Something in Miri’s expression reminds Róża of her father. She thinks of the long-ago time she went to him, fearful and guilty, when she accidentally broke her mother’s favorite bowl. Her father reassured her in his steady way. “It’s all right, Różyczka, we’ll gather all the shards and fix it right up.” As if he understood life itself to be the holding together of small broken pieces.

Róża wakes before dawn to the rumble of tanks, the distant sound of boots tromping the ground. In an instant, she is up on her feet, heart pounding.

“Miri, Chana, wake up!”

The reverberations come from every direction. Róża is sure that soldiers are circling the vicinity. Why did I ever suggest we sleep aboveground? And worse, how could we have let it become our habit?

As the ground shakes, she searches for cover. A thick, fallen tree trunk. Scattered branches. If they can dig out a hollow by the tree’s side, they can all three burrow against it.

Róża digs as quickly as she can. The sisters spring to action, digging alongside her. Their arms work spastically, driven by panic as their breath grows more and more shallow. Never before during their time in the woods have they dug harder or faster. The hole expands, but not quickly enough. It looks big enough to fit two bodies, not three. They hear the soldiers coming closer.

“It’ll do,” Miri says. “Climb in and I’ll get cover.”

Róża and Chana climb in as Miri grabs armfuls of pine branches. She drags them over the hole and spreads them, concealing Róża and Chana.

“What are you doing, Miri? Get in,” Chana whispers.

But only Miri’s hand pokes through to squeeze Chana’s arm.

And then she is sprinting away through the trees. Chana’s eyes, confused at first, now fill with horror. Again and again, she shakes her head no. No! Róża takes Chana’s hands in hers and strains to hear above the pounding boots, the quaking earth.

A single gunshot.

Chana throws off the branches and starts to climb out of the burrow, but Róża pulls her back and thrusts the branches over them once again. She wraps one arm around Chana’s face to muffle her wails and presses hard against her torso to immobilize her. They must wait now. Even if Miri led the soldiers in the opposite direction, it’s likely they will be back, hoping for more bounty.

Róża’s mouth fills with the tastes of metal and salt, and it takes her several seconds to realize: she has bitten the inside of her cheek and her tears are coming in through her open mouth. Chana is limp in her arms now.