It had been an easy evening singing at the nightclub Monogram Ballroom. Henk had just finished his last performance of the night. Despite the ease in the air, the young man felt out of place, on edge. Weaving through the crowd he smiled at a few of the people he recognized. When he was only a few strides from the door, he felt a hand was placed on his shoulder, seeking his attention. “Henk, I haven’t seen you in days,” a smoky voice says with a light laugh. Turning, Henk came face to face with loose brown hair he had become familiar with over the years. Henk laughed as well in response to the other’s comment, “What can I say, Hans? Being an adult is time consuming. And although I would enjoy a pleasant conversation, I’ve to be on my way,” …show more content…
He pulled out a syringe that contained the dye. Then, with no preparation, it came down and pierced Henk’s left eye first. He let out a bloodcurdling scream as dye was injected into his eye. His body curled in slightly on instinct. The syringe needle was finally pulled out, only to go into his right eye. Eventually, all the screaming made Henk’s throat feel sore and scratchy.
After that, nothing could be seen other than complete darkness. He was blind. All he could do was hear and feel as Mengele took compared his body measurements to his brother’s. He didn’t trust himself to get up to walk, in fear that he would fall into something much worse. So all he did was lay there, even when they brought food. It went on like this for a while, it had probably been days but there was no way to tell for sure.
After a few days, he thought he was able to make out light and dark images. The pain had receded. He hoped that maybe, just maybe, his vision would return. He hoped that his brother did not have the same fate.
Except the routine changed. This time he was pulled up by a hand and dragged outside, he would feel the light breeze and the warm sunlight on exposed skin. The putant smell of decaying and burning filled the air. His back was pressed against a scraty brick