The Stars We Never Saw by Emilie Garrabrant

Author:Emilie Garrabrant
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Emilie Garrabrant
Published: 2022-09-28T12:04:30+00:00

Tante Gisela’s son stuck with Ilse throughout the month. She looked so young in that photograph that it must’ve been ages ago that her son passed. Ilse didn’t think too much of what Frau Kofler said about Tante Gisela’s son, but now Ilse know the memories came back and affected Tante Giselar a lot more than how Ilse thought it did.

I mean, if she had the photograph of him, she must have some of his belongings, right? I did have an idea of where she put his things, Ilse thought.

Ilse hadn’t quite ventured around past her room, which at the top of the stairs. The washroom was directly across from her bedroom, so she didn’t exactly have a reason to go down the hall. Though, when passing by the hall, Ilse did always see a small square door in the ceiling. That door posed a mystery she couldn’t answer.

Ilse saw the dark, lonely attic door at the end of the hallway whenever she came up, but something about its detachedness from the rest of the house scared her away from it.

Then of course, Ilse knew she had to find Leon clothes. Ilse had brought him some thick woolen sweaters she found in the back of Tante Gisela’s closet, and he was doing fine in those.

Ilse also thought a lot about her parents. She wondered if they were shopping for gifts right now, drinking hot cider and reading books. Eventually, Ilse decided that they must be getting a new apartment. After all, Ilse would need a welcome surprise, right? They are probably waiting for me right now, Ilse thought.

But that couldn’t be true. If I have to hide, they must have to hide too, Ilse thought.

But no. They were arrested, right? Ilse questioned.

Everything was blurring. Ilse pushed the thoughts away.

Christmas was fast approaching, and Tante Gisela had scrapped bits of rations here and there to save for a Christmas dinner. She said she was making a surprise, so she didn’t tell Ilse the details about the dinner. Ilse just knew it was going to be good.

The fire spit and crackled as Ilse fed it bits of wood from the pile by the fireplace. A fair of smells came from the kitchen: earthy greens, and some unidentified scent. Ilse turned her head playfully.

“Ilse! Back around,” Tante Gisela called to her. She attempted to cover the counter with her arms.

Ilse laughed, turning to face the fire. “Whatever secret meal it is, you can show me.”

“I would never,” Tante Gisela replied.

Thoughts of the attic barged into Ilse’s head. “Tante Gisela, I’m going to head upstairs.”

“Alright!”

Ilse figured Tante Gisela wasn’t really listening to what she was saying, which gave her the perfect opportunity to explore the attic.

Ilse ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time. It wasn’t easy in a robe, but she managed. At the top, Ilse walked past the line of sight from the kitchen, and Tante Gisela didn’t question it. She was too immersed in cooking.

Ilse tread lightly once she got farther down the hallway.

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