RYSIEK
They took me to a room. What’s your name? I said my name’s blah de blah…they said you’re lying. Your name is ‘Cedar’ and you are the leader of an illegal terrorist organisation called The White Eagle. I said I didn’t know what they were talking about. They grabbed me and threw me to the floor. They snatched my cap off my head and stuffed it in my mouth. One man sat on my legs, while another grabbed my head. I saw a third man reach behind a stove and pull out this cudgel. I bit down on my cap, ready for it. He beat me, and beat me, and beat me…I chewed my cap to shreds. Then they sat me on this stool by a wall. They got a good grip of my hair and smashed my head against the wall…over and over…so hard I thought my skull would shatter. After that they yanked out great clumps of hair. All the time they were repeating… Confess. Give us the names of your accomplices. I knew if I talked, the others’d get the same treatment. Better to take the punishment on my own. I didn’t know a man could take so much.
…
Months went by. One night…must have been March or April by now because the ground was starting to thaw…three men came for me. They put me on a cart and drove me into the forest. When we stopped they put a shovel in my hand and ordered me to dig. I didn’t say anything back, just started digging. For a moment, just for a split second, as I dug, I looked up at the sky. It was crowded with stars. And through the mist I could just about make out the Plough. And there was the Northern Star. And a wave of despair came over me. I felt a sorrow…for everything. For myself especially. That I had to die so young. And whose fault was it? My classmate Jakub Katz. When I dug the hole I told them I’d finished. Good, said the lieutenant, but we’ve decided not to shoot you today. Have a little think about things. Then confess. And when you confess you can go home. And if you don’t confess, we’ll bring you back here. Your pit awaits.