Auschwitz-Birkenau summer 1943. The air always stank like smoke and metal, it was gross. Zane Steckler, Prisoner 147892,he wa 22 from California but got stuck here after France stuff. The guys in the quarry started calling him Sematary cuz he would tell creepy stories at night about graves and ghosts and chainsaws to stop everyone from freaking out totally. It worked kinda.
Wren Kosinski 152304 he was super pale and quiet eyes like foggy mountains or something. They called him Ghost Mountain cuz he moved around the sorting sheds like a ghost fingering old photos and baby shoes like he felt bad for the people who owned them. He didn't talk much just hummed little songs nobody else heard.
They didn't talk for like weeks. Then Zane's work group got sent to Birkenau to build more barracks and stuff. One day during break he caught Wren staring at him across the mud. Not mad staring just… staring. Like he knew him or something.
That night after roll call that took forever in the rain Zane ended up in the same barrack. Super crowded bunks stacked like crap. He dropped on the bottom one next to Wren. Their arms touched when they tried laying down.
"You draw stuff in the dirt huh" Zane whispered so the kapo wouldn't hear.
Wren turned. "And you talk about graves like its chill."
Zane laughed quiet. "Yeah they call me Sematary."
"Ghost Mountain" Wren said soft like it was a secret.
They didn't say much else that night but the next ones they did. Whispering dumb stuff. Zane talking about getting high in the woods back home watching scary movies. Wren was talking about mountains he never saw and climbing them when the gas stuff started. It wasn't smart talk just something to not go crazy.
Then one night big storm thunder super loud guards stayed inside. Zane snuck out heart pounding found Wren already in this old storage hut roof leaking mud everywhere. They stood there wet and awkward.
"You good?" Zane asked.
Wren shrugged. "Freezing my ass off."
Zane stepped closer their wet clothes sticking. "Come here dude."
First kiss was messy teeth hit noses bumped but then it got good. Zane kissing Wren's neck tasting rain and sweat. Wren grabbing Zane's shoulders hard like don't disappear.
"Shit you feel real" Zane said breathing hard.
Wren laughed shaky. "You too."
They didn't wait. Clothes off fast rags on the floor. Zane's hands rough from rocks scratching Wren's skin. Wren made this noise when Zane's hand went lower.
"Tell me if it's too much" Zane said.
"Just do it" Wren said voice cracking.
Zane pushed him against the wall careful not to slam. Bodies fit weird at first all bones and cold but then heat happened fast. Zane rocking against him slow then harder Wren legs around his waist. Moans got lost in the thunder. Wren scratching Zane's back Zane biting his shoulder to stay quiet. It was over quick both shaking holding on like if they let go it's over.
After they sat in mud backs on crates breathing heavy.
"That was dumb" Zane said but smiling.
"Yeah" Wren head on Zane's shoulder. "Worth it tho."
They kept doing it sneaky. Latrines at night quick hands foreheads together. Night shifts in empty train cars bodies grinding while dead people outside. Once Wren got typhus fever bad Zane snuck soup held him all night. "Don't die on me idiot" Zane whispered. Wren just held his hand. "Not yet."
Winter sucked snow everywhere roll calls forever guys freezing standing. Zane and Wren shared blankets bodies smashed in bunk. One blizzard night stuck on night work found empty freight car. Shut the door wind howling.
"Cold as fuck" Wren teeth chattering.
Zane pulled him in. "Got you."
Started with warming up arms around each other breaths mixing. Then kissing deeper. Zane mouth going down Wren's chest tongue on skin. Wren hands in Zane's hair pushing lower. "Fuck yeah like that." Zane took him slow careful. Wren hips moving cursing in polish quiet gasps. When Wren finished shaking Zane laughed soft. Then Wren did him back mouth hot and messy. Zane groaning trying not loud hips twitching. They ended up tangled sweaty even tho freezing laughing like wtf are we doing.
Spring more trains more screams. They saw bad stuff kids taken old people beat. Made them hold tighter. "We getting out" Zane said one night. "Then we haunt everything together."
Wren smiled tiny. "Mountains first then your woods."
Almost caught once guard flashlight in hut. Zane pushed Wren behind stuff took the whipping. 25 lashes. Wren cleaned cuts later fingers soft. "You're stupid" he said.
"Worth it" Zane said same as always.
January 1945 death march snow to knees people dropping. Zane half carried Wren when feet gave out.
Months later they were both inevitably sent to the gas chambers where they were both killed with cyanide gas lol.