The Cold War ~by Dylan

I awoke to the sound of gunshots. My two German Shepherds, Lolly and Bella, barked ferociously. The year was 1949, and for the past six months in Hungary, we'd endured many nights of gunfire. I didn't think this time would be any different until I heard Russians yelling at my mom. In a brutal, loud voice a Russian soldier yelled, "Give me your ring!"
I heard my mom's once powerful but now weak voice whisper, "No." Then, it was silent. Until the Russian lifted his gun and shot.

PART 2:

Moments after the shot, one of the Russians ripped the ring off my mother's finger and said, "We got it." The Russians took the ring and left in their fancy, perfect uniforms. I ran over to my mother and threw my arms around her. She was dead. She was as pale as a ghost. It was horrible. It still sends shivers down my spine. I cried uncontrollably, knowing I wouldn't have a mom any more. I couldn't believe that I would never hear my mom's voice again. I felt like punching the Russians square in the face. Time was moving quickly; I felt dizzy. I couldn't think straight.

I thought about calling the police, but it wasn't possible. The Red army had complete control over Hungary. Also, we had no electricity. I felt nauseous. My throat was dry. I thought about my mom, and what she would have done to make me feel better. I remembered that when I was little, my mom had taught me that drinking water would help me feel better. I wanted to go to the pump, but of course, that didn't work either. I couldn't believe how poorly Hungary was treated under the Red Army. I don't remember making a conscious decision, but I took my dogs, and I ran.

As I ran, I realized that the Soviet Union had too much power. That was a problem. They could go anywhere they wanted. Why would they steal from people who had almost nothing? They were wealthy enough to buy those items on their own. As I ran, I continued to ponder such thoughts. I wondered if they acted that way so the could feel even more powerful. I wondered if they felt their power was fleating.

PART 3:

Later, I got to the Danube River. I needed to cross it, but I couldn't find a safe place to cross. Chain Bridge was ruined so I couldn't go across there; the water was too cold at this time of year to swim, so the only choice I had left was to go across the military bridge. I knew it would be dangerous, but I had to try. I was glad that it was still dark; it would give me more cover. When I was crossing the bridge, I saw a guard. At the last moment, I made my dogs lie down. Then, I laid face down. It was pitch dark, so the guard walked right past me. I let out a sigh. He must have heard me because he whipped around fast.

He shouted, "Who's there?" He looked around for what seemed like an eternity, for I didn't take a breath. When he finally turned back, I relaxed a bit, careful to make no noise. My dogs and I got up and crept quickly over the bridge, still worried somebody else would see us. Luckily, nobody did.

When we got to the other side, it was starting to get light. I needed to find a safe spot. I found an alley and crept to the end of it. After a long, tramatic night full of fear and sorrow, I needed sleep. I laid down using my dogs as pillows and fell into a fitful sleep.

PART 4:

I woke up in the middle of the night to very loud shouting. There was a Russian yelling at somebody. I looked around but didn't see anyone. With a pang of terror, I realized he was yelling at me. He wanted my watch, which had been my mom's . I knew I didn't stand a chance against the guard, but I was ready to fight. That watch was the only thing I had left to remember her, and I wasn't about to let anyone take it away. I sat up staring at him and wondering, Why would he take items from people when he already has more than most people would ever wish for?

He was misusing his power. Instead of fighting for communism and his country, he was stealing from scared civilians. People with that type of power shouldn't be trusted. It makes their hearts careless. I realized I had just as much power as he did, maybe more. My power was not in guns and other weapons, but in heart. The love for my recently murdered mom gave me the bravery to stand up to him, bravery he would never understand. The reason why he was so horrible was because he never was loved. His leader Joseph Stalin was brutal to him. Stalin was brutal to even his closest friends. The Russian soldier was acting out of fear, seemingly content to bring fear to the people.

I refused to give my watch to him. I knew I would be shot, but I stood up for myself, for my rights. I had nothing to loose. I simply said, "No." He would have to kill me if he wanted it. And he seemed ready to do just that. The soldier moved and aimed his gun at me. At the precise moment he pulled the trigger, Lolly jumped in the way and was shot.

How could people be so horrible? Why would he kill people just because he wanted some stupid watch? I shouted and cursed at that Russian. I spit at him, and kicked stones at him uncontrollably. He had killed my dog. Time seemed to stop as a jumble of thoughts raced through my mind. He had ruined almost every hope I had left. He seemed equally as stunned that he had killed the dog. A dog is just as smart as a human, they know what is right and what is wrong.

My mom was dead. My life was almost taken because of a gold watch the Russian wanted. I wanted this war for communism to stop. The Russians were horrible. They had ruined my life. My anger had taken me into a world of uncontrolled exasperation. I wanted to kill Stalin. As my thoughts took me to thoughts of murder, I stopped myself. I didn't want to kill any body. I wouldn't kill a person even if they were destroying other people’s lives. Killing doesn't do anything but make you a bad person. I didn't want to become one of them in effort to stop them.

The Russian lifted his gun again, but he hesitated. There was something strange about the way he looked. All of a sudden he burst out in tears. He looked at my dog, and threw his gun on the ground. I knew he would never shoot anything again. The Russian was overwhelmed by my love for my dead dog and for his love for me. My dog had taught a lesson that I would have been unable to teach. The power of love. The willingness to give your life for another. It was a lesson we all needed to learn. Once humans become accustomed to taking lives, to witness the other is overwhelming. Sadly, he gestured for me to leave. As I left, I understood the power of love.


PART 5:

I had more power than a lot of people, but I had no guns to fight with. I would fight a different kind of war. I would fight the war of rights. I would stand up for others and myself. My old life was in Hungary, but I would have a new life. I would go to America.

I was very sad. I realized what abusing power could do to people. Power in weapons can make you a killer. Not just a killer of lives, but a killer of dreams. It can make you think you deserve to have anything, and it can make you think you have everything. The truth is, when you have this type of power, you have nothing at all. The most important power is love. I knew that I had that power. I notice that people with unchecked or abused power were always afraid that someone would take it from them. Nobody could take my power away from me, nobody can steal the love I have in my heart.

PART 6:

This war in Hungary was the beginning of a war that would last for many years. It was the cold war, an intense rivalry that developed between communist and democratic countries around the globe. I looked back toward Budapest often. As I think back to my mother and my dog, tears trickle down my face. But I know that they would both be proud of who I am now. I am now a doctor, so I can not only save lives, but also peoples' dreams.