TheSpectacledCloth
Gone Fishin'
Amen! The bastard is dead! Hallelujah!The day was February 7th, or rather it was Wessel 7th in the new calendar, sometimes she got the months mixed up. Joseph corrected it at every opportunity, and in every opportunity he made sure to make her remember to correct herself. "The Daughter of Hitler cannot forget our Martyrs", he used to say, but now he just gave a glare, a hateful look that made her feel like she had just killed his mother. She has been making less mistakes now, ever since the last year it felt like he was just another man, he smiled less, he looked at her more, and that look was not the one of a friend, of a caring person acting like a surrogate father, it was a look either to look at her flesh or to look at her flaws, a look to intimidate her, to make her back down and feel miserable. That look sometimes was followed by a word, for him to come closer to him, and then she had her wrist squeezed so hard that it felt like he could break her hand. Then he said what he wanted to say, heard what he wanted to hear, an apology, self-degradation, a promise to improve, then he patted her cheek and kissed her, giving that old smile that used to bring her some warmth and relief, then dismissed her like she was some sort of servant of his'.
Those were the days of the Schwanenwerder, that beautiful island, that beautiful mansion, and yet a life which became miserable almost as soon as it really started. Sometimes she tried to get a separate bed, to sleep in another room, Joseph allowed it or not depending on his mood, and when he didn't... he wanted a child, one that she has not been able to give yet, he said he would call a doctor any day now to see her to make sure she was... functional. He was the one choosing her clothes, whenever there was a visit he demanded that she appeared before him for him to approve or not what she was wearing, when he didn't he either just told her to stay put or picked something for her to wear himself. He could walk, or rather limp around, but preferred not to in his lazyness, he had her carry him around whenever he wanted to go somewhere even when he could perfectly wheel himself away or walk with his cane. Since the war started against the Jews, he only became worse, now he wanted her to give opinions, which is to say approve whatever he wanted proposed and say whatever he wanted to hear, even when she knew from just basic knowledge that his plans were complete insanity. The worst part was when one night she dared to object his plan, she dared to say no to that nuclear madness that would destroy this country, that would destroy her, and he just said she did not have to worry, that they could stay in a bunker under the island which could last for years, she had seen that bunker and she knew that there was only one bed for both of them to share, that she was not allowed to pick another room.
She tried to ask for help in her own way, but nobody listened, maybe she was being too subtle, maybe she was choosing the wrong people, but she tried to ask for something to be done, maybe Helmut could talk to his father, or Helga when she visited, or Hedwig, but none of them ever did anything, none of them ever talked to their father... maybe because they knew that nothing could be done. She tried to find moments to speak in private with others, with ministers, with generals, surely these men who served her father and swore oaths under his name would not allow her to keep going through this. But they did nothing, and worse, one of them, Rössner, admitted to already knowing, that the SiPo was well aware of the Führer's actions, but that she was meant to just be silent, he even gave the same look Joseph did by saying she was to blame for any infertility in this marriage. After that she did not reach out to the Ministers or Generals, she just stayed quiet and realized that none of those men would ever do anything against the Führer, that none of them would ever lift a finger for her no matter who she was.
Hitler, that was the only thing Joseph let her keep, her surname, it was all for his propaganda to display her as a trophy whenever she was allowed to leave the Island in the days before the war, being his representative was what he wanted, he wanted that name and he would not lower himself by having her take his family name. It was like he had this deep sense of pathetic inferiority, she could tell, that monstrous Goblin was a pathetic limp man with a receding forehead, a balding hair, stuck on a wheelchair, short and angry, he was the fartherst thing from a man meant to lead a nation of Aryans and he knew it, that is why he clung to that adoration, whenever she praised him it was like his idol praising him, and whenever she was brought down it meant that he could be superior to a Hitler. But she could tell the difference, Goebbels needed to gather crowds, he had to organize with the propaganda ministry and choose the best locations with the best supporters to have the best reaction, all she needed to do to get cheers was to just go somewhere, because when someone said "Hitler is coming", everyone in Germany was cheering for her, for her father, and not for that mediocre man she was shackled with.
She hated Joseph Goebbels, she hated him like she never hated anything or anyone ever before, it was a hatred so buried in her heart that it took root in there. If he betrayed her, it would have hurt less, but how can you betray someone you never truly appreciated? All his acts, all his gifts, all his friendship and care over her childhood, over her teenage years, all of that led to that night in October in her birthday when she was married off to that untermensch, and the worst part is how she remembered how naive she was and how everything changed within just a few months of marriage. He killed her mother, she blinded herself to it but it was so obvious now, there were agents of the SiPo with her mother that Christmas, and the next morning she was mysteriously ill, then when Goebbels sent a doctor she just became worse and worse, she became so weak, so frail, she was bedridden and could not speak. She had begged for her to be brought to a hospital or for more doctors to come, but Doctor Zigler assured her that it was better for Eva to stay in her own bedroom to improve her mental state, he did not even tell the name of her illness. Zigler announced her death one day, then on the next there was already a pilot to take her to Goebbels, sent in by Goebbels, and she was so distraught that she did not make that connection until this cursed marriage.
Today was the 7th of Wessel of 1966, today there would be a visitor summoned by Joseph. She woke up early, trying to wake up early despite sleeping less and less over the last weeks, stressed over the idea that at any moment the war would come here to her home. Klara would ready herself and when she walked out of her room, he was already there, on the solar with that visitor. It was Otto Ernst Remer, the head of the Combined Armed forces, who was discussing something with Goebbels with a few papers scattered on the table, the wind blowing one of them away much to the annoyance of both men, and it was in this moment of annoyance that she came in, wearing a white dress and dressing her hair in a way she knew Goebbels liked, just so he would not scold her before the guest. "Ah, here is my Edelweiss", Goebbels said with that false polite compliment that she used to fall for, calling her "The flower of the alps", she was born in the Alps, she had an entire Estate in the alps under her name, not like it mattered much with Goebbels never ever letting her leave the island since December, oh wait, Eckart, she almost made the mistake of thinking of the old name for that month.
"Guten tag, my husband, Herr Remer", she said in the whole polite and womanly tone that she was taught to give in these moments, there was an awkward moment of silence as she stood there and Goebbels just went back to talking to Remer, that is until he reminded himself that she was still in there and just snapped his fingers and pointed to an empty chair, calling her up as if she was a dog. Whatever that was, it was something important, he used to call her when something important was brought up to him, and other times he just tossed over the papers for her to explain to him later before he approved or not. But this time she could tell what that was just from viewing, it was a Killed-in-Action notice with the name of Joachim Peiper, as well as a map of Israel with the current borders. "Peiper was a fool, he made his headquarters too exposed and now we are meant to pay for his foolishness. His name shall be wiped for this incompetence, we cannot have such fools in the halls of the Wehrmacht." He just callously said, neither Klara nor Remer voiced any objection, just weeks ago he had been right here and now they are just meant to act like his name did not exist, she used to feel pity for the families, but it has been such a common thing that she was just hollow, if she poured even a drop of her heart for each time Joseph said these words, she would have nothing left.
"Remer, I want the forces ready to be marching on London in 72 hours, order the Kriegsmarine to dispatch the first group of U-Boats to New York, Boston, Washington, Norfolk, Miami and Philadephia, do not fire until the Americans confirm the declaration, we shall give them a chance to stand down or they will perish with the Anglo-Saxons and Hebrews." She froze when she heard that phrase, looking down at the table, she did not blink and felt like she was having a heart attack. This was it, this really was happening, she thought it was just talk but it was happening, then when she looked at Remer's face... she saw nothing, no hesitation, no sense of disobedience or attempt to preserve himself, only betrayal, betrayal of their fatherland for sake of a madman about to bring it all down. "...don't you think so, Klara?", Goebbels' words were drowned out in her mind and she just heard the end of his monologue, turning her head slowly and feeling her head shaking. All while Goebbels just calmly ate his pieces of toasted bread and butter, all while he drank his tea, he was talking about the end of the world. Her hatred, for so long buried, surfaced like boiling water, and her steel blue eyes stared at him in fury, but she stayed quiet.
Joseph looked at her, he then gave a snarking smirk, as if he was mocking her anger even here and now, as if he was putting her down like a child here and now, she was a child, she used to be a child until that maniac took everything away from her, until that leecherous, rotten, goblin bastard took away her mother, took away her life, just to keep him around so he would feel like less of a rotten jewish bastard like he was. "She really has her father's eyes, don't you think?" Goebbels looked at Remer and proudly said so, and then, when he was reaching out to pat her cheek like he always did, she could not contain herself and her hatred exploded like a volcano. There were utensils on the table, that was meant to be their breakfast, but the only thing she wanted to carve was that madman's throat. She had no idea she could be so fast, but she grabbed the knife and plunged it right on his throat, the crippled old man croaked and looked with nothing but shock, shock that she would dare to strike him like that, that the girl she had groomed and prepared for years to be the perfect trophy wife would be the one to bring his death. His look of shock stayed in her mind forever, the rest was a blur in her mind, but by the time she stopped, she was on top of him, he was on the ground with so much blood pouring out of this throat and mouth that he died almost in an instant from the shock alone.
Her white dress was stained with the blood of Joseph Goebbels, she was now a widow at the young age of 18, all she could do was stop, she stopped with her hands soaked in blood and shaking out in fury. Nobody had stopped her, even Remer, a trained military man, was looking at her with surprise. All she could do was cry, not because she killed a man, but because she killed him too quickly, he was meant to have suffered more, he was meant to have suffered more, he was meant to have suffered more...
"AHHHHH!"
She let out a cry out of sheer fury to get that out of her system, his blood still on her face, on her hands, on her dress, on her very soul. She was there on her knees by the side of the most powerful man in the world, crying her heart out and feeling like this moment was too quick, that she was not able to end it properly, that if she could bring him back to kill him again, she would have done again and again. Klara Hitler, the only child of the first Führer, had just killed his supposed "successor", his "apostle". On the 6th year, of the 6th month, of the 6th day since his rise to power, she had ended it all just before he could finish trapping her in that nightmare. What was meant to happen now? She could never undo what he did, she could never break free of him in her thoughts, she felt like he was still there, about to open his eyes and twist her wrist while looking with those hateful eyes. In her rush, she looked at the weapon he had holstered on himself, it felt tempting to just end it all there, this miserable life manipulated all along by that bastard, and now that she was free she did not feel free, she felt like she was robbed of something which could never be given back.
Then, before she took the weapon, a hand held her shoulder, she looked up to see Remer standing, looking down at Goebbels and the mess that his body turned into. He extended his hand down and Klara, shaking, handed over the knife to him in an unspoken agreement. "The Führer is dead, Frau Hitler, he is dead", he said, as if those words just finished the whole affair in her mind. She stood up, using the table as a support for herself, looking down at her blood-soaked hand, it still felt hot. "And what now?", she said after what felt like an eternity, like if after this her mind had gone blank and she needed some sort of help to bring her down to earth again. Remer would get down, close Joseph's eyes, and then stood up, offering Klara a handkerchief, which she took, cleaning up her face from the sweat, from the tears, from the blood of that disgusting man, then Remer spoke again, as if he had awaited years to say this.
"Heil Speer."
