96 Avenue Victor Hugo,

Paris, France

Matteo

   It was past midnight.

I was worried.

"Don't call les Gendarmes. Pack your things and run to Monsieur Louis' bakery."

I bit my lip in frustration, staring at the door.

The night was draped in an eerie silence, the only sound being the soft rustle of leaves stirred by the evening breeze. The dim light of a single streetlamp cast elongated shadows on the cobbled street. Time seemed to stretch as I stood by, an uneasy tension twisting in my gut.

A sharp rap on the door sliced through the silence, sending a jolt of apprehension through me. I turned, my heart pounding, to face the door. The voice that followed was fluent in French but tainted with a heavy German accent, a chilling combination that sent a shiver down my spine.

"Schnell, open the place up. We cannot wait all night!" The urgency in the voice was unmistakable, a warning of the imminent danger that loomed.

My breath caught in my throat as my mind raced.

SS dogs.

My heart pounded as I realised the gravity of the situation. Fear clenched my chest, and my hands trembled in response.

"This just made things worse," I murmured to myself, my frustration and fear bubbling to the surface.

The banging on the door grew louder, more insistent, each thud echoing like a drumbeat of dread. The ominous growls of the dog reverberated through the wood, amplifying the sense of danger that hung in the air.

As the door's latch succumbed to the pressure, the room was flooded with the presence of the soldiers and the Gendarme. The German Shepherd that accompanied them was a menacing silhouette, its snarling teeth a stark contrast to the darkness around it. All eyes turned to me, and the weight of their scrutiny bore down on me like a heavy weight.

A shout from one of the soldiers jolted me into action, and I my heel, my heart racing. Panic gripped me as I bolted up the stairs, my footsteps echoing like thunder in the quiet night. The adrenaline coursing through my veins lent strength to my legs, propelling me forward as the soldiers and the Gendarme gave chase.

My breath came in ragged gasps as I burst into the library, my heart pounding in my ears. Desperation clawed at my chest as I assessed my surroundings.

The window.

With a swift motion, I threw the window open, and a rush of cool air flooded the room, carrying with it the scent of the night. The distant sound of the German Shepherd's barks urged me on.

A deep breath, a moment of hesitation, and then I propelled myself onto the windowsill, teetering on the precipice between safety and danger. The world outside seemed both distant and tantalisingly close, the ground beckoning with both promise and peril.

"It's only a few meters," I muttered to myself, trying to muster the courage to make the leap. 

In an instant, I pushed myself forward, surrendering to gravity's pull. The world blurred as I tumbled