***The next day, I tried to remain calm as Szymon had asked. But what made this day stand out was the bitter cold—it was so intense that snowflakes started falling outside. The freezing weather had us all huddled together like a flock of shivering chickens, trying to warm each other up, since our thin clothes weren't enough to withstand the cold.
In the storage room, there were some winter clothes. Zuzanna and Oscar asked Magda to distribute them to the children, but she coldly refused, saying the weather wasn't cold enough yet. So, we all gathered together, talking and laughing over trivial things. There wasn't anything special... except that we enjoyed ourselves.
I didn't join in the conversation, but I listened intently—I wanted to get to know them better. Despite being lost in my thoughts, I felt like they were more like family. The boys had some comical moments, and Tomasz and Igor were great. I didn't know Igor had such a sense of humor. Maybe he would be an actor one day. As for the girls, they, of course, put on a romantic show—they never gave up their rosy dreams.
I drifted into my thoughts, and my head filled with confusion, to the point where I began muttering to myself without realizing. When I finally snapped out of it, I found Zuzanna staring at me with a strange look. I wondered, Did Szymon tell her something? Does she think I'm difficult? Or... just odd? But when our eyes met, I gave her an innocent look.
The show ended with laughter, and suddenly, the sleep bell rang earlier than usual. We were surprised, but we all went to our beds, sitting in silence. Before I could sleep, I gave Mia some hazelnuts and sweets I'd stolen from Magda's desk. She was so happy that she finally slept peacefully for the first time in a long while.
As for me, I stayed awake, thinking: What if I told Szymon what I did? He'd surely get angry, so I'd have to rewrite the story before admitting it to him.
At midnight...
Soft whispers echoed from the end of the hallway. I froze, then the sounds returned after an hour or more—this time, they were clearer. My curiosity got the best of me, and I moved toward the door. I stepped carefully and silently, when suddenly a sharp voice interrupted me from behind:
"Oh my God! Go back to your bed!"
It was Zuzanna.
I froze in place. Oh no, she caught me! I thought, pretending to return. But my curiosity didn't fade. I moved slowly, holding my breath, trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on...
Then—footsteps. Heavy, deliberate, coming from the boys' room. More than one person. Among them, I heard a voice—one I recognized immediately. Magda.
I wasn't the only one awake. Some of the girls were also awake, unable to sleep from worry. They were restless, their eyes scanning the place warily. Something was... off. We all felt it.
We stood by the door, listening closely. Zuzanna whispered quickly:
"Go back to your places. We'll know everything in the morning."
But I wasn't convinced. I was so close to discovering the truth, and now these fools ruined it.
***The next morning...
Everyone woke up earlier than usual. The atmosphere was filled with a quiet tension. In the dining hall, whispers spread like wildfire.
Four boys... gone.
"Did they take them?" mumbled one. "But... where?"
My heartbeat quickened. The boys. Last night. The office. I moved toward Szymon and stood beside him. He tensed when he saw me and stepped back slightly, but I moved closer. I was about to whisper to him when he stepped back again. Frustration filled me. Suddenly, I grabbed his ear.
"Stop!" he grumbled.
I ignored his protest and quickly told him what I had seen—how those four boys had entered the office. He didn't reply. Instead, he looked at Zuzanna, nodded at her, and gestured for her to leave the room.
Before we could move, Magda's sharp voice rang out in the hall:
"Didn't I tell you to be quiet while eating?!"
It was Magda.
We froze in our spots. Her gaze was cold, sharp. She turned to leave, but then a boy suddenly shouted:
"Where's Marceli?"
It was a simple question, but it carried enough weight to silence the room. She turned toward him slowly, rubbing her hands together—her nervous habit.
"Who gave you the right to ask?" she said coldly, moving toward him, her eyes sharp as though she were about to strike him.
But suddenly, Szymon shouted:
"Yes... where did they go?"
That was enough. Whispers erupted, turning into questions. The questions quickly turned into suppressed anger.
Magda shouted:
"Enough! Enough!" Then she left with heavy steps.
A few minutes later, she returned, this time in a calm and measured voice:
"The older boys were sent for special training. If they succeed, they'll stay there. We've decided to make you all more productive from now on. They will be paid for their work."
Silence fell. Then the boys started whispering excitedly:
"We'll work when we grow up!"
Meanwhile, the girls muttered:
"Will we work? Or... get married?"
But not everyone believed her. We exchanged uneasy looks. Some of us... knew something was being hidden behind those words.
"What about the army?" one of the boys asked eagerly. "I want to be a general!"
Laughter erupted, but I kept my eyes on Magda—her pale face, her anxious eyes, the way she pretended to remain calm...
She was lying.
I was sure of it.
The day passed slowly, and the children's conversations revolved around the same topic, in a strange calm. But when night came, Szymon approached me, his voice low and urgent. "Emergency meeting. Now." I followed him to the restaurant, where he pulled me aside, making sure no one could hear us.
Szymon: "What do you think is happening?"
Me: "What do you mean?"
He gave me a sharp look and said, "Come on, I know you understand. Show me what you've got."
I thought for a moment before responding, "Honestly, I didn't hear much of their conversation, but the boys weren't comfortable—they seemed like it was their first time. But what really raises my suspicions is Mrs. Magda's reactions... and why should they be sent out at night?"
Szymon sighed with concern. "This is getting worrying..."
I was about to admit that I had searched the office, but before I could do so, Zuzanna joined us, smiling cleverly.
Zuzanna: "You two look tense! Is your conversation really that serious?"
Then she came a little closer, studying me. "And you... why are you so interested in so many things?"
I wanted to end this playful tension, maybe even change things and point out that they were the ones hiding secrets. But I didn't want Zuzanna to change her opinion of me, so I smiled slightly and said, "I just need a little excitement in my boring life."
We chatted for a while about our pasts. Zuzanna told me they came from Lithuania, from a town on the Polish border. She didn't say much, but I understood they came from far away. However, her story, as she shared it, seemed affected, and I felt that Szymon didn't know much or maybe didn't remember—he was too young back then. I was eager for more details, but tears welled up in her eyes before Zuzanna stood up to leave. She tapped my head before saying goodbye.
I was about to follow her, but instead, I returned to Szymon.
Szymon: "What's next?"
Me: "I have a secret. I'll tell you when we go out tonight."
He looked at me, completely stunned. "Impossible! Have you lost your mind?"
I smiled slyly. "What if I told you I have two secrets?"
He scoffed. "Go away, you idiot!"
I raised an eyebrow defiantly, then climbed onto the chair, my voice ringing through the room: "Szymon has a secret! Szymon has a secret!"
His eyes widened in terror as he rushed towards me, grabbing my wrist and pulling me down. I lost my balance and fell to the ground. I felt pain in my leg, but when I looked up, I saw guilt on his face. He opened his mouth, probably to apologize, but I ignored him and walked away.
"Perfect... I'll use this to my advantage. Szymon is simple—easy to control if I play the victim."
That night, I couldn't sleep. I knew he'd come looking for me to make up for what had happened. Then... I heard the sound. The whistle.
I jumped quickly and rushed outside.
Szymon: "What? Weren't you touching your foot earlier?"
I smiled slyly. "Hurry up! We don't have time!"
This time, our journey felt deeper, as if we were diving into a mystery we could no longer ignore. We wandered around the village, which seemed vast compared to the one I had been in before, so spacious it felt like a sprawling city. But with its size came a greater sense of danger. We knew we had to stay vigilant; the world had never been kind to people like us.
The lights filling the streets were bright and lively, as if heralding an upcoming festival. Yet, we remained strangers to this joy. Always isolated, we watched the world from the sidelines, as if we were mere visitors in a life that didn't belong to us.
On our usual hill, I sat beside Szymon. Without saying a word, I extended my hand toward him. He smiled slightly, immediately understanding. He took his hand out of his pocket, filled with hazelnuts. I thought that if we ever parted ways, I should never forget this moment.
Nothing had changed in him, as if time had stopped around this small habit. I picked up a large stone, making him step back, laughing.
"Oh my God! You look terrifying."