PANTERA - Sara Reinke

SARA REINKECHAPTER FIVEThat night, Abdes dreamed of the girl’s muffled tears,her stifled mewls and whimpers. He dreamed of the fleetingglimpse of her legs around the soldier’s hips.Jobina. Her name was Jobina, a young Jewish girl fromBesara. He knew that now. He had a name to place with herfrightened voice, her pitiful cries, and it tore into his heart likethe twisting cut of a knife. He dreamed of moving forward,rushing toward her, crying out.“Get away from her!” he shouted, planting his handagainst one soldier’s breastplate and shoving him back. Abdespivoted, his brows furrowed, and he lunged at the man rapingher, pushing him furiously, sending him sprawling sideways.He could see them; dark-skinned faces framed bythick, bushy brows and heavy beards. He saw their faces—their dark eyes, their high cheeks and long, large noses.He dreamed that when he fell, punched through theback and stomach with their knives, he heard them runningaway. “Get out of here―go,” one of them said hoarsely to theother in Aramaic. “Run!”He had seen their faces; he had heard them speak. Inthe dream, even as the pain overtook him, Abdes realized.They weren’t soldiers. Both of them…they were Jews…!He sat up against his pallet in the barrack, gaspingsharply for breath. Momentarily disoriented in the shadowdraped,silent chamber, he looked wildly about, his hair sleepily50