Berlin, February 15th, 1945 Maria woke suddenly. The room she occupied was filled with the eerie wailing of an air-raid siren. She had been in a deep sleep, bourne from exhaustion, and the sound echoed and screeched in her ears. The room was no larger t...
Berlin, February 14th 1945 It was a tired and very nervous young woman who walked away from the supplies truck. Katarina felt that it was better not to be associated with the young man who had stolen it. She had enough trouble before she left, almost fi...
Chemnitz, February 14th, 1945 Maria lay on her back, the weight of her assailant pushing her against the stack of rolled canvases. From the vicious slap he had delivered, her cheek stung. A small drop of blood dripped from his lip and splashed onto her...
Berlin, February 14th 1945 The convoy moved slowly through the oppressive darkness. The presence of the Allied bombers precluded that the vehicles could not use their lights. Since the bombers were protected by fighters, the line of trucks and cars woul...
As soon as he entered the kitchen, Detective Inspector Tate knew that this had to be the same perp. Cupboards were thrown open and their contents scattered mercilessly about. His feet crunched on Cornflakes and Rice Crispies as he walked. A box, its innar...
Chemnitz, February 14th 1945 Katarina was sitting in the cab of the third lorry of the convoy. A few minutes after the air raid sirens began, they tailed off into silence. She couldn't be sure whether it was because they had sounded the warning for long...
Don't ask me why. I probably couldn't tell you if I wanted to. I had been given an opportunity in New Orleans. It wasn't a tough assignment, and would only take a couple of days to complete, so I decided to drive there. Okay, now, that doesn't sound like...
Dresden, February 13th 1945 Katarina and Maria seemed to be waiting for a long time for a tram that they were beginning to think, wasn't coming. Furthermore, they seemed to be the only ones waiting. The sky was devoid of clouds, and the stars twinkled a...
Neither Maria nor Katarina had any time to react before the office phone began to ring. Immediately, Katarina lifted the receiver. “Matron Langsdorff.” “Ah, Matron Langsdorff. This is Herr Frank's secretary. Please evacuate the hospital immediately. All t...
Little Danny was excited as he stood and stared at the locomotive and its rake of nine carriages. He thought it looked like a dragon with the plume of steam rising from its chimney and from the cylinders either side of the front wheels. Suddenly, there wa...
The water flowed swiftly beneath my feet as I looked down from the parapet. There is something utterly mesmerising about the River Thames at night. The lights of the city reflected in the fast-flowing water have a beauty all of their own. Even on a wet ni...
The music pounded in his ears, vibrating through his head. “Oh no,” he thought. I've got to go home.” He closed his eyes, the flashing of the disco lights made his eyes hurt. He could hear the guests shouting above the throbbing rhythm. He vowed that he w...
Hartland Quay, North Devon. A place of absolute beauty. On a sunny summers day, with the tide gently splashing over the rocks, it is hard to imagine anything but a tranquil, restful scene. At low tide, however, there is much evidence of the destruction th...
“Oh no, Harriet, no! Come on now. Please don't. I've asked you nicely, so please, stop it! I really don't like it. It makes me feel kind of weird. Oh! Come on. Please, just stop! It's not funny, you know! If you don't stop I'll... Oh, Oh my gosh! No, no,...
Pictures tell a thousand stories, If only that were true. An eternity have I tried, To take a picture of you. For your beauty is incomparable, You are my heart's desire But a picture is not possible, My darling vampire.
