Monique lives in Choisy-le Roi, Paris. Her village and most
of Paris was taken over by Nazi troops. She awakens in the middle of the night
to see a ghostly figure. It is a girl about her age. She runs off. Next
morning: Monique tells her mother about the ghost child and her mother seems
angry saying it was only a dream. At school Monique tells her best friend
Densie about the ghost. Monique and Densie walked into Monsieur Mark’s candy
shop. They noticed how the jars used to be filled with beautifully wrapped
candy but there was nothing left. Monsieur Mark pulled out two pieces of candy
from his apron and gave them to the little girls. When they left they saw the
tall boots of the Nazi’s coming toward them. The girls heard the sound of glass
shattering. They turned around and saw Monsieur Marks getting dragged from his
store. He was kicked hard in the ribs and thrown into a car. The girls were sobbing by the time they
reached Monique’s mothers, Marcelle’s, house. She made them tea. Pere
Voulliard, their priest from St. Germain des Pres, came into the house and had
a private conversation with Marcelle. Many nights had passed since Monique saw
the ghost child. Late one night she appeared again and was sitting on the
window sill holding Monique’s cat, Pinouff. Monique stopped the girl from
running out and she told Monique her name was Servine. Monique asked where she
lived and Servine confessed to living in Monique’s house. Servine showed
Monique the secret door in the day room which led to a secret part to a cellar
where Servine and her family were staying. Monique could not believe her mother
had been helping people all this time without telling her. Servine said her
mother never told her to protect her. The next morning Monique’s mother sent
her out to her garden to cut some flowers for the table. Pinouff, her cat
trailing behind her she sat and snipped at flowers. She noticed a beautiful
papillon butterfly fluttering by. Her and Pinouff enjoyed this sight. Just then
three Nazi soldiers were glaring at her. One reached over the wall and took the
butterfly in his leather-covered fist. He grinned and then clenched his fist.
The other soldiers laughed. Monique ran
inside shrieking. She asked her mother if the Nazi’s did to Monsieur Mark’s as
they did to the butterfly. Her mother did not answer. Monique knew she had to
keep the secret and protect her new friend. Servine would visit Monique as much
as she could. They would play games at night and Monique would bring her things
from the outside world. One night she brought her soil, a flower, and a
Papillon butterfly. Servine is very sad and wants to return home. Her father is
sick from breathing damp air. The girls release the butterfly so it is free.
The girls looked up and saw Monsieur Lendormy, man next dorr, look right back
at them. They ducked in cover and awoke Monique’s mother and told her
everything. Marcelle decided that Servine and her family must leave that night.
Leave and travel out of the country. They buried everything in the cellar so it
wouldn’t look like anyone had lived there and disguised themselves. Servine’s
parents would travel with Pere Voulliard and Servine with Monique and Marcelle.
The traveled all night and reached the countryside at dawn. The three hid in a
ditch when a patrolling Nazi car was driving by. A car slowly stopped near them
and flickered its lights three times. Marcelle announced that it was time and
Monique pulled Pinouff from her sweater and given her to Servine. Servine gave
Monique her gold chain with the star of David on it. When they arrived at the
train which would take them back to Choisy-le Roi it was unnaturally crowded
and there were Nazi soldiers everywhere. The crowd got so violent that Monique
had lost her mother in it and had lost her footing as well. When she did fall,
Servine’s necklace slid out of her hand onto the platform floor. Monique boarded the train by herself and
searched for her mother who was nowhere to be seen. Monique finally made it
home and was so exhausted she collapsed in her bed. Her mother had arrived and
they held onto each other. A couple of weeks passed and Monique tried to think
good thoughts for Servine. In the garden one day, an amazing thing happened,
butterflies appeared everywhere. There were over 30 of them and Monique knew it
was a sign from Servine. She knew she was okay.
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