The nights used to be so quiet here in 1939, until horrible things happened that swept most of us away to far places we had never been to before.

Down, inside a small town house,
I was sleeping silently one night when I heard the town siren go off.
I knew what had happened. The war had finally moved its way to our small town that we lived in. My twin sister and I started right in the middle of it.

I yelled out to my twin sister. "Liana, what do we do?"

The house shook. I was scared.

Liana yelled back to me saying. "I don't know. We should go find Mom." Liana said getting out of bed.

I got out of my bed, tripped over my blanket, Running over to Liana stumbling with the house shaking every couple of seconds a bomb going off a few houses away.

"Liana! Where is she?!" I was starting to get more scared that a bomb would come and blow up on us.

Then I saw Mom running through the house she hollered out to us saying, "Maray, Liana! Come we have to get to the bomb shelter!"

I yelled. "We can't go, Dad is still in the house." knowing that it was just his picture but couldn't leave it.

"Mom, we have to get the picture of dad." Liana said.

"Girls, come quick!" Mom yelled as she grabbed Maray and Liana's hands.They ran through the hallways.

The floors were full of broken pieces of glass and wood.

As the walked faster they started tripping and falling on the pieces of broken wood and glass.

Liana cut her foot on a piece of glass. "Ow." She cried, but kept running.

Maray not noticing at first bit turning back.

Mom ran up and grabbed the photo then ran back to the girls to help Liana walk.

Out of the house they ran, limping Liana tried to get to the bomb shelter as fast as she could.

They ran past the garden of flowers that they had worked hard on planting, destroyed.

Then they finally reached the bomb shelter and shut the door.

*************

Liana sat down on the cold floor. "Mom my foot hurts." She said bursting into tears.

"Its alright Liana, Don't try." Mom said in a calming voice and she grabbed her handkerchief and wiped off Liana's tears.

Again Mom said. "Its alright Liana, Don't cry." Then she motioned for Maray to grab the first aid kit from the other side of the bomb shelter.

Maray grabbed it and pulled out a bandage and some parricide and handed them to Mom.

Maray said. "How long do we have to stay down here Mom?"

"Oh, just for the night. Maybe a day, but that's about it." Mom said.

"Can a war ever end that fast?" Maray asked.

Mom shook her head. "No, a war can't end that fast Maray. But I am sending Liana and you to live with your Aunt and Uncle in California." Then she added. "To keep you safe."

Maray looked at Liana not liking the idea. "Mom, we have never even met our aunt and uncle. Besides, we don't want to leave you." Liana cried.

"It will only be until the war is over, not forever." Mom told the twins.

"At the most two or three years." Mom added.

"I don't want to leave. Please do not make us go." Liana cried

"Calm down girls. I'm tired. We all need to get some sleep."

"Maray, could you hand me those blankets from over there?" Mom asked as she put a bandage on Liana's foot.

Maray grabbed them both and handed a soft dark red one to Liana and a dark blue one with holes to Mom.

"Mom I don't want to go live with them. I don't even know their names." Maray said.

Mom looked at the girls calmly.

"Aunt Nancy and Uncle Robert. They have a wonderful farm and each of you could have your own bedroom if you want." Mom said

Maray and Liana still had a huge problem with going to California at just 13 years old, and going to a house they had never been to or seen before.

******************

Maray started imaging what it would be like there from all of the books she had read, kids who go to farms like Cinderella, are worked like slaves and never get to ever see their family ever again.

Maray yelled, "I don't want to go! I don't want to leave you, Mom."

Liana cried. "Please Mom, Don't make us go!"

"Girls, calm down. Your aunt and uncle are very nice. I've known your aunt since I was a young girl. She's my sister." Mom said in a calming tone.

A cold burst of air filled the room. The twins teeth chattered. "I think you need this more then I do." Mom said handing the dark blue blanket with holes back to Maray.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Bombs went off nearby. "Mom, I'm scared." Liana cried as she scooted closer to Mom.

Maray and Liana screamed as a bomb went right on top of them, but the bomb shelter protected them.

Maray jumped and got closer to Mom as their mom started to blow out the candle that lit the room.

(__________________)

Before the twins knew it, it was morning.There wasn't any sounds of bombs exploding anymore.

Maray slowly sat up as Mom walked over to the bomb shelter door and pushed it open. Radiant sunlight burst into the before dark room.

The sunlight blinded Maray for a small amount of time, but her eyes quickly adjusted to the bright light.

They all got up and walked out of the bomb shelter.

Liana gasped. The garden, the yard, and the house had been destroyed by bombs. A few parts of the house made it luckily the radio was still there but there was only one channel on.

Mom walked up to it and turned it on with two people talking.

A man started talking saying, "Hi, there folks. Its a sad day for our city being bombed over night and now all children are being sent to country side as you all know. Most families can't afford to take care of their kids and so we need donations."

Then a woman started talking saying, "Hi, Folks. As Paul was saying that children are being sent off, I'll go off from their. Those of you who got children, I suggest you bring them to Sokol Metro station on Peach street avenue at 11:00 A.M. If you want to keep your kids safe by sending them away I strongly suggest you get there as fast as possible the trains will be leaving soon and you'll be left behind."

Mom glanced at the ground next to her radio were he grandfather block was laying. It read 10:00 A.M.

If they walked to the metro station it would take around 30 minutes. That meant there would be enough time for the girls to pack and get ready.

"Okay, Girls." Mom said. "We have only 30 minutes to pack. Grab only the things that you need. Lets hurry!"

Maray packed some of the things that her father William had given her. And the things she was attacked to like blankets and a couple dresses that she was able to find. She had also packed a couple of papers with her colored pencils.
She had always loved to color and paint. She had painted every room that her mom had allowed her to paint with a design and theme.

Liana packed her journal that her father had given her before he went of to fight in the war. She had promised her dad that she would try her best to write in it every day that she could. She also packed some clothes and some jewelry.

After the twins finished packing their mom grabbed both of their hands and led them out of the desolate house.

They walked down the sidewalk passing other mothers with their daughters and sons some walking and other running to get a train ticket to get out.

Soon they finally reached Sokol Metro station. Mom quickly hurried over to buy two tickets. Once buying them the all stood their waiting for the train that would arrive.

Maray noticed a mother yelling at a person selling tickets. She heard her say. "How and I supposed to keep my kids safe!" The person selling them said calmly. "Please Ma'am is 23 cents to get a ticket to Florida. No, more no less, okay?"

But she yelled at him again saying. "But, I don't have relatives to take care of them in Florida. I want to send my kids to California. I don't have 25 cents my house was bombed with everything in it. All of our clothes and money except the things I had on hand last night."

Then the woman added. "Listen, I have 20 cents. Please!"

Maray gently bumped Liana's shoulder to get her to pay attention to the lady.

"I wish we could help her. She only needs five more cents. Wait... How much do you have? I have two cents. Do you have three?" Maray asked Liana.

Liana pulled her hands into her pocket and pulled out four cents. "I have four cents. I can give them to the lady and you can give her one?"

Maray shook her head. "How about you give her three and I'll give her two that way you can keep something?"

"Deal." Liana said agreeing.

Maray handed her the one cent and Liana and Maray walked over to the lady. "Here is some money to pay for the ticket." Liana said handing the women the five cents.

The woman's face erupted into a smile. "Oh, thank you girls. You have no idea how much this means to me."

Liana blushed. The woman began digging in her pocket and pulled out a small necklace then handed it to Liana. "Here."

Liana gasped. "Wait, you can't expect me to take something that isn't mine...." Liana began. The woman gave them a smile. "I'd better go. Have nice travels girls." The girls smiled back then walked back over to their mom.

"Wow, that necklace is beautiful Liana. Can I please have it?" Maray asked. But, Liana didn't hear he she was to busy thinking about that woman.

When the girls reached their mom she quickly gave them each hugs. "Goodbye girls. I hope to see you soon. I love you both. May God be with you on your journey." Mom said as she started crying.

"All aboard!" A man shouted. Maray and Liana gave their mom one last hug then then ran off to into the train, opened the window and waved their goodbyes as their mom slowly got smaller as the train went farther and farther away from home.

*********************

Maray was still wondering if she could have that necklace since Liana almost didn't want it. So she asked once again. "Liana, may I please have that necklace, it is very pretty?"

Liana nodded her head. "Sure, I didn't really want it anyway. I feel way to guilty from taking it from her." Liana handed Maray the necklace.

Liana then turned her gaze on the scenery out the window. She started thinking of her father off in the war fighting and her mother when he had told her that he would be leaving. Mom had broken down in crying as the rest had.

"Maray, do you think we'll ever see Mom ever again?"

Maray replied. "Most likely, I am still more worried about Dad though. But, we just have to wait, the last World War only last about four years long this one can't last nearly as long."

"I hope it is over soon. I want Dad to go home. And I want to go home." Liana said looking at her sister.

She knew that she also wished the could all be back together her, Maray, Mom, and Dad all together again.