The incinerator gets turned on at 5Am sharp every morning. The piles of burnt skin and bones double each day. Guards walk by the innocent souls with no care for them, carrying weapons and a huge amount of ammo just waiting anxiously for their next victim. Mothers being separated from their children and men being forced into work. There is no rhyme or reason for anything that happens inside these thick, wired gates. Their souls already feel as if they are being sucked right out of their bodies.
Antonio and Michael, clothed in tattered rags, numbers pinned to their chests, surround by many others who are in the same condition. Dirt covered faces, blistering hands, and deteriorating muscles. Malnourished beyond belief. Saddened faces from the pain and torture. Broken hearts from missing their loved ones. Michael yanks at Antonio’s arm. “Where’s mommy? Where’s daddy?” Antonio doesn’t know what to say because he has absolutely no clue where their parents are. Many weeks have passed by and Michael still asks that same question everyday. Mom was forced one way and dad, the other and there is no explanation for it. Gun shots are fired constantly at this camp. BOOM! Some people scream but most just look around, whipping their necks in every direction trying to figure out where the shots came from, and who the victim was this time. One person getting shot is nothing compared to the mass amounts of dead bodies piled up that no one knows about.
The boys follow the endless line of people to a work field, with dragging bare feet digging deep into the snow. There is already about one hundred people already working out there so they grab the shovels and start digging. Little do they know that the massive pit they must dig is to burn all the bodies the deceased. There is no information given the poor souls about anything going on. It’s only a secret.
The fresh snow falls on their shoulders and rests there calmly. There will be no dinner tonight but they may meet in the hall to warm up at 8pm. Minutes feel like hours, hours feel like days, days feel like weeks, and weeks feel like months. It seems that Antonio and Michael have been working for days with no breaks at all. Their strength is slowly deteriorating along with their body weight and hope. Once one hole is deep enough, they must go start another and another and another. Soon enough, the bells ring twice at 8pm and everyone knows what time it is. The guards outside the dinner house stalk their next victim. No one questions their authority; they only do what they are told. Antonio starts to figure out what is really going on. With the aroma of death in the air, it’s starting to become more apparent. He believes they are here to work till death and if they aren’t worthy enough to the guards, they will be killed instantly. This thought scares Antonio and Michael can tell there is something wrong. As the boys approach the hall, Michael holds Antonio back and asks him what’s wrong. Antonio explains his predictions. “We need to get out of here Michael. We have to find a way to escape! We have to!”
“How Tony? This place is surrounded from the inside out with guards and we have to find daddy and mommy! I won’t leave without them! I won’t!” Michael breaks down crying. Antonio gently puts his arm around him and they start walking towards the hall doors to warm their frostbitten bodies.
Soon enough, they are ordered to return to their sleeping quarters. Unexpected, an old man approaches Michael and Antonio, grabs their arms and pulls their heads close. “Listen boys, I over heard you talking. You want to escape? Well I have a plan,” He keeps his voice real low as he explains it. Antonio agrees with no questions but Michael doesn’t think it’s possible to escape this place unharmed; he isn’t the risk taking type. Even though their parents are no where to be found, they decide to go through with it. With Antonio being 3 years older, Michael trusts him.
By sundown the plan is set in stone and the boys are prepared to escape. They sneak out as sly as a snake and head towards the hidden gate the man told them about. About 5 steps towards the gate, the alarm is set off. The boys quickly duck down behind a pile of snow. Antonio knows that this is their only chance without getting caught so he runs first towards the gate and then signals Michael over. Out of breathe and scarred for his life, Michael takes one giant leap across the compacted snow, but it wasn’t fast enough. Guards start to flood the area. Antonio throws himself into a deep pile of snow but Michael has no time to run. Guards fire several shots at him, killing Michael instantly. His dead body twitches on the ground as he spares his last breathes. Antonito doesn’t dare move a muscle. He stays put in the snow while the guards walk away a body dragging behind them. Antonio slowly lifts his head up and sees the blood trail and no Michael. He is no where to be found but Antonio has no time to run as a guard comes up behind him and grabs his arm, and pulls him towards a brick house. “Boy you look like you need a shower!” He says with an evil smirk smeared across his face. Antonio is cared for his life, thinking these are his last moments. As they approach the brick house, Antonio notices one familiar person heading towards the door. It’s his father. He doesn’t run towards him though because he knows there will be consequences. Father has his head down in disbelief, looking at the body pit. He sees Michael lying on top, cold and dead. Antonio has no time to think or remorse about Michael as he is shoved into the brick room. The incinerator gets turned on at 5am.