My parents' heads turned and looked right at me. Their faces full of shock that I was out of bed.

"Alisz, what are you doing up?" Mother asked me in a stern way. I choked down a laugh at her act of being a stern parent.

My name meant truthful in my native language, German, but trust me, I was not a very truthful person in caught in an act of spying.

"I got thirsty. So I was going to get a glass of water. My throat feels so dry that I can't sleep," I lied.

"Then hurry up, dear," Father said in English, the only language he knew, "and go to bed right after." His voice pitched a bit, sounding more alarmed than his usual voice. I stared at his unusual tone and way of acting. Oh, Father, What is going on?

I didn't want to look at him much longer, so I hurried into the kitchen and grabbed a glass from the cupboard. I turned on the sink and thrusted the glass underneath, feeling the cool water droplets slip off of the clear surface and onto my fingers and hand. Voices mumbled from the door, just like the first time. Determined to hear them clearly, I walked closer to the door and placed the side of my head against it.

Their voices were soft, almost too hard to hear but I made out their words despite that fact.

"I can't believe he is gone," Mother whimpered in her broken English, her small voice breaking and her accent twisting her words.

"Cancer. Such a horrible thing to happen to anyone, He had it in the lung." Father stated.

"But Hitler vill take over. His vays are...strange...and dangerous. All zhe things he can do–"

"And we won't be here to see what he does. Tomorrow, we will leave before he or his followers even know. We will head to America. My parents are willing to help us when we get there. They offered to house us until we find our own place. We could make a home there."

"Zhat sounds fine. I've been vanting to see your homeland."

I stared in shock for a bit then walked out of the kitchen and headed for the stairs. Mother and Father stared after me, their faces stern and secretive.

"Good night," I hollered in English. We are leaving tomorrow? But we can't leave. What about this home? I stepped into my room and shut the door. "L-leave? We...are going to leave?" My mind started spinning with many questions. Why do they want to leave? What's so bad about this man who will be our president? Maybe I'm just over thinking this, or maybe it's just a dream.

I sat down on my bed and grabbed my old leather notebook from the nightstand. I flipped it open and began to write furiously. I described everything I heard from my parents. Our president's death; Hitler's (whoever that is) promotion; us leaving; all down on crisp white paper. Then underneath I drew a cross to symbolize the death of Paul Von Hindenburg, labeling it with his birth and death. This day would long be remembered by my family, my country, and those who read this, as the day the world changed forever. Then, when I finished, I sat my notebook down and turned off my light.

~

In the morning, I felt tired, even after a long night's rest. I yawned, not moving from my bed when staring at the clock. I will never see this clock or feel this bed again. I will never see Germany again. A knot formed deep in my stomach, making me sick. Something doesn't feel right. I closed my eyes for a second until banging erupted from my door. This crazy family made it so impossible to sleep in. I grabbed a pillow and held it against my head, slightly growling under my breath. "Stop banging on my door, Alois! I'm awake!" I screamed at the door. The banging continued, slowing a tiny bit.

"Father says to get ready and to get dressed! We are taking a road trip! Finally, a well-deserved vacation for yours truly. Too bad you're coming though," Alois said with a mix of sarcasm and excitement dripping from his voice. If only he heard what I heard last night, that smirk that most likely lays on his face now would be wiped away.

"I'm coming, Alois..." I sat up in my bed and pulled my nightgown over my head. The pounding still continued on my door, even slower now like a heartbeat that you feel in your head. My rankling older brother started to really get on my nerves, so I threw a shoe at the door. He hit the door once hard, tipping over the vase on my dresser and smashed it against the ground. Multi-sized glass pieces were scattered everywhere, roses were spread all over the place, and the water started to seep into the cracks on my floor. "Dammit, Alois, stop that pounding at once! You just broke the vase from Oma!"

"Watch your pretty, little mouth, Alisz, before it gets you slapped." Finally, the assault on my door ceased. A new pounding erupted in my skull, forming a migraine in my head as if Alois was pummeling it. "Come down now." His footsteps faded away from my room then disappeared like they never came.

I sighed. Just give me one minute of peace... I allowed my eyes to close and my thoughts to wonder for just a moment. That vase had been in my family forever and the roses I placed inside gave me peace, even though both were destroyed now.

After that moment, I got dressed and rushed down the stairs to where my parents sat at the table with Alois. I sat in the seat across from him and folded my hands in my lap to be respectful while looking down at the meal in front of me. Father cleared his throat.

"We will be going away for a while. Your mother and I decided on a trip to America. You will need to pack all that you will need or of value. Don't pack anything that is not needed. Then we're off," he said, "in an hour."

This is not going to work, Father.

Alois smiled and shot up from his chair. "It's been a long time we went anywhere so let's do this. It will be good for us to get away from this place."

No it won't, Alois. We are not getting away then coming back like you think.

"Exactly, so you're okay vith this, Sweetheart?" Mother asked sweetly.

No, I am not okay with this.

"Certainly, we both are," Alois said.

Certainly not okay with this. I wish you could read my thoughts.

"Good, 'cause the hour is ticking. Let's get a move on that packing."

Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick.

I hung my head down, defeated. They all wanted to go but me. My opinion wouldn't matter. "I'm going to go get my stuff." I stood up and walked over to the stairs. Alois followed behind me like a lost puppy. His dark blue eyes stayed locked on me like a tiger watching his prey. They flickered away slightly when he talked.

"You don't seem happy, Alisz."

"I am. Just can't wait to go." I gave him a lying smile.

"Good, I would love to spend time with you again."

"You said 'Too bad you're coming, though.' Now you want to spend time with me?"

"It's a brother thing. You will never understand." He smirked at me and walked away, going into his room across from mine.

I rushed to my room and grabbed the suitcase that was tucked under my bed. I grabbed coats, undergarments, pants, and other varieties of clothing from closets and drawers and stuffed them in the suitcase. I walked over to the dresser where my great-grandmother's locket, which I had gotten eleven years ago, laid and clasped it around my neck. The metal felt cool against my bare skin and the blue pendant sparkled in the light, bringing a memory along with it.

~

My hands were over my eyes and I squealed like a little girl would when she was about to get a present. Mother was chuckling at the fact that I could not even sit still. "Hold still, Alisz. Hold still." A metal thing hit me just below my throat and cooled the warm skin that was there.

"What is it?" I asked. Opening my eyes and looking into the mirror Mother held in front of me, I saw the sparkling of a blue pendant.

"It was Great-Grandma's, but now it is yours," she said softly; "Happy 7th birthday, my dear Alisz."

~

How I wished today was like it was back then, when Mother and Father were happy and we had money. Everything was better then.

"Alisz?"

I turned and looked over at my brother, who was leaning against the door. His blue eyes looked at me with a bit of concern. "You do not want to go to America, do you?"

I sighed softly and walked over to him. "No, Alois. I heard them talking last night. They want to flee the country. They are afraid of Hitler, our new president. I don't understand why." My lips started to tremble. He wrapped his arms around me and held me against his chest, rubbing my back in slow circles and chasing the knot away. "I don't want to leave, Alois."

"We will be fine, I promise, little sister." He laid his chin on top of my head. "I promise."

"I believe you..." My voice became a soft whisper. The clock struck on the hour.

"It's time to go."

________________________________________________________________________________

Hello, everyone. This is my first story so please be kind.
Please don't forget to comment! ^^ It helps me a lot in my writing. Just, no hateful comments or I will completely ignore you. Please no completely negative ones either. They make me feel bad. Thank you!

P.S. This has been edited from the original version.

Very Respectfully,
The Author.