But he knew one thing: he would do all he could possibly do to make sure he was always the one who got to make the decisions in this game.

There was no way he would ever be the filthy Jew.

ELSA

‘Come on, come on, we haven’t got all day.’

The soldiers shout and curse at us as we file out of our buildings and into the street. There must be over a thousand of us: old, young, couples, families. It’s not a military operation, but the guards are acting as if it should be.

We are soon squashed together so tightly we have to coordinate our movements with each other to make any progress. An elderly couple in front of me are shuffling along so slowly that a woman behind me keeps walking into me and catching my heels with her case.

‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry,’ she says.

‘It’s fine. Honestly, don’t worry,’ Mutti says to her on my behalf. I’m too busy looking down at my feet concentrating on my next step to be able to turn around and speak to her myself.

We are approaching the edge of our small neighbourhood. We haven’t been allowed past this point for months now. As we near the corner to the outside world, a guard is screaming at everyone who passes. ‘Get back in line! Turn left! Pick your feet up! Keep moving!’

To underline his orders, he uses the end of his rifle to prod people as they come past him. I am terrified he will point his rifle at me, so I double my speed, even if it means I am shoving the old couple in front of me.

We get past the guard without incident. And then we are in a wide street. Mutti, Vati, Otto and I, a line of four in amongst the thousand other ragged, dirty, tired, confused people shuffling along beside us.

Otto is holding on to his leg. His limp has been worse than ever recently.

‘Are you all right?’ I ask him.

He nods. ‘I’m fine. Honestly.’ He gives me a weak smile.

‘Lean on me if you need to, okay?’

‘I will.’

Just then I hear a familiar voice. ‘Elsa!’ I spin round to see Greta turning the corner and coming out on to the street. She grabs her mother’s arm and drags her parents over to join us. As soon as she is beside me, we clutch hands and a tiny bit of my fear melts away. As long as I have my best friend beside me, I will be all right.

‘Did you feed Felix?’ I ask her.

Greta nods. ‘He came to our apartment before the sun was up. I think he must have known we were leaving. I gave him half my dinner from last night. I’d been saving it for him.’

‘I can’t believe we have to leave him,’ I say.