The guard behind the table gives me a sharp nod. ‘Close it. You are done,’ he says before moving on to check Otto’s bag.

I close my bag and turn to see where Mutti and Vati are up to. In front of them on the table, Mutti’s wedding ring and Vati’s gold watch sit next to each other. The guard grabs them and drops them in a box by his side. ‘Go,’ he says to my parents.

Wordlessly, they close their bags and turn away from the table. The four of us shuffle into the crowd as the next group line up to hand over their last remaining valuables.

We are directed towards the train station by the guards. I look for Greta in the crowds. We’ve become separated and a tiny sliver of panic starts to creep into my chest until I spot her, near the platform. A large train is waiting and people are being shoved and pushed into carriages.

There she is! Standing outside one of the carriages with her parents. ‘Greta! Wait for me!’ I shout.

She turns and sees me but, a second later, a guard pushes her forward and she is forced to get into the carriage.

I pull on Mutti’s sleeve. ‘Hurry, please. We must get into the same carriage as Greta.’

‘Okay, we’ll try,’ Mutti replies, but there are still too many people in front of us and we are pushed on to the next one instead.

Mutti grips my hand. ‘You’ll see her when we get there,’ she says. ‘Let’s stay together for now.’

She’s doing that thing she does so often nowadays: trying to sound calm and normal, but I know she feels far from either. I hear the quiver that runs through every word, and I know not to argue. Instead I squeeze her hand, and keep hold of it.

‘Where are we going, anyway?’ Otto asks. ‘Why won’t they tell us?’

One of the guards overhears him and flashes a cold smile in our direction. ‘You have nothing to worry about,’ he says. ‘You’re being taken somewhere safe to keep you away from the stresses of war.’

‘Where?’ a brave man shouts. ‘Where is this safe place you are taking us?’

For a moment, there is silence as everyone in the carriage holds their breath, waiting to see what will happen. Will this man be taken out and beaten for daring to question the guards? Or will we actually get an answer?

It seems he is in luck, and so are we, as the guard smiles and answers mildly. ‘It is a nice place. A new ghetto especially for you lucky Jews. It’s called Theresienstadt. You will be happy there. You will like it. We will look after you there.’

I remember what the man from the Jewish Council said last night. Is it true? Are they helping us?