Disclaimer: Whatever I might have to say can be found at the end of this short work of fiction.

We Just Want Our Freedom
by Anders Hallin

"Oh please, you noticed he was staring.. In fact, I think everyone noticed he was staring, I could practically see the sun reflect in his drool."
"There's no sun today, Anna. And it's not like I care about Peter."
Anna snorted.
"Right, you've certainly always been one for extravagant posing."
"Maybe I just like it when people notice me," Nina responded defensively, "It's more than I usually get," she continued, murmuring.
"What?"
"Nothing. So I might have overdone it a bit, I just thought it was nice to feel like someone who mattered for a little while instead of being a part of the grey tapestry of miserable people. I still think he's an uneducated boy who will never account for anything in this world."
"You've always looked radiant to me, little bird, if it makes you feel any better," Anna said with a smirk gone unnoticed by Nina.
"Oh, you just say the nicest thiiIIIIIEEEEE-!"
A few people had to jump aside as Anna grabbed hold of Nina's waist and spun her around in the air laughing.
Out of breath and dizzy Nina staggered a few steps as she was put down.
"-nicest things...", she said weakly and then pulled herself together. "But I am not a little bird!" she exclaimed and marched off in mock anger.
Walking after with a chuckle Anna called after her. "You're a lot more impressive than a little bird, that's for sure, but you do sing your mind whenever you have breath."
Letting Anna catch up they resumed walking at a normal pace.
"Well, I just think that when standing up to injustice, there's no time like now," she said softly.
"Injustice which just happens to be school policy, how many classes have you been sent out from now? 50?", Anna asked with a grin.
"I think it has to be more than that, I still think it wouldn't happen as often if I had your impressive physique though" Nina responded with an even wider grin. "Are you coming over to read tonight?"
"No, I have to help my mom with her job tonight, but I'll see you at school tomorrow. And if it's that impressive, then how come you get all the longing looks?" With a hug Anna left her friend standing looking after her at the crossroad.

"What, we should just fold at any aggression against us? Are you mad? We must stand together as a nation and tell them that we will accept no such transgressions!"
"I have said it before young lady, you will not start an argument about every issue which we discuss in this class! You are dismissed!"
Nina stalked out of the room, slammed the door a bit for good measure and sat down on the bench in the hallway outside. Thirty minutes left until the class ended, nothing to do and not allowed to go anywhere. To protest against the injustice of being forced to sit in silence and just wait after getting sent out of class was one of the few things that Nina had conceded was more trouble than it was worth. As boring as it was, it did give her a chance to daydream a bit, something which wasn't all too usual. She thought of the old days, when the school looked like something to the world and it was at least completely safe to walk the streets in broad daylight. She was sure that it could be that way again. If they just worked together against that goal, they could reach it. Though of course, most of all she just wanted to live somewhere calm and beautiful, with Anna. The look of a place didn't matter much if Anna was around of course, it was the calm part that was the trouble. She felt pretty calm too when Anna was with her come to think of it, it was amazing what a great friend she had gotten, and completely undeserved, or so it felt.
"Nina!"
"I'm awake!" Nina looked around in confusion at the hallway which was now full of people.
"Of course you are, now come on, time to go home."
Nina found herself being pulled up to a standing position, with as much trouble as one would lift a doll it seemed to her.
"Are you doing anything tonight?"
"No, there's no work to be done tonight, unfortunately. I think we could use it."
"I really hate that you and your mother have to work so hard all the time.."
"Well, with the times as they are it's difficult to make ends meet some weeks. But at least I know I have you to change things around for the better in a few years." Anna said, smiling down at her.
"We're hoping it'll be sooner than that. We've already come a long way after all. I.. I'll try my best to deserve your confidence." Nina responded, eyes downcast.
"Ah, don't be so glum. We'll fight on, just like we've done the last year."
"Yeah, I just wish the politicians would do something about it. But all in due time, I guess. So did the relic from ancient times say anything interesting when I sat and fantasised about sordid sexual escapades? Not that I can imagine them teaching anything worth knowing in what they call school these days"
"Nothing you don't already know, but you really shouldn't be so hard on the teachers, you know they have to work really hard" Anna answered with a blush, "And I would really want to hear about these escapades of yours, oh fiend of the Second circle."
"I guess you did learn something back when the schools were still working... Do you think your pretty little ears can handle it?" Nina said as a mischievous grin graced her face.

Through some significant acrobatics Nina and Anna managed to squeese themselves into Nina's tiny room which barely had place for anything resembling a bed.
"You know, I must admit that I think that relic from ancient times does have a bit of a point. I mean, if everyone refused to fight then there would be no wars, right?"
"Well, yeah. Anna, I would love for the world to work like that but unfortunately it doesn't. If we would just take everything that came our way with a smile I almost think that we'd all be swept away. Sometimes.. it just feels like the entire world hates us. And could you really stand silently while your family was being murdered? I know if anything would happen to you I'd.. I don't know what I'd do." Nina said, trembling a bit at the last words.
"I'm.. Yes. I just think that sometimes everyone takes it too far.." Anna answered looking into a wall.
"That's true. But in times of crisis you have to stand together or they'll just go after us again. Some issues have to be put aside for the time being to get a unified front."
"Well, you should know what you're doing, you're the one buried in politics all day. What are you reading now?"
"Just this book by Mary Wollstonecraft.. it's sort of slow to get through, to be honest."
"You're becoming a suffragette on me?" Anna chuckled.
"All in due time, my dear. But no, first things first, and that is getting the voice of the people heard in this country. Would you mind coming with me while I hand out some pamphlets? I completely forgot that I had to give them out today."
"No problem, as long as I get to hear what happens with that Peter-lad."
"Like I need that pipsqueak when I have you to defend my honour."
"It's a task I truly cherish, my dear, I assure you. And what sort of knight would I be if I didn't walk by your side in your noble deed of handing out pamphlets.. OF TRUTH AND JUSTICE!" she finished off with an impressive sweep of her arm. "Lead on, oh noble lady, and I shall follow!"
"Yes, I'm sure our pamphlets will be the tip on the scale to change the world." Nina said with a laugh.
"They're certainly preferrable to some of your little group, or so I've heard." Anna responded, a bit more serious.
"Yeah.. those. Well, every group has it's zealots, I'm sure we'll root them out once we get into some position of power, for now we can't afford an internal battle. What's the worst thing they can do, either way?"

On a bright summer's day in July, Anna sat in a park on the outskirts of the city. Nina was busy with her politics and Anna just sat there, enjoying the sun which so often the last few years felt like it had been lost completely. But today at least, the sun shone and it felt like it really was a wonderful world. Everything to live for, and nowhere to go but up.
"Anna!"
Nina came running at top speed and almost ran straight into the bench.
"WE DID IT! We're the biggest party in the parliament! Maybe now we can actually accomplish things. This is like a whole new beginning, for all of us! Come on, let's go join the others and celebrate at the hall."

And so, Nina and Anna went together, dreaming of a better future for their people, and raised their hands with thousands others, celebrating and honouring their leader with a call that would resound through the world and fill people with anger and disgust for ages afterwards.
"Sieg Heil!"



In the following thirteen years, at least ten million individuals lost their lives in what is commonly known as The Holocaust. Ten million people who were just like you and me. I do not know how many were involved in committing these murders but there were thousands. And they too, on the whole, were individuals just like you and me. I don't like to tell people what to do, but I think it might be a good idea, when questioning society and the like, to start off by questioning those closest to yourself. A lot more died in the war itself, but that's war for you.