Humanity Lost

[Rex Anglorvm]

Humanity Lost

Prologue

Have you ever looked at yourself and seen a lie? I have.

Has your world ever been shattered, with every thought, ideal and belief you have ever owned ripped to shreds?

Mine has.

My identity was not my own, it was just a fiction, an untruth sold to me by my family, my whole life a blatant fabrication.

I found out the truth, that the person who I was never really existed in the first place.

Have you ever had to reinvent yourself? Perhaps I use the wrong phrase here, not so much reinvention, as having to find the real you, that person that had been trapped inside you all along, if only you had had the clarity of vision to see inside your own heart and the courage to look under your own skin.

Skin, its a funny thing isn’t it. What I mean is that it preoccupies so much of our time in these times; whether consciously or sub-consciously, we think about ageing, can we halt time as we get older, or speed up time as we look to young to impress that girl who we see on the way to school/college/work etc.

Most of all, and whether you would care to admit it or not, we perceive others by the shade, colour and hue of their skin, if someone looks like us it gives us a sense of belonging, a myth of companionship, kinship and safety. When we walk through a strange neighbourhood for the first time and we see people that look like us, who share our culture, and who dress the same we are given a false sense of reassurance.

Conversely when we walk into a strange place with different customs, different language and alien clothes, we are immediately on our guard amongst these different people.

But I have found out the truth, I am not who I thought I was, and my guard has dropped amongst these people.

I am not how my neighbours, colleagues and friends perceive me, I am a man with the wrong ancestry at the wrong time, but a man who can pass for what he is not can be useful, and this is the story of how I found my real self and rescued my humanity.

[McScottish]

Good to see you back, and interested to see what angle you'll take with this...but if it turns out to be anything like my work, I may have to become disgruntled and write an angry letter. Don't make me write an angry letter. +Rep.

[Merchant of Venice]

Ahh the famous Rex, I can't wait to see some of your fabled work. Interesting premise though, some good themes you have going on

[Rex Anglorvm]

Thanks for the replies guys. This will not be a pleasant story to read, but I really fancy writing something not in my usual style.

As is usual I don't have a lot of time to throw this togther (in fact even less so than usual!) so if you spot mistakes please let me know.

Thanks

Rex

[Rex Anglorvm]

Chapter One - Youths Misadventure

He could take it no more, with the smashing of broken glass, the rumble of heavy boots and the derisive laughter of young men who prey on the weak, the old man slowly got to his feet from behind the old wooden shop counter and walked to the bolted front door of his book shop.

‘Grandfather, don’t go out there, they will hurt you! Please come back behind the counter there are too many of them!’ a small voice pleaded to the old man, the voice almost breaking with a mixture of fear and adolescent anxiety.

‘No Ruth, I will not hide in my own shop from boys who should know better! I did not hide in the great war and I won’t hide now. Up on your feet and bolt this door behind me when I leave, and no matter what happens you do not come outside, do you hear me girl?!’

A small head of dark curls arose from behind the shop counter, and the pale worried face of a girl of twelve years old looked uncertainly at her grandfather,her blue eyes wide with fear she still managed to nod hesitatingly.

The old man gave Ruth a reassuring smile, ‘I will be fine, and so will you if you do as I say.’ Taking a deep breath the old man drew back the top and bottom bolts and purposefully strode through door, before slamming it behind him and listening carefully to ensure that Ruth had done what she had been told, reassured by the sound of the bolts sliding home behind him,he turned on his heel and faced his would-be adversaries.

A tough looking young man with a shock of blond hair, ice blue eyes and muscles straining to get out under his brownshirt uniform was the first to respond to his presence, that young man was me, ’ Well well, what have we here, a black rat come out of its hole, eh boys. Come out to play have you, oh son of Abraham?!’

Obviously the leader, the old man thought. He looked up and down the street seeking out a friendly or sympathetic eye, but those people who were around, kept their heads down and refused to make eye contact, some even cheered the little group of thugs that were harassing him.

He took in the scene of his broken shop front window with glass littered all over his most favoured books, the five men, the oldest no more than twenty he would guess, all in brownshirt uniform, with the hideous swastika armband on their upper left arms. Deliberately keeping his voice calm he addressed them ‘I would ask you to leave my property before I report you to the police’.

A youth with a rat like face that reminded him of Goebbels from the newsreels laughed at him,’ you think the police care about you,Jew! The police are full of good honest Germans that know their duty, they don’t care about crooked communists or Jews on the take. Anyway I thought all you reds thought personal property was theft! We can do what the hell we want with you!’

The rest of the little group laughed along with rat features.

The old man responded in an indignant tone ‘I am no communist or crook and I am a good German, I fought in the great war for the Kaiser alongside men from your families no doubt!

I took a purposeful stride towards him ‘I bet you did, and when it looked like the allies would win you stabbed those very same men in the back, my Father died in the great war because of Jews like you selling them out!’ I reached out and knocked the old Jew’s broad rimmed black hat off his head. My comrades laughed as the old man stooped to pick it up and I kicked the old man up the backside, only for him to land face first on the pavement and bloody his lips. ‘that will teach you to lie you old dog.’

I motioned with my head to signal the attack and my boys went in to give the old man a good kicking. As he yelped and screamed for help a broad smile was on my lips, these traitors, these un-Germans deserved all the treatment that they got.

The shop door flew up once more and a ball of flying black curls hurled herself at my comrades her little fists flying, ‘get off my grandfather you animals, leave him alone he has done nothing to you!’ and with that she punched Ernst in the nuts with a surprisingly good left uppercut, his rat like features crumpled up in agony. I smiled at the spirit of the little Jew, but only for a second, as I lifted her away from the boys before she got a good hiding too, I didn’t hold with that, no it was not the way of a true Aryan warrior at all.

As I lifted her away from the old man she was still kicking and biting, but she gasped as she saw my face, stopped struggling and spat straight at me.

Before I could react to the little witch I heard whistles in the difference, not the police, but the whistles of the local reds, come to react to our little venture into one of their neighbourhoods. I dropped the girl onto the pavement and shouted at the top of my voice.

‘Leave the old man, come on the reds are coming, there’s too many of them, we can come back!’ with that I pulled Ernst off of the old Jew, as I saw at least a dozen commies come out of the side streets towards us.

[McScottish]

Ah, now this is interesting...reminds me of a recent WWII mini-series I watching called Generation War (that's the English title at least), told from the view of five different friends from Germany during WWII. Must say, both it and this story give me the heebies. Knowing you though, just when everything seems as it should be, something is going to happen!

I'll keep my eye out.

[Merchant of Venice]

This is indeed interesting. It's been a long time since I've read a WW2 story from a nazi perspective. Good stuff

[Rex Anglorvm]

This is indeed interesting. It's been a long time since I've read a WW2 story from a nazi perspective. Good stuff

Glad you are enjoying it, I hope to have another update ready for the weekend.

Ah, now this is interesting...reminds me of a recent WWII mini-series I watching called Generation War (that's the English title at least), told from the view of five different friends from Germany during WWII. Must say, both it and this story give me the heebies. Knowing you though, just when everything seems as it should be, something is going to happen!

I'll keep my eye out.

The twist is already there, or at least it is (none to subtly) hinted at if you read both updates togther