[Discontinued] Hiding her Beauty ch.2

The soft amber light was slowly fading away as the sun continued to fall below the horizon. The delicate white curtains were swaying gently, illuminated by the light of the setting sun. Inside the quaint house were beige colored walls, framing the wide main room. As the sun fled the sky the temperature began to slowly drop in its recession. Inside the house the kitchen cupboards were less than overflowing with food. On one of the counters sat a rack to where three ration books had been tucked in the midst of several other letters and miscellaneous papers.   
Just inside the main room of the small house sat a young women, her brunette hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders. Her amber eyes studied the project in her hand as she worked. The woman had petite hands and a matching frame, her smooth olive skin was practically glowing in the Italian light. From the depths of her curly hair one specific curl sprang up from the rest, sprouting off the side of her head oddly. In her hands was a garment of soft clothing. The dress was a dark material and the woman had recently sewed it herself as she was in need of a new dress, the other one had too many holes she could no longer continue patching.
She worked diligently to push the slim needle through the thick cloth of yellow and into the black dress. The seams were flimsy but she didn't mind, she wasn't really trying for perfection, she simply needed the cloth to stay attached to her dress. She continued to sew, rounding the peak of the third point of the star.
"Feliciana!" A voice snapped at her, making her jump and tear her gaze from her work. Before the young women was her sister, with short dark hair and a curl; similar to her own; jutting out from her wavy hair.  "What do you think you're doing!?" She growled at her, adjusting the strap on a bag she had slung across her.
Actually, bags were all around her. Two different suitcases were at her feet, stacked with a few other carpet bags. All seemed to be close to overflowing as she picked them up and stomped down the staircase. "Huh? Oh, well I was just making sure I had my s-,"
"Course you are! You're always bowing down to what those stupid potatoes say!" The darker haired woman snarled at her as she tossed her things beside the door and began to pull on her knee high boots. "I'm sick of it, Feli! Sick of it!" She cried.
At the couch Feliciana moved the dress off of her and rose to her feet, "W-what do you mean, sorella?" She asked, slightly worried.
As of lately Feli and her older sibling had had several different quarrels. All varying in length and heat, but all over the same matter. "I mean, I'm leaving already!!" Lovina yelled, and grabbed her coat from the coat rack.
The current events of Italy were ones that seemed rather grim. The Nazi forces had begun to press into the allied nation and were beginning occupation in several different cities, deporting Jews to death camps. The only city that actually seemed relatively safe from the genocide was Vatican City; as it had proclaimed itself neutral at the start of the war. To Lovina, all the events wouldn't have seemed to be such a problem. But then she realized that she and her family were marked as Jewish. To be truthful, it was correct; at one point. Feliciana, Lovina, and their grandfather and caretaker-although it sometimes seemed it were the other way around- were all recent converted to Christianity. The change happened almost a year ago, unfortunately during war time. The Nazi forces didn't recognize the change and still enforced them to wear the yellow stars and were still mocked and discriminated against.
"Huh!?" Feli stared, half heartbroken and half shocked to hear all of this from her sister.
"Antonio is coming to pick me up, he should be here soon." Lovina growled, watching the window intently, "I'm going with him to Spain." She explained, not making eye contact.
The younger Italian padded across the room, "L-Lovi! W-why would you leave though? W-what about N-Nonno and I?" She pleaded with her as she pushed the amber bangs from her eyes.
Lovina glared with a cold, unforgiving gaze, before looking back at the window. Her younger sister glanced down at her sister, complete with her dress much like the one Feliciana was wearing. Although her sister's dress was a gray and had short flowing sleeves, the seams were a bit sloppier as well; Lovina was never as good at sewing as her sister. Feliciana gasped a bit, "Ve….! Sorella, you're going outside, w-where is your star?" her amber eyes searched along her dress, seeking the missing piece of cloth.
"Ugh!" Lovina's nose wrinkled at her sister's words, "I told you! I'm leaving! They can't control me in America!" She snarled, making Feli shrink back. "I'm done being here; I'm done dealing with you!!" The dark haired woman shouted just as T=the sound of a car horn made Feliciana jump and rush to look out the window and to her horror, see Antonio's car idling out front.
"Feliciana." Lovina took a deep breath, seeming to struggle to not yell again, "I've told you over and over I would leave with or without you. It's been a month and those Nazi idiots aren't stopping. We're still being called Jewish; they're coming for us, Feliciana." She told her, her eyes insistent.
The car honked again, "But Italy will always be safe for us!" she replied, "It's our home and nothing can hurt us here. No one can hurt us if we just stay together." a smile lit up her features, her eyes glistening with hope as she stared up at her.
Her sister's face remained cold and unwelcoming as her eyes narrowed and fury began to burn in her heart. "That's just it Feli!! You really don't get it!?" The woman picked up her bags and threw open the door, "They're coming, sorella. Fast. They're already in Italy!!" She shouted at her, "I'm going where it's safe! If you come to senses then come to Madrid and take a plane to New York in America. Otherwise, have fun dying!!" She spat and slammed the door, leaving her sister behind.


Feliciana stood at the stove, stirring the pot of low quality noodles in the boiling water. The scent was far from the lovely aroma she used to produce with her gourmet cooking skills. She could make the best pasta in all of Italy; at least that's what her grandfather liked to say.
Manned with her wooden spoon she stirred the dish again, grimacing at the smell that wafted off of it. Due to the occupation, the ingredients she used to have been no longer available to her or her grandfather. She gave a small, unhappy glance over to the ration books in the rack with all the many other papers; although she quickly looked back to the pot, mentally apologizing to the books. After all, without them they wouldn't even have the low quality food they had now.
After a few more minutes of languid stirring, she dished out the food onto two of the floral painted plates and turned off the stove. The woman wiped her hands on the apron she wore, and then reached back to pull the bow that kept the apron on her skinny form. She folded the white material and set it on the countertop, then turned to the plates.
With the plates in hand she went to her grandfather at the dining room table. The table was small but appeared so very empty and desolate without Lovina and Antonio there to occupy the two seats across from Feliciana's seat. Grandfather was sitting at the head of the table as usual and the small woman set his plate in front of him.
Her grandfather was a burly man, with short whiskers and matching brown hair like an overly curly mop on his head. His broad shoulders were covered by an un-tucked dress shirt and a loose tie. His pants were clean though, with a shiny leather belt round his waist. The man had the same bright, amber eyes as Feliciana did, although framed by his hair the same shade as Lovina's.
Feli set the plate down in front of her grandfather and stepped over to her normal place at the right hand corner.
Beside her the seat was empty, a spot everyone else had deemed was set aside for the lover she would one day find. Of course, she had never had any long term boyfriends, just small displays of affection with various guys. Lately she had deemed the topic of boyfriends and lovers a thing of low importance. To her, the greatest thing was her sister and grandfather; it was their affection she fed off of.
The dark cover of evening had blanketed the scenery outside their house, the lamp posts outside making golden beams bounce across the surface of the canals. The rich color of the streets was darkened by the lack of natural light, and left the streets looking cold and desolate with only the few soldiers walking along every once in a while. The sickly green of their uniforms made Feli cringe at the horrible shade of color.
"Feliciana," Her grandfather's gentle voice drew her out of her thoughts. "I think I should talk to you about something." The small woman turned to him and watched him with wide, curious eyes.
"Ve~? What is it, Nonno?" Feliciana chimed, her voice tainted with slight worry.
He sighed and took her hand, wrapping it in his own. "Feliciana …You're sister called a bit ago and said she was in nearly to the border. She and Antonio will be in Madrid in about three days. And I only say this because I love you, la mia babina," The young woman tensed, growing worried as to why he was getting so serious. Even in times where her neighbors seemed so grim, leaving only her to be a bright, cheerful candle in the darkness; her grandfather was always optimistic, however acutely of his surroundings and the danger homing in on them.  "I need you to catch up with your sister and escape to America."
Feliciana's lips fell into a confused frown before her eyebrows knit together and she pulled back. "W-what?" She studied him for a moment, still in shock before pulling her hands away and stepping back slightly unsure. "N-nonno…."
The brown haired man sighed and stood up, he reached out to cup her cheek, "Alic-," but she jerked away again, frowning at the ground, slightly angry.
"N-No…I-I won't…" She said quietly, the woman was unsure of how to act. Feliciana was not one to get easily angered, normally she would stay upbeat. But she was growing weary of the constant prodding at her to move from her home.
Feliciana was aware that bad things were happening, but that was away from her home. Her home was safe, Italy was safe. No one from her family was captured; no bombs had ravaged their home yet, and she was most certainly not going to leave.
Her grandfather sighed sadly and sat back down, "Feliciana…"
The woman let her face fall into her hands, "I-I'm sorry…but I-I just…I can't…" She mumbled into her palms as she quivered a bit, some tears beginning to sting her eyes. A moment stretched out before she forced herself to breathe and pulled her face from her hands. "I-I'm sorry, Nonno…"
"No." The man smiled back up at her gently, "I would never make you do something you don't want, Feliciana…Please don't cry. But promise me…" He took her hand from her face and held it between his rough hands. "If they do come to get us," His eyes trailed to the yellow star on her dress, the corners of the cloth were curled and dirty from wear. "You'll leave, right?"
Feliciana watched him for a moment. His eyes were swirling with worry, mixed with affection. She blinked, realizing his concern. All he wanted was for her well-being, even if it meant uprooting her life. Either way everything was about to change, he knew it for a fact. The whole pace of their life, of the world was beginning to evolve. The great metamorphosis was affecting everyone; the world was suddenly paralyzed with fear at the enemy slowly rising to power.
Despite all the revolution he would tolerate the only thing he wouldn't be able to stand, was for his beautiful granddaughter to be dragged away to a death camp for such a ridiculous reason as religion. Especially since she wasn't even Jewish, even so, they wouldn't listen. To them it didn't matter if she was young or old. She was just another person labeled by a belief they grew up with.
Her grandfather knew he wouldn't be able to live if he knew they were keeping her locked in some grimy cell in the pit of Germany, or anywhere else. If her smile were to vanish, if the light in her eyes were to be put out; if Feli were to be broken…It would be like the last candle in the dark cavern of the war being blown out. The last light of hope, her flame burning brilliantly with her beauty and life. If that were to disappear…the cave would be left in darkness, not a single ray of light touching the candles surrounding her would be warmed. The cave would be an endless place of hopeless night; only at the end of the war would a piece of light ever touch them again.
"I promise. If they come to get us, I will escape."