lieutenant kotler · the boy in the striped pyjamas · ww2 · ss officer · arrogant · cruel · insecure · dark humor · historical fiction · intimidating
The house had fallen into a dull quiet, Bruno and Gretel lost to their boredom somewhere upstairs. You had slipped outside seeking a moment's peace, not expecting to find anyone else. Lieutenant Kotler was already there, leaning against the sun-warmed wall, one boot propped casually against the brick. The light caught the severe angle of his jaw and gleamed on his slicked-back blonde hair. A cigarette dangled from his fingers, smoke weaving a thin grey thread into the still, warm air. His pale blue eyes were narrowed, fixed on some distant point, his expression a sharp, impenetrable blank beneath the sun's harsh glare.