6. Lorna
May 12, 2024 at 3:46 AM
I burst into the flat and slammed the door shut with a thud. Oh, my God! I was so scared! My legs gave out and I sat on the floor. I looked at my hands, they were trembling. It was so horrible that I couldn't stand it and sobbed softly. I'd seen someone else's death, come face to face with it.
— Lorna, I've made us lunch. Dio! Che è successo?
My brother ran over to me, squatted down and put his arm round my shoulders. I shook my head, sweat streaming down my face, mixed with tears. Paolo took my shaking hands and squeezed them. He looked at me worriedly, and I looked at him with fear-filled eyes.
— Tell me what happened? Don't be silent.
I couldn't say anything because I lost consciousness. In the darkness, faces flashed, places popped up, but everything was blurred and vague. The last thing that flashed in my mind was a black cross on a red background. I woke up to Paolo gently slapping my cheeks. There was an important twisted towel on my forehead. I was in bed, I don't know how my brother had managed to drag me there. My hands were no longer shaking and sweat wasn't running down my face. The panic was gone.
— You were unconscious for about two hours, and I wanted to go to the hospital.
Paolo looked at me with serious brown eyes. He looked more like a man now than an eleven-year-old boy. His eyebrows were pulled together, his forehead was furrowed, and his eyes were looking at me maturely. He looked so much like his father at that moment-the same facial expression of worry for his loved ones. I sat up and looked out the window-it was evening, if not night.
— I saw a firing squad up close. That's all I'm going to tell you. It's very scary for me to revisit those events. I hope you'll understand me.
Paolo nodded and was on his way to the radio to turn on the music when there was a knock, no, a bang on the door. I tensed and looked at Paolo-his eyes were rounded with fear. My brother stood by the dresser, not knowing what to do. I gestured for Paolo to get into bed and pretend to be asleep. He did so, burrowing under the covers and closing his eyelids. I went to open the door, praying to all the gods that it wasn't the Gestapo or the police. But alas, my prayers were not answered.
On the threshold stood two tall men in black coats, one of whom I could see had a holstered pistol. One of them was about forty years old, the other about thirty-five. The older one was a tall, blond, muscular man with brown eyes and a big, straight nose like an eagle's beak. The man smelled of iron and lead, like a tart perfume. Cold-blooded and dangerous. The second man had deep-set small eyes, dark hair and a square jaw. His gaze was blunt. He looked at me like a potential victim.
— Good evening, Fräulein, — he sounded mocking, as if he were spitting venom, — just a quick check, that's all. May I see some documents?
The older one reveled in fear, he knew I was defenceless before him. I walked on wobbly legs to the chest of drawers and took my and Paolo's papers out of the box. When I approached the Gestapo man, I gave him the papers. He began to read the text carefully, trying to find the smallest detail that could take us into custody. He mumbled something, leafing through the papers, but he didn't address me yet.
The man walked over to me and handed me back the papers.
He looked me over from head to toe with a hazy look, and I realised with horror that I was standing in front of him in only a black silk nightie. If I didn't do something, there would be terrible consequences. But I couldn't think of any ideas. The German began to advance on me slowly, like a predator on its intended prey. I retreated, but behind my back was a treacherous wall - there was no escape route. The other came to the bed and loomed over my brother. I was more afraid for him than for me.
Suddenly, the man grabbed my wrists with force, turning my back to him. My cheek pressed into the wall. He wrapped my arms around his head, leaned toward me, and whispered:
— If you try to twist away or scream, we're going to cripple this sleeping angel, — his breath burned in my ear, — so don't fight it.
He let go of my wrists and put his hard hand on my thigh, running it first up, then down, tugging up the hem of my shirt and touching the bare skin of my thigh.
— I'd heard the weather in Italy is hot and the women just as hot. Now I'm going to make sure of it....
He found my breasts with his palms, crushing them. Painful. Greedy.
— You have nice tits! My hands can't even get my hands all the way round them!
He turned me round to face him, pulling off my shirt. It was a silky puddle at my feet. He lowered his head and licked my nipple, keeping his hand on my breast. I trembled, and let the officer think it was from fear, but I doubt he'd know it was from disgust. He felt all the intimate places of my naked body; buttocks, back, hips, breasts, neck. Greedily. Impatient. His lips leaned against mine and I smelled cigars. The German knee jerked my legs apart and entered me sharply and painfully. I bit my tongue to keep from screaming and closed my eyes. His cock felt like a foreign body inside me. It moved in and out of me, speeding up and slowing down, causing dull pain. The man moaned in my ear, scorching my skin with his breath. He went back to rubbing my breasts, pinching my nipples. Tears streamed down my cheeks. The spanking grew louder and louder.
— Oh, my God! It's so tight! Hasn't anyone ever fucked you good? I'll have to spare you that moment.
The cock slid faster into me, harder, deeper. The man was in blissful ecstasy, pressing his whole body against me. Suddenly, he withdrew from me, leaving only the throbbing pain below.
He continued to play with my breasts and nipples, his gaze clouded. But he wasn't done.
Two fingers entered my womb, moving up and down, occasionally touching my clit. His cock kept resting against my leg, and I didn't want him inside me again.
I clamped my eyes shut. The neatly styled hair crumpled and mussed.
I prayed Paolo wasn't looking at me at that moment, that he wouldn't turn in my direction. My thoughts went back to that moment when Ralph and I were fooling around in the lake. We'd had so much fun and good times back then. And it seemed to help.
I think the German then raped me again, more fiercely than the first time, massaging my arse with his hands, and then just walked away with his handyman, leaving me naked, raped and broken against the wall. I struggled into my nightie and staggered to the bed. Everything inside was burning.
— Paolo...are you okay? - I went hoarse.
— What did that bastard do to you?! How dare he?! He's done you...well, that!
His face turned crimson, Paolo paced the room. My brother made me a strong tea.
— This is the rottenness, the blackness of the nation. Such people undermine the foundations....
I listened to him half-heartedly. Today, my brother would be hurt because I was born with a different appearance from other girls. My beauty has always been an excuse for the likes of this officer. Was she really my curse? For a moment I felt like I was going to die from the pain tearing me from the inside.
After finishing my tea, I made my way to the bed and lay down on it, falling asleep. But even through my deep sleep, I could feel Paolo's hand on my arm the whole time.
