[Audiobook] When the World Broke to Pieces 2

Chapter 2: It was night in Birkenheide, no lamp was lit, no house was lit, everything was in complete darkness. Somewhere from Maxdorf a threatening, deep howl was heard. In a simple apartment on the third floor of a house, three figures were snorting and gasping, gasping for air and trying to understand. A fourth, a beautiful blonde woman in her mid-thirties, hugged Achmed, who was gasping for air himself, but now pulled away from him and looked at the children Daniel and Hanna, who were starin

g at them with wide eyes. The woman briefly exchanged a look with her husband and quickly adjusted to the new situation. “You brought visitors with you, how nice.” She knelt down next to Hanna and shook her hand with a smile. The girl stared at her with wide eyes. Then the woman turned to Daniel. “Achmed will take you to the living room, get some rest, I’ll make you some tea.” She smiled again and then disappeared through a door that probably led to the kitchen. The entire apartment was lit with

candles, not a single lamp was burning and so the boy could only see the furnishings dimly. They went through the small hallway, which had a chest of drawers and a shoe cabinet, into the living room. There was a sofa corner, a television, a dining table, and countless plants. There were some in every corner, on the windowsill, next to the armchairs, two even hanging from the ceiling. It was like being in the jungle, Daniel thought. Suddenly they heard the wolf howling from outside again. He was

n't far away anymore. He had to look for them somewhere in the streets. Achmed quickly assigned them a place on the sofa, then he went to the window, closed it tightly, pulled the shutter all the way down and disappeared into the kitchen. A roller shutter rattled there too, and then Daniel heard quiet voices. They spoke to each other in whispers. He didn't understand what they said , but he could think of it. Daniel listened anxiously outside. Was there a scraping sound at the door, was there so

mething knocking on the shutters from outside? Every little noise made him jump, every gust of wind gave his heart a jolt. Hanna next to him seemed to be completely in a state of shock. She sat motionless next to him, mouth open and staring into space. After a while the woman came into the living room with two glasses of juice. “We don't have any hot water because of the power outage,” she said apologetically, put the juices down in front of the children and disappeared back into the kitchen wit

hout comment. A short time later she came back with a tray of sandwiches. “You must be hungry and completely exhausted,” she said sympathetically , placing the food in front of the children. She didn't seem the least bit frightened, nothing about her suggested that they were all in great danger. The way she behaved, you would think it was a normal visit from a friend's children. Daniel felt a pleasant warmth radiating from this woman and despite all the horrors he had been through, he felt relie

f. His sister didn't touch anything, she was still staring into space. “You stay here tonight,” she said, and then something seemed to occur to her. “Oh, I haven’t even introduced myself yet. I'm Ina, Achmed's wife. What are your names?” “Daniel and Hanna,” Daniel answered hesitantly and grabbed another loaf of bread. Finally Achmed also came into the living room. In his arms he was carrying a little boy, three perhaps four years old, who was looking at the visitors with sleepy eyes. He handed i

t over to his wife, looked at Daniel briefly and then disappeared into the kitchen without a word. “This is Martin, Hanna,” said Ina and sat down next to the girl with her son. Something immediately changed in Hanna's behavior. The mouth closed, the eyes focused and looked at the small creature with fascination. The boy smiled at her and held out a teddy bear that he had been hugging to his chest. “Maybe you want to play with him a little,” the woman said, completely unnecessary, because Hanna a

lready had the teddy bear in her hand and began to talk to the boy in a disguised voice. Daniel was astonished; she was as if she had changed, as if nothing had happened at all happened. It almost annoyed him how easily she was distracted. Outside the wolf howled, muffled and distant. Through the glass and the shutters the sound was strange and unreal, but no less frightening. Achmed came back with a beer in his hand . “The damn fridge is out too. Well, it's still somewhat cold." "Achmed, please

..." Ina complained about the language and the Turk laughed vulgarly. “With what the kids have been through today, a little swearing is unlikely to spoil them.” “What is that thing?” Daniel asked suddenly. Ahmed turned to him. “Not now, boy. Let's calm down!" "To calm down?" Daniel felt his heart racing, the fear settling quietly and casually in his bones. “There’s a fucking werewolf out there . Do you think the door will stop him?”. It wasn't until he said it that it really became clear to him.

Shutters drawn, doors closed, nothing would keep this monster out. There was silence in the room, everyone stared at Daniel, even the children. “Hanna, come with me,” Ina said with presence of mind, took her son in her arms, the girl by the hand and left the living room. Now Daniel and Achmed were alone. As if on command, the wolf's call sounded. Loud, piercing, in close proximity. The man and the boy stared at each other. Achmed was angry, that was unmistakable. His knuckles around the neck of

the bottle were white, he squeezed so hard but said nothing. Daniel asked again: “What kind of thing is that, where does it come from?” Achmed bared his teeth. “You can lie down on the couch,” he said after a while, I’ll stay here and watch over you. Suddenly Daniel had to laugh. "Well then everything is all right! Great, if you watch over us, nothing can happen. When the animal breaks through the wall, you just grab it by the snout and throw it out again." There was a resounding bang and Danie

l received the second slap in the face of his life. “Shut up, I can’t use a hysterical brat,” Achmed hissed, turning around sharply and rushing into the kitchen. Daniel was still standing in the middle of the room, his cheeks burning and his pride hurt, listening to the work from the next room. Drawers were opened, objects were taken out and put in, nervously, impatiently. Ahmed was looking for something. After a while he came back with a large butcher knife and an iron bar in his hands. Without

another word, he sat down in the armchair, placed his weapons on the table in front of him and picked up the beer he had previously left there. Finally he looked at Daniel, who was still standing. "Sit down damn it, you're making me nervous!" Daniel reluctantly obeyed. They now sat in silence in the corner of the couch, in the next room you could hear Hanna's quiet voice and Ina tidying around in cupboards. The wolf howled every few minutes and each time the hairs on the back of Daniel's neck s

tood up. Finally Ina came into the living room with bedding. She handed Daniel a pillow and a blanket with an uncertain smile that was probably intended to be reassuring, then turned to Achmed. “How is the little one?” he asked grumpily. “Shock, she barely notices anything. I think it's best if she and Martin sleep with me. Achmed nodded and sipped his beer. "The boy and I are staying here!" The couple exchanged one last deep look that was impossible to put into words. Then Ina gave her husband

a kiss on the forehead and ran her hand through Daniel's hair as she passed. Daniel's body continued to tingle minutes after Ina left the room. His mother had always done exactly the same thing. “Sleep now!” said Achmed from the armchair and pointed to the blankets. Daniel knew there was no point in arguing. He would only get slap number three. The boy pulled the blanket over his head, buried himself in the pillow and pretended to be asleep. Only when the first light came through the cracks of t

he roller shutter did the wolf's howl stop. Daniel lay in the dim light for a while, waiting for the horrible sound to sound again. Achmed in his chair didn't move, perhaps he had fallen asleep. Half an hour might have passed and everything remained silent. Daniel slowly sat up, rubbed his eyes, shook his head. He had n't slept at all and was extremely tired, but for that brief moment he felt like he was waking up from an eternal sleep. There was something calming about the dim light, the silenc

e was balm. Now Achmed also stirred. He raised his head, looked at Daniel sitting, then at the window and again at Daniel. “Is it gone?” he asked shortly. Daniel shrugged. The Turk nodded, stood up and headed towards the bedroom. “I'll be right back!” he said and disappeared into the door. Daniel now sat alone in the living room and listened to the terrible noise. Still silence. Hope is slowly spreading. Maybe the animal had gotten tired. The door opened and Achmed came back with his wife in his

arms and the children in tow. The woman smiled kindly at Daniel and asked: “Did you sleep a little?” Daniel nodded untruthfully; it was clear from the circles under her eyes that she had also been lying awake. “I'll make us breakfast,” she said and disappeared into the kitchen while Achmed took his son in his arms and carried him to the table. Meanwhile, Hanna dribbled to Daniel and sat silently next to him on the sofa. She was still as pale as yesterday, her expression still showing a shocked

expressionless expression. Her eyes were completely dry, no redness at all. He suddenly felt horribly helpless. He didn't know what to say or do to help his sister. He didn't even know how to help himself. What now? What came next. He awkwardly put his arm around his sister. She flinched briefly and he wanted to pull him back again, but then she suddenly leaned against him. So they sat there, brother and sister, nestled together on the sofa, until Ina came back with a tray. When she saw the pict

ure, she smiled. “Come to the table, you like sandwiches with jam, right? The power is still out, but we still have juice." After breakfast, which they spent in silence, with Achmed busy feeding his son lovingly, Ina asked Daniel: "Do you have any relatives? An aunt, grandparents, anyone?” Daniel shook his head. There was no one. His grandparents were all dead and his parents had no siblings. The only family left was Hanna and him. Then something occurred to him. “The Bauers! They are good frien

ds of my mother. They’ll definitely take us in until the power comes back on and we…” Here he stopped. What then? They were orphans, completely on their own. The Bauers couldn't take them forever. Would they go to a home or to foster parents? Would they be able to stay together or would they be separated? Ina seemed to read his thoughts and quickly interrupted. “The Bauers. “That’s the doctor’s family, isn’t it?” Daniel nodded weakly. "Good," she continued, "It's best if Achmed takes you there w

hen it's a little brighter." Daniel hesitated, his chest tightened of its own accord, as if something was violently contracting it from within. “But, the wolf…” he protested, stuttering. “We haven’t heard him since sunrise,” grumbled Achmed, “I think he’s gone.” "And if not? Shouldn't we call the police..." "The phones don't work, the cars don't work, not even the electricity. I have to go out and see what's going on anyway. I'll check if everything is safe, then we'll go. The sooner you get to

your people, the better.” There was little that could be said in response. Daniel watched in fear as Achmed took out a solid hand ax from a cupboard, put his work coat back on and slipped on sturdy shoes. Then, after a quick, intense look at his wife and son, he disappeared through the door. Now they waited, still sitting at the breakfast table. Daniel looked at Hanna, who in turn was staring at her plate. Of course she hadn't eaten anything. “Drink your juice,” he ordered her angrily and immedi

ately regretted the sharp tone. Her eyes widened, becoming visibly moist. Embarrassed, he put his arm around her shoulders again. She looked stiff and unsettled in his arms, but she didn't fight back. Ten minutes passed, 20 and everyone was starting to get visibly nervous. Ina, who had seemed so confident and calm until now, kept looking at the door. She reached for her cell phone twice, only to remember that it no longer worked. They listened outside, spellbound. Did the wolf howl again? Was he

back, perhaps attacking Achmed at that exact moment? No, nothing could be heard through the tilted window, only the rustling of the wind and the chirping of birds. Suddenly the front door opened and everyone jumped for a moment. That was Achmed, with two other men. “Everything’s okay, the wolf seems to be gone,” he reported while his wife hugged him. “There is no electricity in the whole street. A lot of people didn't come home yesterday. Sven and Christian," he pointed to his companions, "Come

with me to the doctor, it's safer!" Ina nodded, visibly relieved that her husband wouldn't go alone with the children. “We shouldn't waste any time.” After Daniel and Hanna were dressed and Ina said goodbye to them with a warm hug , the group set off without further delay. The village was much busier than the position of the sun suggested. People stood on the street in groups, most of them armed in some way, with axes, knives or iron bars, and chatted excitedly. Every now and then Achmed stoppe

d and exchanged a few words with one or the other. Many relatives were missing, someone from practically every family had been outside the village when it happened. Nobody knew exactly what had happened, only that there was a certain point in time when everything failed at the same time. There were many theories. Some said it was a nuclear explosion , but no one saw a flash of light. Others said it was an atmospheric disturbance . “The devil’s work!” added a pious old woman who was sweeping the

sidewalk as if nothing had happened. The thing with the wolf was just as mysterious. Everyone had heard him and two people had already been found dead on the street. Gutted like sheep. Achmed reported that more victims could be found at the roundabout, but no one dared to leave the village yet. At least the daylight seemed to have actually driven him away. Daniel tried to remember what he knew about werewolves. They were killed with silver and they couldn't walk on running water and actually onl

y appeared at full moon. He shook his head in despair; he must be really tired if he was already thinking about mythical creatures in the real world. You weren't in Forg, but in Birkenheide. There was no real panic, more of a quiet, ever-present fear that forced people to concentrate. There was no direct threat to run away from. You had to keep a cool head. Everyone seemed to sense this. Maybe it was because it all seemed so unreal. Some of them therefore only had very mundane concerns: They wor

e a face mask and only stayed outside for a very short time to exchange information. These people believed that there had been a major accident at BASF, some sort of chemical disaster, and that the air outside was unsafe. There were no signs of this. The cloud had long since disappeared and except for a smoky note, the air seemed completely clear. Still, the group quickened their pace after hearing this theory. They walked along Maxdorfer Strasse until it turned into Albertine Scheerer Strasse,

where they kept to the right and then turned left in a curve into Goethestrasse. The Bauers' house was a spacious property with a small garden and frog pond, just like Daniel's family had. A brown log fence framed the property. They went through the garden gate, across the garage forecourt up a small staircase to the front door. Achmed rang the bell and then sighed when the sound stopped. Instead, he knocked on the frosted glass door. It took a while, he knocked twice more, then the door opened

and a thin woman in her mid-forties, with short black hair and slightly protruding eyes, looked out. Erika's mother was the almost identical image of her daughter. “Yes?” she asked, looking at Achmed slightly irritated, then her eyes caught sight of Daniel and Hanna and she smiled warmly. “Ah, Daniel, are you okay?” she asked gently. Her smile disappeared almost immediately; she must have noticed the sad expressions on the children's faces. “My name is Achmed Yldirim, Mrs. Farmer. I have been lo

oking after the children since yesterday. I'm afraid something has happened. Maybe you would invite us in and I would explain everything.” Ms. Bauer looked at him briefly, worried, then looked back at Daniel. For a moment she seemed completely overwhelmed, but finally nodded. “Yes, sure, please come.” She led the guests through a dark hallway into a modern living room. Black furniture in a bright ambience, white wallpaper, a large panoramic window, glass tables. There were little decorative item

s everywhere. Wise pebbles in a jar, silver cardboard stars hung on the window, some orchids on the ledge above the radiator. “You don’t drink beer, I assume?” “Yes, just not at seven in the morning,” Achmed replied dryly but not unkindly. Mrs. Bauer blushed slightly, made an embarrassed gesture and disappeared into the kitchen. After a while she came back with a tray and juice. Daniel had never drunk so much juice before. When she was sitting, Achmed began to talk. Ms. Bauer first listened atte

ntively, then in horror. She heard the story about the wolf with astonishment and a bit of disbelief. Finally she got up, sat between Daniel and Hanna and hugged them in silence. The touch felt good, the motherly warm grip, the soft woman's hand on Daniel's back, the warmth of his breasts. He closed his eyes and imagined it was his mother. For a brief moment he even thought he could smell her perfume and he was tempted to cling to this woman and never let go of her again. But it wasn't his mothe

r. His mother was dead. “You poor ones,” Mrs. Bauer whispered and that woke Daniel from his paralysis, he pushed himself out of the embrace and said: “My mother is still lying on the highway. I have to get her.” This now also seemed to activate Ms. Bauer. She nodded silently, patted Daniel lovingly on the cheek and replied: “Yes, of course, but first let’s think about what to do next. My husband is at the practice checking on the injured. Of course you stay with us for now . I think we should go

and get some clothes for you at home. Yes that would be good. When Klaus is back, we'll see what happens." Sven, the group's companion who had stayed (Christian had made his way to the practice) now said: "I'm accompanying Mrs. Bauer and the children, Achmed, if you want you can go back .” Achmed nodded gratefully, the urge to return to his family was clearly written on his face. He turned to Daniel and looked him straight in the eyes. “Take care of your sister, little one!” he said firmly but

kindly. Then he ruffled Hanna's hair and shook Daniel's hand. “Thank you very much for everything, Mr. Yildirim,” said Ms. Bauer as Achmed made his way to the door. He turned around again and looked at the woman with his musty, serious look. “No problem, that’s a given.” Then he was already through the door. “Where is Erika?” asked Daniel. “She’s still sleeping,” Ms. Bauer answered, and the boy thought he could hear relief in her voice. Or was it his own relief that Erika had gotten home on time

? After a short preparation, they finally set off. The route to her house was short. Along Goethestrasse, past the paddocks into Bruchweg, which separated the new development area from the fields. After the first cross street opposite the sheep paddock was Daniel's house. When he stood in front of the metal garden gate and saw the little hut with a large pond in front of it, his heart became heavy. He had lived here his whole life. After he was born, his parents moved here. It wasn't a big house

, just one story and not much more spacious than a large apartment, but Daniel had always loved it. Especially the pond with goldfish and turtles in which he waded as a boy and constantly got into trouble from his father. The renowned doctor and professor of biology loved his pond. Now there were no turtles living there and no fish either. When father left, mother threw them all away. Daniel still remembered that day. With a stiff, merciless expression, she had fished the animals out of the wate

r with a landing net and thrown them into a plastic bag, while Daniel, standing next to them, screamed like crazy. Since that day the pond and the entire garden had become overgrown. Water lilies and algae grew out of the water, the once meticulously mown lawn was covered with weeds and ivy on the house wall slowly but inexorably snaked its way up to the roof. With his father's disappearance, the old house had degenerated more and more into a witch's hut in which the old sorceress held Hansel an

d Gretel captive, Daniel had often thought when he was angry with his mother. Now the witch was dead and the wild house looked like a grave. It took physical effort for him to cross the threshold and with every second inside, breathing became harder. As if with blinders on, he hurried through the narrow rooms and packed some of his and Hanna's clothes into two suitcases. He wanted to see nothing, smell nothing, hear nothing. When he was finished, he sat as Mrs. Bauer emptied the refrigerator. Sh

e seemed to be hesitant about whether she should throw away the sausage and meat, especially because it had been cold since yesterday , but finally she gave up and put everything in her pocket. This scared Daniel almost more than the wolf. It was a simple gesture and yet much more. As they left, Daniel looked at the pond again. Had the reeds grown overnight or was it his imagination? The water lilies also appear even denser, completely covering the surface of the water. Daniel probably just hadn

't really noticed it the last few days. The Minotaur had distracted him greatly. He turned his head towards the house and pulled a photo out of his pocket that he had recently taken out of an album. His mother in front of the Colosseum in Rome. She had Daniel in her arms, he was still a toddler and she was wearing a large straw hat and a white summer dress. Her blonde hair fell to her shoulders like a lion's mane, her skin was tanned and healthy and vibrant. She laughed and stroked Daniel and lo

oked so happy, as if the evil world could not harm her. He looked at the house, had the ivy grown too? He shook his head, looked at the photo again, sighed and put it away again. With a shrug, he turned and left the property. Ms. Bauer and Sven had been waiting on the street with several bags full of supplies and their suitcases. Hanna stood there completely lost, with tears in her eyes. She also looked at the rabbit, but didn't say a word. They walked back together in silence. Mr. Bauer had now

returned. He was a thin, tall man, almost six feet tall, with an aquiline nose and a half-bald head; the little gray hair he had was cropped short and framed his bald head. With his stern gaze and bony cheeks, he had something of a bird of prey about him. He was wearing an old-fashioned cardigan and jeans. The clever, always slightly critical look made him seem like a senior teacher, but every fiber of his being was expressive. I am a doctor. The often pressed lips, especially when he was think

ing, made him seem stern. He was an impressive figure. Commanding respect. Daniel didn't know him well, he hadn't had much to do with Erika in recent years and Mr. Bauer had rarely been at home before because he worked in the hospital. He had only been running the practice in the village for a few years, which he had taken over from a colleague. Now, sitting at the dining table across from Daniel, he looked thoughtfully at the boy and at Daniel had the feeling of being shone through by these cle

ar, intelligent eyes, like x-rays. “Of course we have to get your mother, and of course you stay with us.” The words had a certainty that left no doubt and made any contradiction impossible. “Where does this Mr. Yldirim live? I have to talk to him. He definitely helps and of course you have to thank him...” the doctor continued more to himself and then something else seemed to occur to him. “You’re not hurt, are you?” Daniel shook his head and then paused. Didn't he incur any scratches or broken

glass in the accident? He felt his legs in confusion. No injuries. Mr. Bauer looked at him questioningly but shook his head again. "No, everything's ok." He must have imagined it in his shock. “Okay then, rest, I’ll take care of your mother. Now Daniel finally found his language again. “Mr. Farmer, I want to come with you!” He shook his head briefly and looked at Daniel sternly. "It's out of the question. I'll gather a few men and we'll get them. This is not for children!” The way Mr. Bauer sai

d it hurt Daniel deeply. Part of him really wanted to come, felt he had to come. It was a son's duty, he believed that he somehow owed it to his mother. “Mr. Farmer, I know the wolf. I know when he comes back, I can help." "That's why I'm asking Mr. Yldirim if he'll come with me, but we can't use a little boy who's mourning his mother!" Again the cool, matter-of-fact words hurt him, but he also felt relief. "You stay here and look after your sister on.” This last sentence was final. There was no

thing left to say. Daniel was not a rebellious spirit. He couldn't continue to defy Doctor Bauer and, to be honest, he didn't want to either. The howling of the wolf rang in one ear. The guilty conscience gnawed at him. He was a coward. Daniel apologized dejectedly and then went upstairs to the guest room. He stopped briefly at Erika's door. She was still sleeping. He would have loved to sneak in and lie down next to her. Of course that was completely impossible; he hadn't touched her since elem

entary school. They had never had anything together, but in that moment the urge to hug her, to hold her close, was almost irresistible. He even had his hand on the handle when he heard Hanna crying in the guest room. He quickly withdrew and went to his sister. Somehow the cold-hearted Mr. Bauer was right, his place was here. He entered the room and sat down next to Hanna, who was lying on the large bed, her head buried in a pillow and sobbing. Embarrassed, Daniel stroked her hair. He didn't kno

w what to say. No words in the world could have eased her grief. Neither does his. He reached into his pocket, pulled out the photo and held it out to Hanna. “Here for you,” he said. She looked up, her eyes were red and moist, her cheeks wrinkled with tears. She looked at the photo without reaching for it and Daniel saw her face slowly slip away. Then the tears rolled down uncontrollably and, completely detached, she began to cry even louder. How lost she looked on this big bed, in the wide, whi

te sheets. His shyness gave way to a brotherly protective instinct. He reached for her, pulled her to him and hugged her as tightly as he could. Her little fingers clawed at his T-shirt, her wet cheek pressed against his chest. They sat like that for a while, not moving, not saying a word. Two people left alone who only had each other. At some point Hanna fell asleep. He tucked her into the pillows and lay down next to her. He felt a deep exhaustion slowly taking over his body. Finally he too sl

ipped into the realm of dreams. Loud voices woke him up. There seemed to be a commotion downstairs. Daniel slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes. A quick look at Hanna, she was still asleep, then he got up and slowly opened the door. The argument downstairs could be clearly heard in the hallway. “If we don’t leave now, everything will be gone,” said a coarse Palatine male voice that Daniel didn’t recognize. “Then go ahead, no one will stop you,” Achmed replied. “You said yourself that the wolf is ou

t there, I’m not tired of life,” replied the first. "I thought you wouldn't believe me anyway." "Well you don't, but the boy saw it too and there are corpses, right?" "We don't even know if the animal is still around," one answered Female voice. Ms. Farmer. “But because of Aldi, I agree with Franz, we have to take precautions.” “You do realize that we are talking about looting here,” the doctor , who had been silent until now, spoke up. “It's chaos, we can't do anything about it,” the Palatinate

native replied harshly. “Besides, no one is saying we don’t pay. But if it's true that supermarkets are closed everywhere, we have no choice but to loot. It's not easy for them to close everything down." "They're probably afraid that a horde of wild philistines will run down on them," said Achmed venomously. “Outrageous! Really, you're a guest here, now pull yourself together." "You're a guest too." "I mean in Germany!" "I was born here, you idiot." "Quiet!" the doctor didn't shout, but his voi

ce had a sharpness and certainty that immediately silenced everyone else. “The children are sleeping. I suggest we continue talking in the garden. There will be others coming soon.” Daniel had crept forward during the conversation and sat at the top of the stairs in the hope of being able to look down. This wasn't possible because there was a bend in the stairs, but at least it was easier to hear here. Now he suddenly felt a touch on his shoulder and spun around in shock. He looked into Erika's

friendly and, as always, breathtakingly beautiful face. “Eavesdropping in strangers’ houses is n’t polite at all,” she said, but it was meant teasingly and not the slightest bit accusatory. He tried to smile, but it was difficult. In the last few years everything around Erika has been difficult for him and today more than ever. Suddenly the girl seemed to remember something. Her expression became serious, almost solemn. She slowly sits down next to him, then turns to him as if it were a ritual a

nd hugs him. The touch itself had nothing ritualistic about it, but came from the heart. It was real and warm and long and at any other moment Daniel couldn't have imagined anything more amazing. Erika's delicate, almost bony body, the delicate scent of raspberry shampoo, the soft warm skin, the pounding of her heart, the moist breaths, the soft cheek on his. But today it was different. The hug he had imagined so many times. He didn't get her because she found him attractive, not because she lov

ed him, not because she wanted him, not even out of a fleeting moment of passion, but out of pity. Pure friendly pity for a poor guy whose mother died yesterday. His saliva tasted sour, her heartbeat echoed like a hammer in his head, her soft cheek seemed to glow like iron. Or was it him who was glowing? Suddenly he wanted to leave, as quickly as possible. His throat seemed to constrict again, he was short of breath, his eyes suddenly burned as if chilies had been dropped into them. Away, away f

rom Erika. With the yelp of a wounded animal, he roughly pushed her away, jumped up, ran down the stairs past a confused Mrs. Bauer, who was standing in the hallway with a tray of sandwiches, through the front door, over the garden fence, along the street towards the paddock and then right into the field path. He stumbled aimlessly a few steps into the path, then stopped, breathless, bent over with his hands on his thighs, trying to catch his breath. His knees were shaking and goosebumps had for

med all over his body. He was sorry that he had pushed Erika away, the look on her face was a mixture out of horror and hurt, now drilled into his mind. But the last thing he wanted right now was pity. Suddenly he became angry. There was no real trigger, not even a specific reason and certainly no specific person. No, it was just general anger at everything that had happened and everyone who had to do with it. A deep, real, brutal anger that spread like wildfire in his heart and spread to the re

st of his body. The tremors became stronger, his temples throbbed like crazy. He turned around, ran to the nearest tree and hit it with his bare fist. He didn't feel the pain at all, he only heard a slight crack. He struck again, with both fists, over and over again. His knuckles went numb, then his arms. Daniel screamed and hit the bark again. There was already blood on the trunk, but he didn't care. He tried to get rid of this terrible helplessness, this demon that was sitting in his head and

threatening to crush his brain. Each blow relieved his mind, like a tiny valve in a blown tire. It wasn't enough. Finally, when the blows were no longer enough, when his head was literally threatening to burst, he, completely enraged, smashed his own forehead against the trunk and involuntarily fell to the ground. He didn't actually lose consciousness, but his body did n't want to move for a while. The pain was breathtaking and, at the same time, liberating. He lay sprawled on all fours on the g

rass like a defeated heavyweight boxer, looking up the bloody trunk into the dull afternoon sky. It was ash-gray, as if the cloud had now completely mixed with the firmament and driven away the blue once and for all. The sun also glowed only faintly behind a veil of haze. She looked like a cold star, so white and bright and dead. Lying here forever, never having to move again. Daniel wanted nothing more at that moment. His eyes focused again on the tree he had attacked. Was there a dent in the w

ood? The ridge was completely torn open, the wood underneath was splintered, a deep crack ran up into the crown. Daniel stared at it in bewilderment when he suddenly noticed movement in the corner of his eye . A cold shiver ran down his spine. Was he here, the wolf? Came to get him? His head jerked around, the rest of his body still wouldn't move. He looked into the forest to the right of the path and the fields to the left. The forest used to be dense. An artificially created forest in the midd

le of which was a small cemetery. His grandparents were lying there. As a primary school student he had often been here, building tree houses, playing hide-and-seek and tag. Six months ago there had been a storm that had blown away half the forest, as if the trees were straw. Now large parts of the former village forest were light. The storm had driven a real path through. The first row of trees directly on the dirt road had remained standing, and clear-cutting had begun behind them. Daniel look

ed carefully over the grassy area. There was nothing there. Not an animal, not a human, not a monster. And yet, there had been a movement! Bigger than a bird, for sure! Confused, he looked across the meadow to the cemetery wall, examined the new young trees and the dense bushes. New young trees? He hadn't been in the forest for a good six months, but should trees grow so quickly? Where once individual, dry stems, like young bamboo, had jutted out of the grass, there were now fist-thick trunks be

aring barren crowns. Almost real trees. And also the bushes, should they be that high? A veritable sea of ​​bush had developed in some places where only grass had grown six months ago. And then the movement again. Daniel surveyed the landscape. Hadn't the branch of the young tree there just pointed south and now pointed west towards him? Daniel rubbed his eyes and tapped his forehead. He wasn't in the jungle where there were carnivorous plants that could move. He must be hallucinating. Slowly, w

ith difficulty, he sat up and tried to get to his feet. Now the pain was noticeable. His forehead felt like a truck had hit it. He felt the blood running stickily down his cheek. His neck was stiff and no less painful, his hands completely numb and immobile. The bark had scraped the flesh from the knuckles and the open wounds burned terribly. He pulled himself up the tree trunk and stood there for a while, leaning on his wobbly legs. The crack was even bigger than he had just imagined. Then, whe

n the pain had not gone away but had faded into the background, he staggered uncertainly and weakly along the field path back to the village. At the horse dome he turned around again. Have there always been so many weeds growing in the fields? The tall greenery, dotted with blooming dandelions, covered the wide area of ​​the industrial field like a carpet . In the distance you could see the Palatinate Forest, hilly mountains that rose like a wall in the flat landscape. As he ran back he looked f

or the horses. The paddock was empty, which was unusual. There was still enough grass growing ; normally they would have had to be outside. The owner had probably heard about the wolf and preferred to lock the animals away. As he turned the corner onto Goethestrasse, three people came towards him. Achmed, Erika and Tim. Erika made a sound of relief when she saw him and quickly ran towards him, the others followed, both looking sullen. She wanted to fall into his arms when she reached him, but ch

anged her mind at the last moment and stood in front of him, looking at him with concern. “What happened?” she asked, staring at his forehead in shock. Daniel could only imagine how disfigured he must look. “Run into a tree,” he mumbled and looked down. “That needs to be treated, maybe even stitched,” Erika warned, taking his hand. He flinched slightly, but the touch felt good somehow. There was something calming about her. “Boy, you’re really causing a lot of trouble,” grumbled Achmed as he cam

e to a stop next to Erika. “I’m sorry about your mother,” Tim added in a mumble. He couldn't look Daniel in the eyes and Daniel was fine with that. The last thing he needed right now was Tim's look of pity. They stood in front of the paddock for a while and didn't say a word. It was one of those moments when it's better to remain silent. Then Erika slowly pulled him towards the house. She didn't say anything, she didn't order anything, but the pull of her arm grew stronger until it would have ta

ken an argument to stop it. Daniel gave in. They slowly trotted back and when they arrived at the house, he saw a veritable crowd of people in the garden. Neighbors sat there on folding chairs and peered over the fence at them. He could literally read on their foreheads what they were thinking: This is the boy whose mother is dead. The little ones are now orphans, how sad. With his fist clenched, without giving the gawkers a second glance, he entered the property. In front of the garage, Achmed

patted Daniel on the shoulder. “Stay brave boy and get some rest. Afterwards you can go to your mother, we've got her. “Okay?” Daniel looked at him. Tiredness and excitement fought for dominance within him. “Where?” he asked, fixing his gaze on Achmed. “In the basement,” he replied with a frown. “We have to treat you first,” Erika interjected immediately, but Daniel didn’t listen to her. His limbs ached and were as heavy as lead. His mind felt like bubble gum, chewy and sticky. He knew he should

listen to Erika, follow her, get some medical treatment and then sleep. And yet he couldn't. He had to see her, make sure she was really here. Without another word, he went into the house and down the stairs into the basement. It was cool here and dark. A small room, two doors, a lot of odds and ends and shoes on several shelves. One of the doors was open and dim candlelight shone from the room beyond. Daniel walked slowly towards it. The room was empty, standing in one corner a toilet, the wal

l opposite the hatch window formed a large shower cubicle. There were three bodies lying there on blankets, as if that were more comfortable. The middle one was hers. Daniel slowly approached. Little could be seen in the candlelight, but someone had wiped the blood from what was still a face. Individual flaps of skin had been pulled back into place, but the left cheek was completely shattered. The eyes were closed. She seemed almost human and yet just like flesh. Suddenly Daniel felt a deep exha

ustion. No sadness, no despair, not even anger. He bent down to the corpse and laid his head on her cold chest. No heartbeat, but it didn't bother him. The feeling of being with her was enough for him. His body became limp, his mind sluggish. There was no more room for thoughts. Just let go, here with her, who wasn't there. His knees gave way and he slowly slid down her body to the floor, losing consciousness. “I miss you so much,” was the last thing he thought.