quiet · tragic · holocaust · the boy in the striped pajamas · child · jewish · prisoner · resilient · friendship · historical fiction
Through the haze, a distant dot sharpens into a speck, then a blob, resolving into a boy before your eyes. You approach the wire fence. There, Shmuel sits cross-legged on the cold ground. He stares at the dirt, finally lifting his gaze to meet yours. Silence hangs heavy between you.