A Cool Autumn Day

A Cool Autumn Day

It was a cool autumn day as I got off the bus and walked down the dirt trail to the gatehouse. I stood there for a minute before entering through the iron gates, the words worked engraved into them stating “Work Brings Freedom.” I was sure that those who had designed the door chuckled as they placed these words on it.

As I entered into the vast open field, I could see foreboding buildings to my right and rows of buildings to my left. First, I walked to the buildings to my right. The first one was a large room with tables in the middle and windows on only one side, and it was cold in this room. I could feel the fear that the first people who sat in this room must have felt. Next, I walked into an even larger room; it was full of showerheads that were sizeable and circular. I thought of the poor people who walked into this room never to leave again. Then I entered into a courtyard and back to the open area. This area was once filled with people finally learning of their fate, where small children were torn from their mothers’ arms never to be held by them again.

I walked to the area that lay to my left; there were only two buildings there now; however, I could see the remains of the other 32. These were the barracks where the prisoners slept. Beds were built three high with more then one person per bed. It was a long walk down the road past the barracks to the many Religious Memorials that stand there today. As I walked, I thought of the people who lived and worked here. The memorials stand not far from a grave, which is no ordinary grave. Then I turned left off to see the last remaining building there, it was a long red brick building with smokestacks protruding out of the roof. It was a foreboding and eerie structure. I entered in and saw the row of iron ovens. They were evenly spaced all the way down the hallway with black soot covering the brick above the door. The doors were all open and I peered into one of...