The next morning, when I went into the kitchen for breakfast, Papa was already there. "Papa?" I said, worried. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

"Well, my condition has gotten better after a good night's sleep, and I have to keep a roof over our heads and food on our table."

"Are you sure you should go to work today?" What if another Nazi officer did something to Papa again?

As if he could hear my thoughts, he said, "I'll be fine, Gisele. Now go make your bed, open the blinds, and get ready for school. I nodded, and went to my room. I tucked all four corners of my white blanket under the bed, making sure it was tight and perfect. I walked to the window and pulled on the strings to open the blind. A small shriek escaped my lips.

"What is it?" Maman and Papa asked, running into my room? "What happened?" After the event last night, Mama and Papa seemed to be a little more wary, never letting their guard down. I pointed out the window, unable to speak. The Nazi flag, red with a black swastika inside a white circle, was waving on top of city hall. Our little town of Bourges was now fully occupied by the Nazis.

I looked up at Maman, who looked horrified. "Can I still go to school?" I said meekly. "Please?" I loved learning new things everyday, like arithmetic, science, practicing my penmanship, and playing with my friends, Chloe and Averie.

Maman looked at Papa, and then turned to me. "Ok, just this once." A grin lit up my face.