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Frau made his teary goodbyes. He had no family left, but he would be leaving some close friends behind.
With only the clothes he wore and a bundle of notes tightly gripped in his hand – the sum total of the sale of all his possessions, he set off, walking to the allotted meeting place, an old depot a little way outside the town.
“You’re late.”
“I’m sorry, I was…”
“I don’t want to hear it. Have you got the money?”
Frau leafed through his notes, quickly counting out the agreed amount. The man snatched the bundle from his hands.
“The price went up.” The stocky European-looking man laughed coldly.
“But.. you can’t...”
Pain exploded in Frau’s head, then instantly subsided as consciousness fell away.
Slap
Swimming lights.. and pain
Slap
“Stop.. please..” Rubbing his eyes, then the bloody lump on the side of his head, Frau looked around the room. Maybe 15 or 20 men and women of various ages. The stocky European, accompanied now by 3 other men, stood at the front of the room.
“Alright, listen to me. You will be transported in single containers. You will be absolutely silent throughout the journey. If you hear the truck doors open you will not make a single damn sound. If I, or any of my colleagues, get caught because you screw this up, you will all die. Is this clear?”
Some heads nodded back at him.
“IS THIS CLEAR?”
The crowd all mumbled in the affirmative.
“Alright, take them through.”
One by one, the group were lead away. Eventually Frau’s turn came.
Into a second room. Coffins? ‘No’ he thought. ‘They can’t…’
“Get in.” Two of the men removed a coffin’s lid. The third pushed him forward. He got in, shaking.
“Fold your arms across your..” He knew what they meant. The lid was set in place and the tiny box carried somewhere.
Finally he felt motion. The journey had begun. Time slipped by, he didn’t know how fast. His head to the side, lips pressed against a small hole, sucking in hot, heavy air, the silence of the absolute darkness was broken only occasionally by a muffled female voice sobbing softly.
And time slipped by.
Then noise, footsteps. Frau caught his breath. Absolutely silent.
“And these are empty?” Came a voice that must have been only a metre away.
“Yeah. Can I close her up now?”
“Okay”
Then, a stifled cry.
“What was that?”
“A rat? Who cares?”
“Hey Dave, get in here, we’re opening some of these up.”
A third voice, further away,
“Coffins? You’ve got to be kidding me Paul, come on...”
Frau heard the sound of a lid being removed.
“Oh my god...”
Three months later. Frau walked through the small gardens of the detention centre, smiling. He still could barely believe that were really allowing him to stay. Being trapped in the restrictive confines of the grounds had been hard, and save the English classes there has been precious little there for him, but he was getting out. A two room flat in Wales and a living allowance until he could support himself. It was all he had wanted.
A month on. The barrage of heavy kicks and slurred racist insults had finally ended as the men moved on. He lay on the pavement, tears only interrupted when he coughed blood from his mouth. It wasn’t the pain of the beating, he’d long since learned to cope with that. But he’d hoped that here it would be different, that he could finally find a good life.
And he wasn’t used to having hope. Or to losing it.
With only the clothes he wore and a bundle of notes tightly gripped in his hand – the sum total of the sale of all his possessions, he set off, walking to the allotted meeting place, an old depot a little way outside the town.
“You’re late.”
“I’m sorry, I was…”
“I don’t want to hear it. Have you got the money?”
Frau leafed through his notes, quickly counting out the agreed amount. The man snatched the bundle from his hands.
“The price went up.” The stocky European-looking man laughed coldly.
“But.. you can’t...”
Pain exploded in Frau’s head, then instantly subsided as consciousness fell away.
Slap
Swimming lights.. and pain
Slap
“Stop.. please..” Rubbing his eyes, then the bloody lump on the side of his head, Frau looked around the room. Maybe 15 or 20 men and women of various ages. The stocky European, accompanied now by 3 other men, stood at the front of the room.
“Alright, listen to me. You will be transported in single containers. You will be absolutely silent throughout the journey. If you hear the truck doors open you will not make a single damn sound. If I, or any of my colleagues, get caught because you screw this up, you will all die. Is this clear?”
Some heads nodded back at him.
“IS THIS CLEAR?”
The crowd all mumbled in the affirmative.
“Alright, take them through.”
One by one, the group were lead away. Eventually Frau’s turn came.
Into a second room. Coffins? ‘No’ he thought. ‘They can’t…’
“Get in.” Two of the men removed a coffin’s lid. The third pushed him forward. He got in, shaking.
“Fold your arms across your..” He knew what they meant. The lid was set in place and the tiny box carried somewhere.
Finally he felt motion. The journey had begun. Time slipped by, he didn’t know how fast. His head to the side, lips pressed against a small hole, sucking in hot, heavy air, the silence of the absolute darkness was broken only occasionally by a muffled female voice sobbing softly.
And time slipped by.
Then noise, footsteps. Frau caught his breath. Absolutely silent.
“And these are empty?” Came a voice that must have been only a metre away.
“Yeah. Can I close her up now?”
“Okay”
Then, a stifled cry.
“What was that?”
“A rat? Who cares?”
“Hey Dave, get in here, we’re opening some of these up.”
A third voice, further away,
“Coffins? You’ve got to be kidding me Paul, come on...”
Frau heard the sound of a lid being removed.
“Oh my god...”
Three months later. Frau walked through the small gardens of the detention centre, smiling. He still could barely believe that were really allowing him to stay. Being trapped in the restrictive confines of the grounds had been hard, and save the English classes there has been precious little there for him, but he was getting out. A two room flat in Wales and a living allowance until he could support himself. It was all he had wanted.
A month on. The barrage of heavy kicks and slurred racist insults had finally ended as the men moved on. He lay on the pavement, tears only interrupted when he coughed blood from his mouth. It wasn’t the pain of the beating, he’d long since learned to cope with that. But he’d hoped that here it would be different, that he could finally find a good life.
And he wasn’t used to having hope. Or to losing it.
Dr Duck wrote:
> But regarding the last paragraph, yes, I considered it central to the
> point I was trying to make.
> Whether or not that point is particularly valid is, of course, a
> matter of opinion.
In that case I feel you should at least be commended for the quality of your writing up to what you considered the crutch. Like you said, whether or not that point is particularly valid is a matter of opinion, but the way you set up the story was excellent.
> But regarding the last paragraph, yes, I considered it central to the
> point I was trying to make.
> Whether or not that point is particularly valid is, of course, a
> matter of opinion.
In that case I feel you should at least be commended for the quality of your writing up to what you considered the crutch. Like you said, whether or not that point is particularly valid is a matter of opinion, but the way you set up the story was excellent.
Star Fury wrote:
> Simon Says wrote:
> Hey, if you hate it so much, you could always migrate some other
> place. How does Zimbabwe sound to you?
>
> I won't migrate because there is still plenty that is good here, and
> still time for things to change. There are problems in all nations,
> especially those like Zimbabwe, so migrating is more or less just
> exchanging one problem for another set.
>
To be perfectly honest with you, after posting this message I regretted the Zimbabwe comment, because its was pretty irrelevant and leant nothing to my argument. I guess it was a pretty cheap shot really.
>
> Like I said, I can't comment on the BNP. I don't know the facts.
> I did say that if the media's spin on them is accurate then I agreed
> with your point of view.
>
After reflection I'm not sure which story I would rather believe. Whether the media would paint such a distorted picture as to portray the BNP as the new Nazi's, or whether they are what the media portray and certain areas of the country would rather be represented by such people. Like I said, I can't make an educated comment on this.
>
> Fair enough, I have no doubt they'll be in the news sometime in the
> future. To be honest though they are not the kind of group whom can be
> spun by the media. One of the last time I remember was the conviction
> of one member for terrorising an estate where asylum seekers lived in
> Glasgow.
> Simon Says wrote:
> Hey, if you hate it so much, you could always migrate some other
> place. How does Zimbabwe sound to you?
>
> I won't migrate because there is still plenty that is good here, and
> still time for things to change. There are problems in all nations,
> especially those like Zimbabwe, so migrating is more or less just
> exchanging one problem for another set.
>
To be perfectly honest with you, after posting this message I regretted the Zimbabwe comment, because its was pretty irrelevant and leant nothing to my argument. I guess it was a pretty cheap shot really.
>
> Like I said, I can't comment on the BNP. I don't know the facts.
> I did say that if the media's spin on them is accurate then I agreed
> with your point of view.
>
After reflection I'm not sure which story I would rather believe. Whether the media would paint such a distorted picture as to portray the BNP as the new Nazi's, or whether they are what the media portray and certain areas of the country would rather be represented by such people. Like I said, I can't make an educated comment on this.
>
> Fair enough, I have no doubt they'll be in the news sometime in the
> future. To be honest though they are not the kind of group whom can be
> spun by the media. One of the last time I remember was the conviction
> of one member for terrorising an estate where asylum seekers lived in
> Glasgow.
Due to a grizzly migrane that hurts more when I think hard, I'll save intelligent comment for tomorrow.
But regarding the last paragraph, yes, I considered it central to the point I was trying to make.
Whether or not that point is particularly valid is, of course, a matter of opinion.
But regarding the last paragraph, yes, I considered it central to the point I was trying to make.
Whether or not that point is particularly valid is, of course, a matter of opinion.
Simon Says wrote:
> Hey, if you hate it so much, you could always migrate some other
> place. How does Zimbabwe sound to you?
I won't migrate because there is still plenty that is good here, and still time for things to change. There are problems in all nations, especially those like Zimbabwe, so migrating is more or less just exchanging one problem for another set.
> Like I said, I can't comment on the BNP. I don't know the facts.
> I did say that if the media's spin on them is accurate then I agreed
> with your point of view.
Fair enough, I have no doubt they'll be in the news sometime in the future. To be honest though they are not the kind of group whom can be spun by the media. One of the last time I remember was the conviction of one member for terrorising an estate where asylum seekers lived in Glasgow.
> Hey, if you hate it so much, you could always migrate some other
> place. How does Zimbabwe sound to you?
I won't migrate because there is still plenty that is good here, and still time for things to change. There are problems in all nations, especially those like Zimbabwe, so migrating is more or less just exchanging one problem for another set.
> Like I said, I can't comment on the BNP. I don't know the facts.
> I did say that if the media's spin on them is accurate then I agreed
> with your point of view.
Fair enough, I have no doubt they'll be in the news sometime in the future. To be honest though they are not the kind of group whom can be spun by the media. One of the last time I remember was the conviction of one member for terrorising an estate where asylum seekers lived in Glasgow.
Star Fury wrote:
> Simon Says wrote:
> He is still alive. He still has a better life than he had
> previously.
>
> Yes, I'm sure getting a kicking is excellent.
>
Did I say it was excellent? no,
Did I say that it was good, or right, no,
but he still has more hope than if he were in his home country.
> Are we a third world country ? Are we pennyless ? Are we in some kind
> of poverty as a nation ?
>
> No. So when people come in search of something better, and in most
> cases they are more than willing to work, why the hell do we hate them
> so much and turn them away.
>
There are channels to get into the country other than seeking asylum. If we as a country think that we can take people on through those channels, so be it. I object to those people who abuse the asylum system. Those who come with no documentation, or those who destroy their documentation when they get here so that you cannot know where they are from, or where they should be sent back to once their country is safe to return to. The system is not set up for everyone who wants something better. Its for people who NEED sanctuary from their original countries.
The fact is that the country cannot regulate and accomodate all these people. Some people have to be turned away. If you think that we can take every tom, dick and harry who turns up on the country's doorstep I think you're being very naive.
>
> "Great" Britain ? Don't make me laugh......
>
Hey, if you hate it so much, you could always migrate some other place. How does Zimbabwe sound to you?
Like I said, I can't comment on the BNP. I don't know the facts.
I did say that if the media's spin on them is accurate then I agreed with your point of view.
> Simon Says wrote:
> He is still alive. He still has a better life than he had
> previously.
>
> Yes, I'm sure getting a kicking is excellent.
>
Did I say it was excellent? no,
Did I say that it was good, or right, no,
but he still has more hope than if he were in his home country.
> Are we a third world country ? Are we pennyless ? Are we in some kind
> of poverty as a nation ?
>
> No. So when people come in search of something better, and in most
> cases they are more than willing to work, why the hell do we hate them
> so much and turn them away.
>
There are channels to get into the country other than seeking asylum. If we as a country think that we can take people on through those channels, so be it. I object to those people who abuse the asylum system. Those who come with no documentation, or those who destroy their documentation when they get here so that you cannot know where they are from, or where they should be sent back to once their country is safe to return to. The system is not set up for everyone who wants something better. Its for people who NEED sanctuary from their original countries.
The fact is that the country cannot regulate and accomodate all these people. Some people have to be turned away. If you think that we can take every tom, dick and harry who turns up on the country's doorstep I think you're being very naive.
>
> "Great" Britain ? Don't make me laugh......
>
Hey, if you hate it so much, you could always migrate some other place. How does Zimbabwe sound to you?
Like I said, I can't comment on the BNP. I don't know the facts.
I did say that if the media's spin on them is accurate then I agreed with your point of view.
Simon Says wrote:
> He is still alive. He still has a better life than he had previously.
Yes, I'm sure getting a kicking is excellent.
Are we a third world country ? Are we pennyless ? Are we in some kind of poverty as a nation ?
No. So when people come in search of something better, and in most cases they are more than willing to work, why the hell do we hate them so much and turn them away.
"Great" Britain ? Don't make me laugh......
As for the BNP, they campaign for voluntary repatriation of all migrants, that is enough to tell me what they are like, and should be enough for any normal person.
If people have come here, they will not voluntarily leave, then again Adolf Hitler did tell the German people the Jews were voluntarily moving into ghetto's and the camps.....
Nationalism of this kind is one of the biggest dangers there is to this country aside from terrorism, and the BNP is part of that.
> He is still alive. He still has a better life than he had previously.
Yes, I'm sure getting a kicking is excellent.
Are we a third world country ? Are we pennyless ? Are we in some kind of poverty as a nation ?
No. So when people come in search of something better, and in most cases they are more than willing to work, why the hell do we hate them so much and turn them away.
"Great" Britain ? Don't make me laugh......
As for the BNP, they campaign for voluntary repatriation of all migrants, that is enough to tell me what they are like, and should be enough for any normal person.
If people have come here, they will not voluntarily leave, then again Adolf Hitler did tell the German people the Jews were voluntarily moving into ghetto's and the camps.....
Nationalism of this kind is one of the biggest dangers there is to this country aside from terrorism, and the BNP is part of that.
Star Fury wrote:
> I disagree, the last paragraph is vital.
I think the last paragraph is unnecessary because its a lot like scare mongering. I also disagree with a lot of what you said.
> So many come to this country, above all others, in the hope of
> something better.
this is because in terms of asylum this country is seen to be a soft touch. A couple of days ago I bumped in a Nigerian friend of mine, who expressed this view, and although he acknowledged that a few people were racist he felt we were letting in too many asylum seekers. I always have time for this guy because he always has quite an interesting point of view on things. Anyway, beck to the point. If you are seeking asylum you're meant to seek asylum in the first country that you get to, which has sympathy with people fleeing persecution from your country. Instead asylum seekers travel across the whole of Europe to get here.
> They then find what a bigotted, blatantly racist
> nation this is, not to mention mean, cold hearted and petty.
Yes, there are some racists in this country, but I believe that those people are the minority. Racism occurs in every society, its a sad fact but its true.
> Endless people in Britain live on the dole with no intention of working, > yet when an immigrant has used their life savings to get here, and wants
> a bit of help, so many would refuse that, because of skin colour or
> inbred ideas they have about foreigners.
Agreed, but just because British people abuse the dole system doesn't mean that its right to give every immigrant help. Asylum seekers are people fleeing persecution and the threat of death. So many immigrants are simply looking for a better life. They are abusing the system just as much if not more than those people who live on the dole, because the cause that they are abusing is so much more desperate. Its literally a matter of life or death.
> We let moronic racists like the BNP - and I'm sorry, but I think that is > one organisation whose members should be deported immediately, in fact
> extend that to anyone who even sympathises with them - exist. In fact it > is yet another way in which I'm ashamed to be be British. We suck.
>
Have you actually stopped to read any of the BNP's policies? Me neither, so I can't give an educated answer for this one. If I believe the media spin that is placed upon the BNP then yes, I agree with you entirely, but I have heard conflicting stories about this issue so all I am prepared to say is that I know I don't know enough facts to comment.
> Good story, and one of the the few I've actually bothered to read of
> late.
I can agree with this point,
except for the last paragraph.
To say that the asylum seeker has lost hope, however, is wrong.
I know that racial attacks like the one in the story happen. I know they are wrong and I wish that they didn't, but if the asylum seeker in the story is truly seeking asylum then he hasn't lost hope.
He is still alive. He still has a better life than he had previously.
> I disagree, the last paragraph is vital.
I think the last paragraph is unnecessary because its a lot like scare mongering. I also disagree with a lot of what you said.
> So many come to this country, above all others, in the hope of
> something better.
this is because in terms of asylum this country is seen to be a soft touch. A couple of days ago I bumped in a Nigerian friend of mine, who expressed this view, and although he acknowledged that a few people were racist he felt we were letting in too many asylum seekers. I always have time for this guy because he always has quite an interesting point of view on things. Anyway, beck to the point. If you are seeking asylum you're meant to seek asylum in the first country that you get to, which has sympathy with people fleeing persecution from your country. Instead asylum seekers travel across the whole of Europe to get here.
> They then find what a bigotted, blatantly racist
> nation this is, not to mention mean, cold hearted and petty.
Yes, there are some racists in this country, but I believe that those people are the minority. Racism occurs in every society, its a sad fact but its true.
> Endless people in Britain live on the dole with no intention of working, > yet when an immigrant has used their life savings to get here, and wants
> a bit of help, so many would refuse that, because of skin colour or
> inbred ideas they have about foreigners.
Agreed, but just because British people abuse the dole system doesn't mean that its right to give every immigrant help. Asylum seekers are people fleeing persecution and the threat of death. So many immigrants are simply looking for a better life. They are abusing the system just as much if not more than those people who live on the dole, because the cause that they are abusing is so much more desperate. Its literally a matter of life or death.
> We let moronic racists like the BNP - and I'm sorry, but I think that is > one organisation whose members should be deported immediately, in fact
> extend that to anyone who even sympathises with them - exist. In fact it > is yet another way in which I'm ashamed to be be British. We suck.
>
Have you actually stopped to read any of the BNP's policies? Me neither, so I can't give an educated answer for this one. If I believe the media spin that is placed upon the BNP then yes, I agree with you entirely, but I have heard conflicting stories about this issue so all I am prepared to say is that I know I don't know enough facts to comment.
> Good story, and one of the the few I've actually bothered to read of
> late.
I can agree with this point,
except for the last paragraph.
To say that the asylum seeker has lost hope, however, is wrong.
I know that racial attacks like the one in the story happen. I know they are wrong and I wish that they didn't, but if the asylum seeker in the story is truly seeking asylum then he hasn't lost hope.
He is still alive. He still has a better life than he had previously.
I disagree, the last paragraph is vital.
So many come to this country, above all others, in the hope of something better. They then find what a bigotted, blatantly racist nation this is, not to mention mean, cold hearted and petty. Endless people in Britain live on the dole with no intention of working, yet when an immigrant has used their life savings to get here, and wants a bit of help, so many would refuse that, because of skin colour or inbred ideas they have about foreigners. We let moronic racists like the BNP - and I'm sorry, but I think that is one organisation whose members should be deported immediately, in fact extend that to anyone who even sympathises with them - exist. In fact it is yet another way in which I'm ashamed to be be British. We suck.
Good story, and one of the the few I've actually bothered to read of late.
So many come to this country, above all others, in the hope of something better. They then find what a bigotted, blatantly racist nation this is, not to mention mean, cold hearted and petty. Endless people in Britain live on the dole with no intention of working, yet when an immigrant has used their life savings to get here, and wants a bit of help, so many would refuse that, because of skin colour or inbred ideas they have about foreigners. We let moronic racists like the BNP - and I'm sorry, but I think that is one organisation whose members should be deported immediately, in fact extend that to anyone who even sympathises with them - exist. In fact it is yet another way in which I'm ashamed to be be British. We suck.
Good story, and one of the the few I've actually bothered to read of late.
This is good, nice idea but it does seem a little melodramatic.
It does raise a lot of questions though, and personally I think it could have done without the last paragraph.
It does raise a lot of questions though, and personally I think it could have done without the last paragraph.
Frau made his teary goodbyes. He had no family left, but he would be leaving some close friends behind.
With only the clothes he wore and a bundle of notes tightly gripped in his hand – the sum total of the sale of all his possessions, he set off, walking to the allotted meeting place, an old depot a little way outside the town.
“You’re late.”
“I’m sorry, I was…”
“I don’t want to hear it. Have you got the money?”
Frau leafed through his notes, quickly counting out the agreed amount. The man snatched the bundle from his hands.
“The price went up.” The stocky European-looking man laughed coldly.
“But.. you can’t...”
Pain exploded in Frau’s head, then instantly subsided as consciousness fell away.
Slap
Swimming lights.. and pain
Slap
“Stop.. please..” Rubbing his eyes, then the bloody lump on the side of his head, Frau looked around the room. Maybe 15 or 20 men and women of various ages. The stocky European, accompanied now by 3 other men, stood at the front of the room.
“Alright, listen to me. You will be transported in single containers. You will be absolutely silent throughout the journey. If you hear the truck doors open you will not make a single damn sound. If I, or any of my colleagues, get caught because you screw this up, you will all die. Is this clear?”
Some heads nodded back at him.
“IS THIS CLEAR?”
The crowd all mumbled in the affirmative.
“Alright, take them through.”
One by one, the group were lead away. Eventually Frau’s turn came.
Into a second room. Coffins? ‘No’ he thought. ‘They can’t…’
“Get in.” Two of the men removed a coffin’s lid. The third pushed him forward. He got in, shaking.
“Fold your arms across your..” He knew what they meant. The lid was set in place and the tiny box carried somewhere.
Finally he felt motion. The journey had begun. Time slipped by, he didn’t know how fast. His head to the side, lips pressed against a small hole, sucking in hot, heavy air, the silence of the absolute darkness was broken only occasionally by a muffled female voice sobbing softly.
And time slipped by.
Then noise, footsteps. Frau caught his breath. Absolutely silent.
“And these are empty?” Came a voice that must have been only a metre away.
“Yeah. Can I close her up now?”
“Okay”
Then, a stifled cry.
“What was that?”
“A rat? Who cares?”
“Hey Dave, get in here, we’re opening some of these up.”
A third voice, further away,
“Coffins? You’ve got to be kidding me Paul, come on...”
Frau heard the sound of a lid being removed.
“Oh my god...”
Three months later. Frau walked through the small gardens of the detention centre, smiling. He still could barely believe that were really allowing him to stay. Being trapped in the restrictive confines of the grounds had been hard, and save the English classes there has been precious little there for him, but he was getting out. A two room flat in Wales and a living allowance until he could support himself. It was all he had wanted.
A month on. The barrage of heavy kicks and slurred racist insults had finally ended as the men moved on. He lay on the pavement, tears only interrupted when he coughed blood from his mouth. It wasn’t the pain of the beating, he’d long since learned to cope with that. But he’d hoped that here it would be different, that he could finally find a good life.
And he wasn’t used to having hope. Or to losing it.
With only the clothes he wore and a bundle of notes tightly gripped in his hand – the sum total of the sale of all his possessions, he set off, walking to the allotted meeting place, an old depot a little way outside the town.
“You’re late.”
“I’m sorry, I was…”
“I don’t want to hear it. Have you got the money?”
Frau leafed through his notes, quickly counting out the agreed amount. The man snatched the bundle from his hands.
“The price went up.” The stocky European-looking man laughed coldly.
“But.. you can’t...”
Pain exploded in Frau’s head, then instantly subsided as consciousness fell away.
Slap
Swimming lights.. and pain
Slap
“Stop.. please..” Rubbing his eyes, then the bloody lump on the side of his head, Frau looked around the room. Maybe 15 or 20 men and women of various ages. The stocky European, accompanied now by 3 other men, stood at the front of the room.
“Alright, listen to me. You will be transported in single containers. You will be absolutely silent throughout the journey. If you hear the truck doors open you will not make a single damn sound. If I, or any of my colleagues, get caught because you screw this up, you will all die. Is this clear?”
Some heads nodded back at him.
“IS THIS CLEAR?”
The crowd all mumbled in the affirmative.
“Alright, take them through.”
One by one, the group were lead away. Eventually Frau’s turn came.
Into a second room. Coffins? ‘No’ he thought. ‘They can’t…’
“Get in.” Two of the men removed a coffin’s lid. The third pushed him forward. He got in, shaking.
“Fold your arms across your..” He knew what they meant. The lid was set in place and the tiny box carried somewhere.
Finally he felt motion. The journey had begun. Time slipped by, he didn’t know how fast. His head to the side, lips pressed against a small hole, sucking in hot, heavy air, the silence of the absolute darkness was broken only occasionally by a muffled female voice sobbing softly.
And time slipped by.
Then noise, footsteps. Frau caught his breath. Absolutely silent.
“And these are empty?” Came a voice that must have been only a metre away.
“Yeah. Can I close her up now?”
“Okay”
Then, a stifled cry.
“What was that?”
“A rat? Who cares?”
“Hey Dave, get in here, we’re opening some of these up.”
A third voice, further away,
“Coffins? You’ve got to be kidding me Paul, come on...”
Frau heard the sound of a lid being removed.
“Oh my god...”
Three months later. Frau walked through the small gardens of the detention centre, smiling. He still could barely believe that were really allowing him to stay. Being trapped in the restrictive confines of the grounds had been hard, and save the English classes there has been precious little there for him, but he was getting out. A two room flat in Wales and a living allowance until he could support himself. It was all he had wanted.
A month on. The barrage of heavy kicks and slurred racist insults had finally ended as the men moved on. He lay on the pavement, tears only interrupted when he coughed blood from his mouth. It wasn’t the pain of the beating, he’d long since learned to cope with that. But he’d hoped that here it would be different, that he could finally find a good life.
And he wasn’t used to having hope. Or to losing it.