High Noon

Ch14

When I arrived home I went upstairs and as I passed Mama's room I heard a bunch of moving around.

I peeked inside and saw her rummaging through Papa's things.

"Mama, what are you doing?" I asked her.

She didn't respond as if she hadn't heard me as I walked closer to her.

"Mama?" 

She looked at me and I saw that she was crying but her tears weren't normal they were red like blood and I backed away, fear clinging to my heart.

"Mama?" I said shakily.

"Papa isn't coming home." She said taking my shoulders and shaking them violently. "I'm done waiting for this war to end!"

I was shaking and didn't know what to say or do, I was frozen in terror, frightened of the blood streaming down her face. 

Suddenly Mama changed into Captain Josef he was pointing a gun at Ruth and shouting at her.

"Well, I don't have all day, speak dirty Jew!"

I sat up in bed my heart pounding with fear, I put my sweaty face into my hands trying to calm down my pounding heart and nerves.

All I could think about was what happened at the market that day with the soldier yelling at Ruth and threatening to shoot her, how terrified she had been.

I laid back down trying to go to sleep, but I couldn't, no matter how hard I tried. I stayed up staring at the ceiling thinking about Ruth and worrying about what might happen to her.

The next day I had to go get food and I stood in line, the Nazis soldiers passed laughing or flirting with the French girls who had seemed to forget that they were the enemy, either that or they didn't care.

My stomach twisted with disgust.

I got my mystery meat and walked down an alleyway, suddenly I saw a boy running down towards me, I pressed myself up against the wall not wanting to run into him, but he came up to me and grabbed my hand slipping something into them.

"Doc Martin." He whispered quickly before he was running again.

I saw a soldier chasing after him and he shot his gun, I pressed myself, even more against the wall, clutching whatever it was in my hand.

The Nazi ran past, not noticing me and he continued to shoot and I heard the screams of pedestrians as they scattered. 

My heart was pounding with fear and then I took off running down the alleyway. I clutched what the boy had given me in my hands and sprinted until I burst through the door and slammed it shut. 

"You all right, Madame?" I heard Captain Josef ask me.

I was breathing heavily and I nodded my head.

"I'm- I'm fine, Herr Captain." 

I walked past him before he could respond and went upstairs into my room as calmly as I could.

I closed the door silently and then unclutched my sweaty hand to see a crumpled-up paper.
I uncrumpled it and saw only two words written on it: High noon.

I had no idea what that meant, but I figured it to be some sort of code and it must've been important for the boy to risk his life just to deliver it. 

To Doc Martin, I remember him quickly telling me that before he ran off, the boy's most likely dead now or arrested.

My heart never was at ease realizing what I was involved with now, the revolters, the people who went behind the Nazi's back as if they were fighting with the Allies, creating havoc on them. 

I looked back at the words on the piece of paper and they suddenly seemed more dangerous than just words, they meant something I just didn't know what.

I sighed down my fear crumpled back up the letter and hid it inside my drawers underneath my clothes. 

It wasn't the best hiding spot, but it was the only place I could think of. 

I wasn't sure what to do with it, or who Doc Martin was, but I knew that whatever the letter meant it was important to the revolters.

I needed to talk to someone about this and I knew exactly who.

I walked downstairs and saw Mama examining the mystery meat that I had gotten.

I approached her and said, "Hi, Mama."

"Sophie, Mon Dieu!" She exclaimed as she hugged me tightly.

I wondered why Mama was acting this way. 

"I heard about what happened in the market, I was so worried that it might've been you." She told me.

I shook my head and thought about the boy and the letter.

"It wasn't me Mama, I'm fine."

She nodded and then looked at me for a moment and frowned.

"Is something wrong?" 

I shook my head.

"No, Mama, I-I guess I'm a little shaken up over what had happened." 

Mama looked at me for a moment and then nodded, grabbing the mystery meat and setting it on a cutting board.

"Well, do you mind grabbing some tomatoes?"

I grabbed some tomatoes and handed them to her.

"Mama, do you mind if I go check on Ruth?" 

She cut up the tomatoes and then looked at me and then slowly nodded.

"Oui, but honey be careful."

Mama looked at me with her blue eyes and in her eyes, I saw that she knew that I was up to something.

"I will Mama." 

I walked outside and then took a deep breath and began to try to walk as normally and calmly as I could.

I walked back into the marketplace place which was now calm and serene, the soldiers back to casually walking around or flirting. I felt a nervous energy in the air though from what had happened.

As I turned a corner I noticed something red glistening on the sidewalk and a shiver went up my spine at the sight.

I came to a door in the alley and I took a deep breath. I didn't even know if he would be here, but I knew that he was the only one that I could trust.

I knocked on the door, I heard movement and then low whispered voices and the door swung open and I was quickly pulled inside.

I was thrown to the ground and I heard a deep voice growl, "Who are you?"