Character Exercise 4

Interspersing Dialogue With Action

He walked down the muddy pathway of the unpaved street between the bunk houses, the buckles on his boots clinking with every step. The silent squeal of new leather accompanied the conflicting rustle of his pants was interrupted by a soft sob. He glanced over in disgust at the dirty creature huddling helplessly. Cowering in a corner, shivering in the cold mud she looked so pathetic, he barely recognized her. He caught her gaze, and was immediately frozen. He studied her face, as if she was some sort of human anomaly. The dark, short cropped hair was patchy and faded. Her white face was tinted blue from the cold, so that it looked like there was no blood running through her veins. She looked almost dead. Her body was skeletal, every bone visible through the thin skin that covered. Only her eyes contained their original lustre.

Luka stifled a sob as he realized this was Antje. The love of his past lay broken before him. He dropped to his knees and tried to help her up, gasping “Antje, what’s happened to you?” Something like a shreik came out of her mouth, raspy and weak, as she flailed her arms in an attempt to get him away from her. The tears streaming down her face left streaks of clean skin, washing the dirt off. He backed away as she curled into a ball, trying to protect herself. He looked around to see if anyone was watching him, for it was a terrible thing to be seen helping a Jude.

Once again, he kneeled down next to her. He placed his hand on her back, and spoke to her. "Antje... it's me... Luka. Don't you remember? In the city when we were kids?" She looked up at him with those eyes. The green flecked with gold bored into him, seeing through the shell he had created for himself. An x-ray, revealing what was beneath the surface. She made him feel vulnerable. "Luka... what are you doing here?" She looked him up and down, "This isn't who you are... you're just like us." He nodded, and looked around again, nervous now. "Antje, I am going to get you to the hospital. They will take care of you there. At any rate, it will be better than staying in the work fields." She protested, pushing at his chest with her bony hand, "I must stay with my people. We are all in this together now." He looked into her eyes sadly, saying "Don't be silly... you're weak. You must be taken care of."
He picked her up. Her shoulders were so small, and she was as light as a 2-year-old. She stood shakily, swaying on her feet, and collapsed into the mud again.