HELL WAS EMPTY

The weather had turned into a light mist.  The air was at a standstill, not a whiff of atmosphere was moving. The trees didn't show any shadow, and I had to rely on my instinct for direction.  However, the visibility was still pretty good.  I rushed uphill, reaching the top of a little wooded knob.  Most of the trees were either beech or oaks.  I lowered myself to the ground and viewed the surroundings.  At that moment, I had a most stirring experience.  An inner voice commanded me to kneel down and pray.  I still remembered the Lord's Prayer, which I whispered among the trees.  Afterwards, an enormous feeling of strength and confidence took possession of me.  I was completely calm, and my senses were at their fullest capacity.

I positioned myself behind a tree while lying on my stomach.  I viewed the direction of my escape route.  About three hundred feet across and ahead was a meadow.  On its far end stood a mature forest of mixed pine and beech trees.  In the middle of the meadow was one of these duck blinds serving as a guard post.  I could clearly see it was unattended.  I must have spent at least ten to fifteen minutes in this position, when I noticed across in the trees a guard, camouflaged in a green uniform.  He walked slowly behind the tree line, with his rifle shouldered.  Eventually, he walked far to the left and out of my sight.  I took this moment to run as fast as I could across the meadow into the forest.

Carefully I penetrated the wooded area.  Mature beech and tall pine trees surrounded me.  Moist, dead leaves covered the ground and I moved cautiously, step by step into the forest, using the thick trees as a protective shield.  Eventually, I reached a steep ravine falling off one hundred fifty feet down to a small watery trench. In order to maintain my sense of direction, I decided to negotiate this obstruction.  But first, carefully I scanned the area.  Now I started to slide down to the bottom, jump over the ditch and then climb up over the continuing steep slope.  Once in a while, my wing tipped city shoes slipped over the wet and slimy clay soil.  After I had reached the top, I heard the distinct warning call of the large European Blue Jay.  This craw like forest alarm sounded somewhat ahead and to the left of me.  Now I knew someone had to be in that area and I moved away, further to the right. 

I continued my way up another slope, tiptoeing, avoiding any noise.  After I reached the top, to my great surprise I saw five roe deer, grazing peacefully on the forest ground.  They slowly lifted their heads and with their big black eyes, looked at me.  They weren't more than forty feet away.  I was elated, because I knew these lovely creatures were seeking a spot away from humans.  They slowly turned around and trotted into a nursery section, consisting of about ten-foot tall spruce trees.  They acted like they knew that I was also one of theirs, namely a hunted creature.  I rapidly followed the deer into the spruce trees.  Slowly and silently, I worked myself through the branches.  Suddenly, I heard the very distinct sound of footsteps, "Plunk, plunk, plunk!"

"Who could this be?"  Then I realized the source of these sounds.  It was my own heart, making these pounding noises through my open mouth.

Soon, I reached the end of this section.  Before stepping into the adjoining tall forest, I decided to observe the area ahead.  Carefully I positioned myself again on my stomach.  Now lying right at the edge of the spruce cover I could see the end of the forest, maybe two hundred yards ahead.  Ferns densely covered the ground immediately ahead of me.

It happened so fast.  Suddenly I saw the tail of a shepherd dog moving rapidly from the right, passing my eyes and disappearing to the left of me.  At his closest distance, he was not more than fifteen yards away.  The dog was completely shielded by the ferns and only his raised tail could be seen wagging in the air.  That was a terribly close call.  Just as sudden as he came, he disappeared again into the deep forest.

My chance to move was urgent.  Carefully, I advanced into the tall trees until I reached the end of the area.  There they were again, my friends the roe deer.  What a wonderful omen!

At the forest's edge stood a number of three-foot high wooden posts.  They were painted in stripes of white and red - the colors of Switzerland!  Elated I walked proudly into freedom.  On a slope ahead of me was a vinyard.