Author's Note:  I just thought of this one night so don't judge me on it.
I am a big Holocaust buff and I always wanted to include a good storyline
in Lois and Clark about it but never could figure out how until now.  I
hope you like it.  Keep in mind that the situations the characters are
involved actually happened to people who are Holocaust survivors.  I
changed their experiences a little but can't take the credit for their
originality.  Dachau (Dak-ow) is actually the name of a concentration camp
in Dachau, Germany.  I also got the ending sentence of Lois' article from a
pamphlet about the National Holocaust Museum in Washington, D. C., so I
can't take credit for that either.  Also in this story, Lois and Clark have
only been dating a few months, but she knows *the secret.*  Suggestions and
comments are appreciated, but be gentle.  *'s indicate thoughts.  Italics
indicate emphasis.

A Race Almost Lost
Corrie Hurst <hurstce@student.montevallo.edu>
Rated: PG
Submitted November 1, 1997

	Lois pulled her car in a parking spot in front of the Daily Planet
and pushed the gear shift into park.  She grabbed her purse from where it
lay on the passenger seat and got out of the car.  Her door shut with a
bang as she began walking to the lobby of the Planet, ready to start a
typical day at work.  In the lobby, Lois noticed Clark standing at the
concession counter waiting on her and strolled over to him.  He smiled that
grin that only seemed to be reserved for her and she gladly smiled back at
him.  He always had a way about him that could turn her mood around no
matter how bad she felt.
	Even though they had only been dating a few months, Lois had begun
to notice that the good times had gotten better and the bad times had
seemed infinitely more manageable.  She guessed since they seemed to share
everything, including emotional circumstances, things had gotten much
easier to handle from both of their points of view.  Loving Clark had been
the greatest thing that had ever happened to Lois and she knew that she
would never and could never pass that up.
	As she reached Clark's side, he handed her a cup of steaming hot
coffee.  She gladly took it and took a long, satisfying gulp.  He smiled
down at her as he pushed her towards the elevator.  As they rode the
elevator up to the City Room, Lois looked at Clark over her shoulder.  He
looked so handsome in that suit and Lois had to bite her lip to keep from
smiling.  If she knew anything, she knew that Clark would have inquired
about her action and then proceeded to accuse her of flirting and teasing
him.  The thought of this did cause her to smile a little.
	Despite the fact that Clark did tease her, she loved him for it.
It seemed she loved everything about Clark Kent, even having to share him
with the world.  Some people wouldn't have put up with it, Lois knew, but
she understood that what Clark did stood for something greater than just
being a superhero.  It meant being a comforter, giving hope, and being a
protector to the entire world.  It was a tremendous responsibility, but
Clark handled it so well.  And even though he had offered to give up the
suit for her, she wouldn't hear of it.  If he tried to stop being Superman
for her sake, she couldn't live with herself.  She knew he loved every
minute of it, even through the situations that proved to be the worst.
	Lois' thoughts were brought back to the present by the elevator
doors opening.  She and Clark stepped out and each approached his own desk.
Lois put her things down and headed towards Perry's office to find out her
and Clark's assignment for the day.
	"Morning, Chief,"  Lois said.
	"Good morning, Lois. . .Clark.  How are y'all this morning?"  Perry
asked.
	"Pretty good."
	"Fine,"  Clark stated.
	"Well, what have you got for us this morning?"  Lois questioned.

	"Uh. . .Well, it's not the usual by any means,"  Perry started.
	"What is it then?"
	"Well. . .Since the fiftieth anniversary of the Holocaust is coming
up, Mr. Stern wanted a story on it.  I know it's not your usual, but he is
the boss and I have to do what he asks.  And I know if anyone can do it,
you two can.  What do you say?"
	"I say. . ."  Lois began, her good mood on the verge of non-existence.
	"We'll do it, Chief,"  Clark said, giving Lois a stern look.
	She stared him down with equal force letting him know not to start
with her.  Lois didn't like doing petty stories that just retold someone
else's finds and facts.  It wasn't exciting and she felt it dulled her
senses as a reporter.  What else was there to find in a story that had been
uncovered fifty years before?  Lois didn't like this assignment and she was
determined to get out of it in any way she could.  Lois scowled at the
thoughts of having to write the story and then suddenly realized a
solution.
	*Maybe I just can get Clark to write this up while I interview some
sources for our latest story.*
	With that, Lois' expression softened as Clark steered her out of
Perry's office and  towards her desk.  He sat down next to her and they
began to discuss an angle to go with on the story.
	"So do you think that we should contact a survivor and get an
interview. . ."  Clark began.
	"Or?"  Lois spoke, her aggravation with the assignment coming back
full force.
	Clark began slowly.
	"Or we could go through the Holocaust Museum downtown and relate
our experiences there with that of people from the Holocaust."
	"Or we could just dig up a bunch of facts and write our story from
that,"  Lois said flatly.
	"We don't need a story that just regurgitates everything that is
already known about the Holocaust, Lois, I think we need to try a different
angle--one that is a little more personal,"  said Clark.
	"Fine.  Do what you want to do, Clark.  I'm going to start calling
the sources on our list for that embezzlement story."
	"Lois, I'm not doing this story on my own.  Perry assigned us both
to it and I expect for you to have a part in it."
	"Well, I don't want to be a part of something that happened fifty
years ago, Clark.  It doesn't make any sense to relive something that
horrible and devastating,"  Lois said as she got up from her chair.
	"I think you missed the point of the assignment, Lois."
	"Oh really?" she began with a laugh.  "Well, please fill me in on
it, Clark."
	Clark just sat there looking at her.  He knew he couldn't talk any
sense into her when she was like this.
	"That's what I thought,"  she said as she backed away from her desk
and walked to the elevators.
	"Where are you going?"  Clark inquired, curious as to where she was
heading off to this time.
	"I am going to meet with some sources, okay.  I'll call them from
the cell phone."
	Clark just sat back and watched her leave.  He knew there was
nothing to be done about her mood and that Lois was going to do what she
wanted.  With that, Clark got up, headed over to his desk, and began to
explore his computer for articles on the Holocaust.
	As the elevator doors closed, Lois sighed.  She didn't understand
how Clark could even agree to do such an assignment.  What was the point?
Every article she had ever read on the Holocaust had basically been about
the same thing--death.  It's not that the subject of death bothered her but
the fact that she had to waste valuable time on a story that meant nothing
to her.  The doors opened and Lois stepped out and walked towards the
revolving door.  As she exited the building, she pulled out her phone and
called the first source on her list.  When the busy signal came across the
line, Lois hung up in frustration.
	*Is everything going to go wrong today?*  she thought angrily.
	Lois climbed into her jeep and closed the door.
	"Maybe a drive will calm me down,"  she said as she cranked up the
car.
	Lois pulled into traffic and drove towards downtown.  She knew a
nice little coffee shop that served great doughnuts and coffee and decided
to stop there.
	*I'll just have a little break and then get back to work.*
	When the coffee shop was in sight, Lois noticed that many of the
parking spots were taken and that she'd have to find one along another
street.  She quickly pulled into a parallel parking spot about two blocks
away from the coffee shop and parked the car.  Lois began walking toward
the shop and thinking about how she had acted at the Planet.  She knew that
she had acted harshly towards her assignment, but it didn't seem fair for
her to have to do that story, even if she and Clark were partners.  Didn't
Perry know what kind of reporter she was?  She certainly didn't print other
people's news, unless of course she had scooped them.
	*That is always fun and very gratifying.*  Lois thought.  *But what
have I got to scoop anyone on about the Holocaust?*
	About that time, Lois heard a scream.  She looked up to see a thief
grab a woman's purse and run in her direction.  He weaved in and out of the
crowd in attempts to get away from the ballistic woman.  As he ran, he
looked over his shoulder but didn't pay attention to where he was running.
Lois saw him coming right at her and stood frozen, waiting for the impact.
The young man turned around just in time to see Lois in front of him but
was unable to stop himself.  His shoulder cut into her chin and her head
flew back as she crumpled to the concrete with a loud thud.  The world
seemed to be spinning out of control as Lois looked up into the gray,
overcast sky.  She saw people standing around her, faces she didn't know.
Trying to speak, Lois opened her mouth only to have a small squeak escape
her lips.  She felt herself being pulled away--away from reality, the
world, everything.  Even with her small, futile attempts to remain awake,
Lois fell back into unconsciousness.
	What felt like hours later, Lois began to stir awake.  She tried to
raise up and see where she was, but her head pounded too much.  She just
let it roll from side to side.  From where she lay, Lois tried to assess
where she was and how she had gotten there.  The last thing she remembered
was a young man running at her and then colliding with her.  What had
happened after that?  She certainly didn't know.
	Lois noticed the dirty, dingy walls of a building next to her then
saw the bricks that lay beneath her.  It looked as if she were in some
alley or street.  How did she get here?  Did someone bring her here?  She
had so many questions but couldn't concentrate on one because of the
pounding in her head.  Where was Clark?  Why wasn't he here with her?  Her
head lolled to one side and she tried to focus her eyes on her
surroundings.  She noticed something moving nearby and fearfully raised her
hands to her face when she saw someone standing over her.  The person took
one of her hands and pulled her into a sitting position against the
building.  Having sat up so fast, Lois grabbed her head in agony.  The pain
overwhelmed her and it took every bit of her strength to keep from throwing
up.  Lois squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the aching to subside a
little.  When the throbbing finally began to dwindle to a more manageable
level, Lois looked to her right and saw a young woman sitting next to her.
Was she the one who had brought her to this place?  Lois didn't even know
where this place was.  She felt too confused and hurt to ask any questions,
so she just sat there.
	Suddenly, Lois heard a high pitched whistle which caused the
searing pain in her head to return full force.  The young woman sitting
next to her quickly got up and grabbed Lois' hand.  Pulling with all of her
might, the young girl got Lois in a standing position and dragged her
behind.  As much as Lois tried to keep up with the girl, who was now trying
to run, she couldn't.  Her head was hammering and her stomach was churning
too much.  Lois tried not to concentrate very much on the pain but found it
more and more difficult the further they went.
	Finally, the girl led Lois into a doorway and down a small flight
of stairs.  There, they went into an abandoned warehouse and hid.  Lois
slid down the wall and hit the floor with a soft thud.  She began to wonder
if her heart was in her head because it pounded with such force and
regularity.  Lois took some deep shuddering breaths and fought back the
urge to vomit once again.
	*God, my head.  It hurts so bad.*  Lois turned towards the girl.
*Did she say something?*
	She heard her speak again.
	"Here,"  the young girl said as she gestured towards a pallet on
the floor.  "You need to come over here and lie down.  You look as if you
are not well."
	Lois just stared at her.  She had understood what she said but
didn't feel capable of moving at the moment.  The girl got up from the
floor and walked over to help Lois.
	*Oh no.  I'm not moving.  I know if I move now, I am going to be
sick.*
	She reached for Lois' hand, which Lois immediately pulled back.
The girl didn't let this faze her and helped Lois to her feet once more.
Slowly, they walked to the pallet and Lois lay down, utterly exhausted.
She felt the girl's hand brush her forehead after she had closed her eyes,
then fell into a dreamless sleep.
	The next morning, Lois awoke but didn't immediately open her eyes.
She began to think about what happened to her the night before and thought
how strange and unfamiliar everything had seemed.
	*Clark will never believe what I've dreamed,*  she thought.
	Lois also realized that her head felt tremendously better.  The
headache that had plagued her the night before had diminished to a dull
throb and Lois was very thankful.
 	Lois slowly opened her eyes to see what time it was.  Upon opening
them, she realized that her dream was a reality and that she was stuck in
this unfamiliar place.  Lois quickly stood, looking around the warehouse at
her surroundings.  Instantly, she remembered the young girl that had helped
her, but where was she now?
	While Lois began exploring the area of the warehouse, the young
girl came in the door.
	"I see you are awake,"  she said, cheerily.
	Lois turned with a start and grabbed her chest.
	"You scared me.  Don't you know any better than to sneak up on
someone?"
	"I am sorry.  I was just glad to see that you are feeling better,"
the girl stated.  "Would you like something to eat?"
	Lois nodded but stood there and watched the girl as she laid her
food on the pallet, spreading it out for each of them to share.  It wasn't
much by any means, but Lois wasn't in the mood to complain.  The meal
consisted of two pieces of bread, a small apple, and three potatoes.  Lois
walked to the pallet and picked up one piece of bread the girl had laid
down, taking small nibbles from it.  Since there was so little in the first
place, Lois tried not to eat everything at once.  Lois knew it probably
took the girl all day just to obtain this food and was grateful to her for
sharing some of it with her.  After they had each finished eating,
she smiled at the younger woman and thanked her.
	"What's your name?"  Lois asked.
	The young girl looked up at Lois.
	"My name is Alicia."
	"Mine's Lois,"  she said.  "How old are you?"
	"I'm fifteen years old,"  Alicia said proudly.
	Lois nodded, then began to wonder why a young girl like Alicia
would be on her own.
	"Where's your family?"
	Alicia looked at the floor and then at her shoes.
	"I. . .I do not have any family,"  she whispered so softly, Lois
could barely hear her.
	"Oh, Alicia, I'm so sorry,"  Lois stated sympathetically as she
patted the girl on the knee.
	Alicia looked up at Lois with tear-filled eyes and smiled faintly.
It had been so long since she had found someone to care for that cared for
her too.  Even though Alicia was just a young woman, she had cooked many
meals and kept house for her family.  It felt good to have Lois there for
Alicia to tend to.  Maybe it would make life easier since the Nazis had
taken over most of Europe.
	"Do you have any family?"  Alicia asked, curious.
	Lois shook her head in confusion.
	"I know this sounds strange, Alicia, but, I don't even know where I
am right now.  Can you help me?"
	"You don't know where you are?  I do not understand."
	"Well, maybe I should tell you what happened to me first and then
you can help me."
	Lois quickly explained the incident of the boy running into her and
then waking up in the alley in which Alicia had found her.  She didn't
include any of the details of work or what had happened earlier in the day
because she didn't want to arouse any more suspicion in Alicia.  When Lois
finished telling her story, Alicia looked concerned and offered her help in
finding her way back home.  With her story in the open, Lois felt much
better in knowing that someone was there to help her find her way back.
	"You still haven't told me where I am, Alicia,"  Lois said.
	"Oh.  I thought maybe since you lived here, you knew.  You are in
Hamburg."
	Lois was too shocked for words.
	"Hamburg, Germany?!"  Lois managed to get out after a few seconds.
	"Well, yes.  You do live here don't you?"
	"Uh. . .no,"  Lois said, still not believing that she was half way
across the world.
	"Well, where do you live?"  Alicia inquired.
	 "I uh. . .I live in uh. . .Oh, I forget sometimes,"  Lois said,
struggling to think of a place that wasn't too far away, but that maybe
could offer her a safe passage home.  If, of course, she could ever get
home.
	Lois blurted out the first city that came to her mind.
	"Berlin!  I'm from Berlin."
	"Wow!  You are a long way from home.  I think I can help you get
there though."
	Lois smiled at the young, ambitious girl and thanked her once again
for her hospitality.
	 Later that day, Lois was already getting a bad case of cabin fever
and decided to take a walk.  Alicia had lain down for a nap so Lois decided
not to disturb her.  Still not knowing what year she was in, Lois assumed
she was somewhere in the past.  Judging by Alice's clothes, it was rather
far in the past.  The door creaked loudly as Lois pushed it open and Alicia
stirred awake.
	"Where are you going?"  Alicia questioned.
	Lois stood there for a minute.
	"I thought I'd explore the area a little."
	Alicia jumped up from the pallet.
	"No!  They might see you.  And besides you don't know where to
hide.  You could get caught."
	"Who might catch me?"  Lois asked, startled by the girl's behavior.
	"Who?  The Gestapo, that's who!  What is wrong with you?  There is
a war going on all over Europe and you want to go exploring?"
	Alicia couldn't believe her ears.  Where had this woman been?  That
bump on the head must have proven worse than Alicia thought.
	Suddenly a light came on in Lois' head.  She was in Hamburg,
Germany and it was some time during World War II.  Lois could see the fear
in Alicia's face as she stood there frozen in the doorway.  Why hadn't she
made the connection?  The high-pitched whistle, the scarce food, the
clothes Alicia was wearing.  It all made perfect sense now.  She was stuck
in the middle of World War II.  Lois shook her head in disbelief.  Then
something caught Lois' eye that she hadn't seen before.  On the right
sleeve of Alicia's clothes was a yellow Star of David.
	*She's a Jew!  No wonder the poor child doesn't want to go out.
She's afraid of being sent to a death camp,*  Lois noted in her mind.
	Feeling as if someone had punched her in the stomach, Lois walked
over to where Alicia stood.  She didn't know what to say to the girl.  A
million thoughts ran through her head as she stood there, each fighting for
precedence in her mind.  At least Lois knew what she couldn't say.  If
Alicia knew the truth of where Lois was really from, it would probably
prove too much for her.
	After a few minutes of silence, Lois decided that the best thing to
do would be to apologize to Alicia.  It seemed better than just standing
there looking tongue-tied.
	"Alicia, I'm sorry.  I don't know what got into me.  I wasn't even
thinking.  I'll stay here, okay."
	Alicia nodded but didn't take her eyes from Lois.  This made Lois
feel incredibly uncomfortable.  She knew Alicia had been alone for some
time and she certainly didn't want to leave her alone again.  If anyone,
Lois knew what it was like to be alone and dependent on herself.  She never
wanted to feel that way again and couldn't live with herself if she put
Alicia in that position.  Sitting down on the pallet, Lois patted the floor
beside her to signal Alicia to sit.  Alicia did as she was asked and sat
down next to Lois.
	"Okay," Lois started.  "Instead of going out and exploring, why
don't we just sit here and learn more about each other."
	"That sounds nice, but I don't even know where to start," shrugged
Alicia.
	"Well, tell me how you got here,"  Lois said as she pointed around
the warehouse.
	"It's a rather long story,"  Alicia noted.
	Lois smiled at the young girl.
	"Well, I have all the time in the world."
	The two talked for hours.  By the end of their conversation, it was
well into the evening and Lois had learned much about Alicia's past and her
family.  It seemed that she had two brothers and a sister, whom she loved
very much, and a mother and father.  The whole family had been very close
and she missed them very much.
	Her father had been arrested by the police a little over a year ago
and taken down to the station to be questioned.  It wasn't until three days
before that she learned he'd been shot.  Her mother, who Alicia also had
been separated from for some time, had died trying to protect her.  When
the Gestapo had discovered Alicia and her mother, they took them both out
to the street.  The soldier pointed his gun at Alicia's head and pulled the
trigger.  She waited for the impact of the bullet but opened her eyes to
see that her mother had jumped in front of the bullet and saved her life.
The man didn't seem to mind that he had killed her mother instead and in
turn pulled the gun on Alicia only to discover that he had run out of
bullets.
	Mary, the oldest child and Alicia's only sister, had been taken off
to a work camp.  Alicia hoped that maybe she was still living and that
someday they would find each other.  To Alicia's knowledge, both of her
brothers had died.  Thomas, the next to oldest, had been shot during a raid
in the ghetto.  And little Willie, the youngest,  had died of typhus.

She hadn't been present when either had died but had been told of their
deaths by other people.  Therefore, Alicia was all alone.
	After Alicia finished telling about herself, she encouraged Lois to
talk about her past.  Lois reluctantly began talking about her life and the
major aspects in it.  She told about growing up, going to school, working
various jobs, and lastly about Clark, the love of her life.  She was
careful not to give too much away as to not make Alicia suspicious of where
she came from.  The night ended pleasantly with each saying goodnight to
the other and finally, the two laid down to rest until morning.
	In the middle of the night, Lois was awakened by a loud noise.  She
lifted her head up off the concrete floor and looked around.  The door to
the warehouse was being opened but Lois didn't know by whom.  She grabbed
Alicia's shoulder and shook her awake.  Together, the two got up and ran to
find a hiding place.  Suddenly they heard a voice behind them.
	"Halt!"
	The word sent terrible fear throughout Lois' body and she froze.
	*We've been caught.  I know it.  We've been caught.*
	Alicia also froze in her tracks and waited for the next order of
action.  Lois heard several footsteps walking behind her and felt beads of
sweat spring out on her forehead.  Lois didn't know what to expect next; a
beating, being shot maybe.  The arresting officers came up behind both
women and pinned their arms behind their backs.  Lois didn't dare struggle
for fear of her thoughts becoming a reality.  The soldiers led them both
through downtown to a building.  Looking around, Lois noticed other
prisoners being brought to the same building by way of truck, foot, or even
by stretcher.  There, both women were put in a line.
	After hours of standing in line, Lois finally approached a desk.
Alicia had just finished talking to the clerk at the desk and an officer
had led her down a corridor.  The clerk behind the desk asked Lois various
questions, wrote down the information, and then sent Lois down the hall
with one of the officers.  Lining the corridor were many prison cells that
contained about fifty women a piece.  The cells were small and maybe could
have held half that much comfortably.  Lois was shocked at the conditions
of the prison and prayed that she would find Alicia.  The guard placed her
in an overcrowded cell and shut the door.  In the crowd of women, Lois
looked for Alicia and finally found her resting on the floor near a cot.
Quickly, Lois sat down next to the girl and held her close.
	"Lois?"  Alicia whispered.
	Lois looked at Alicia.  "What is it?"
	"I have an idea of how to escape."
	"But what if we get caught!"  Lois really couldn't believe that she
was saying these words, but was seriously concerned for their lives.
	"We won't.  I know this area of town very well.  I also know the
procedure for this prison.  The guards will take us outside at some point
and allow us to run across the courtyard to the river.  In actuality, they
will be freeing us.  However, they will try to shoot us in our attempts to
escape.  If a person can make it past that whole spray of bullets, then he
lives.  I, of course, am not suggesting that we do that.  But across the
river is a large tree.  It has been hollowed out through the years by the
water and is large enough for both of us to fit inside.  We can run to the
river, dive into the water, and swim up into the tree and stay there until
it is safe,"  Alicia whispered.
	"Isn't that a little risky?  I mean, we still have to dodge the
bullets."
	"Do you have a better suggestion?"
	"Well. . .no."
	Alicia nodded her head to confirm her plan and they nestled down
together, falling asleep.
	Around eight o'clock that morning, the guards came to the cell
doors and ordered everyone out.  Lois woke Alicia.
	"Remember our plan, okay,"  Lois confirmed after Alicia was awake.

	 Alicia stared into space and didn't respond to Lois' statement.
Lois found Alicia's behavior rather odd but stood up anyway as the
prisoners exited the cell.  As Lois waited for everyone to pass through the
doors, she noticed that Alicia still sat on the floor.  Lois gave her a
push on the shoulder, but she just sat there.  Noticing the guard hurrying
the other prisoners, Lois pulled Alicia to her feet and led her out of the
cell.  They reached the courtyard and the guards lined them up in front of
a wall.  Lois grabbed Alicia's hand, which remained slack the whole time.
Lois looked back at Alicia and noticed the girl looking back at her instead
of staring off into space.
	"We don't have to be here.  I can find my. . .my. . .Where?  Have
you. . .seen my mother?  Is. . .is she. . ."
	Lois stood wide-eyed staring at the girl.
	*What is wrong with her?  Alicia is the one who came up with the
plan and now she wants to go look for her mother?  But her mother is dead!*
Lois thought.
	Even though Lois was growing increasingly concerned over Alicia's
behavior, she still had to go through with the plan if either of them was
expected to survive.
	Suddenly, without warning, the guards started shooting.  There were
only about five of them, but that was still a lot of bullets to dodge.
Lois pulled on Alicia's hand.  She just stood there.  Screaming her name,
Lois pulled harder.  Alicia didn't budge, but stared again as if she were
lost in a daze.  Realization hit Lois hard.  She dropped Alicia's hand and
ran toward the river.  Without even thinking, she dove in and swam for the
hollowed out tree.  She soon found it from under the water and pulled
herself up inside.  There, she was able to breath a sigh of relief for
herself but cringed at the thought of all those who were perishing outside.
She heard the gun shots and people screaming.  It was horrible to think
that the world had come to this.  Leaning back against the trunk for
support, Lois put her head in her hands and cried.
	When nightfall finally came, she crawled out and pulled herself
ashore.  Lois wasn't sure how much time had passed since she had been in
her hiding place but knew she had been there for hours, listening and
waiting for a chance to crawl to safety.  Lois slowly stretched her taut
muscles and walked away from the river until she came to a park.  Her
exhaustion had just about overtaken her and she sat down on a bench to
rest.  Lois looked from the ground to the sky and suddenly began to cry.
In her attempts to save herself and Alicia, she had failed.  But suddenly
Lois came to the realization that Alicia's downfall wasn't her fault.  She
now knew that with all the turmoil and devastation that poor girl had been
through, Alicia had literally been driven insane overnight.
	The next few days passed slowly.  Lois wandered aimlessly through
the city not knowing where to go.  She only ate when she happened to find
food, which wasn't often.  Alicia's demise had driven Lois into a state of
depression to which there seemed no end.  She couldn't understand why she
was here in this horrible place.
	*Why did Alicia have to. . .*  Lois stopped in her thoughts.
	The memories were still too fresh to think about Alicia right now.
Lois had to find a way out of here in order to survive.  But how?  How
could she make it back home?  With too many questions plaguing her mind,
Lois felt an overwhelming exhaustion come over her.  She leaned up against
a wall, slowly sliding down and finally lying down in the stone alley to
rest.
	Several hours later, Lois was awakened by gunfire.  She sat bolt
upright and looked around, having forgotten where she was for the moment.
Many people were out in the streets being herded into different lines.
Random shots were being fired to keep the people in order.  Lois ducked
behind some trash cans and hid there for fear of being arrested again.
>From her post, she watched people being taken to trucks and some people
even being shot.  But the passing of the last three days had caused Lois to
steel herself emotionally and she came to look upon the shootings as the
norm.
	*Funny how such things can change your whole outlook on life,*
Lois thought grimly.
	Although Lois had been through a lot, having almost been shot and
having very little food over the last few days, she still felt as if she
would get out of this alive.  At least she hoped she would get out of this
alive.
	All day long, Lois watched from her position behind the trash cans
and saw the events unfolding.  She still didn't know why so many people
were being herded out of the ghetto where she was staying.  From the looks
of things, however, it was something big.  Everyone the Gestapo could find
was driven out into the streets and taken to a building or to a line for
registration.  After they were registered, the people who hadn't been shot
were loaded into large trucks and taken to another location.  Lois couldn't
be sure where exactly but assumed that it was the train station.  From
there they would probably go on to a concentration or work camp.  Thoughts
of horror that accompanied those places beset Lois' mind and she quickly
tried to turn them away.  Lois began to shiver, but, from the cold or fear,
she couldn't tell.  She dreaded what would happen in the future if this was
what the Nazis decided to do to all the inhabitants of the ghetto.  Night
was beginning to fall and Lois felt that she had enough cover to find a
decent hiding place.  She turned on her foot to crawl out from behind the
garbage cans when she heard a gun cock.  Frozen in place, Lois couldn't
imagine what to do next.
	"Get up,"  a low voice growled softly at her.
	Lois slowly stood up and turned to face the person who was aiming
to shoot her.
	"Please, sir, I didn't mean any harm.  I just. . ."
	"SILENCE!"
	Lois cowered under his powerful disposition.  The man motioned for
her to come out from behind the garbage cans.  As Lois did as she was told
she felt a huge lump of dread rise in her throat.  The man walked behind
Lois with his gun aimed at her head if she decided to make any sudden
moves.  He escorted her to one of the registration lines and shoved her
toward the end.  Lois felt that her luck had just about run out on her.
Despite the crowds, the lines to the small desks moved quickly.  Lois
suddenly found herself standing in front of one and answered the clerks
questions in anticipation of what would happen next.  After talking to the
clerk, Lois was escorted to the back of a truck and loaded on.  She
realized then that the fate of the people she had been watching just a
short time ago was now hers in the making.  Lois pulled her knees up to her
chest and rested her chin there.  She had to figure out a way to escape. .
..but how?
	A few hours later, Lois was awakened by the truck pulling to a
stop.  The guards got out of the cab and began unloading all of the
prisoners.  Lois noticed that they were at a train station and that many
people were being loaded into the cars already.  Her heart skipped a beat
as she realized where she was going and what would probably happen to her
and the rest of the people on the train.  Pushing many people on the train,
one of the officers grabbed Lois' arm and pulled her up the ramp into a
cattle car.  The stench was terrible and Lois had to hold her nose to keep
the smell from overwhelming her.   After getting onto the car, Lois headed
toward the window and stood there, wanting to be able to get fresh air when
the train started moving.  Hopefully, the fresh air would also rid the car
of the foul odor it carried.  Lois began to wonder what could make a place
reek so badly.  Shaking her head, she felt that it was probably best she
didn't know the gruesome details.  All of a sudden, Lois felt something jab
into her back.  She turned around quickly to see another young woman
standing next to her.
	"Oh!  I am sorry.  I did not mean to hit you with my elbow.  The
guard pushed me."
	Lois nodded.  "It's okay."
	The young girl studied Lois closely.
	"You are not a Jew are you?"  she asked.
	Lois shook her head.  "No, I'm not."
	"Then why are you here?"
	Lois turned her back on the girl and fought the urge to cry.  She
didn't know why she was here and couldn't very well tell anyone that for
fear of the worst happening to her.  Lois took a deep sigh and turned back
around.  She smiled faintly to the young woman standing next to her.
	"I'm sorry.  I just. . ."
	"Oh,"  she said, placing her hand upon Lois' arm.  "You do not have
to explain.  I understand.  It is very hard, these times that have fallen
upon us.  It is okay to cry."
	Looking at the young woman closely for the first time, Lois thought
how familiar she looked to her.  She could have sworn that she had seen her
before but didn't know where.  However, Lois had seen many people walking
the streets the last few days and could have seen her there.
	Unable to fight her curiosity, Lois asked her who she was.
	"You look awfully familiar to me.  I think I might have seen you
somewhere.  What is your name?"
	"My name is Mary."
	"Mary,"  Lois pondered the name for a moment and then continued.
"I haven't met too many people here yet.  I just woke up one day and found
myself in the ghetto.  I don't even know how I got there.  Luckily, there
was a young girl that helped me when I first found myself stuck there."
	"Where is she?  Did she not get arrested with you?"  Mary asked.
	"Alicia?"  Lois shook her head.  "No.  I don't know what happened
to her."
	"Alicia?"  Mary questioned.  "Her name was Alicia?  What did you
know about this girl?"
	"Not much really.  We did talk for a while one day but she mainly
talked about her family.  Why do you ask?"
	"I. . .I have. . .a sister,"  Mary began, her voice shaking.  "I
have a sister named Alicia,"  Mary stated, tears springing to her eyes.
	"You have a sister named Alicia?"  Lois said, wide-eyed.  "How old
is she?"
	Mary dabbed her eyes before responding to Lois.
	"She is fifteen years old.  We were separated for some time because
I was sent to a work camp.  Luckily, I escaped, but it has taken me weeks
to travel back to Hamburg.  Unfortunately, when I got here they arrested me
again.  That is why I am on this train now."
	Lois couldn't believe what she was hearing.  How could this be?
Could it be possible to meet up with Alicia's sister?  Stranger things had
happened to Lois before, but nothing like this.
	"Did you have two brothers named Thomas and Willie?"  Lois asked,
urgently.
	Mary, too stunned to speak, just nodded her head.
	"Oh my gosh,"  Lois breathed.  "I knew your sister."
	Mary sucked in her breath as tears began to spill down her cheeks.
Lois saw this and couldn't bear to tell Mary what she feared had happened
to poor Alicia that awful morning.  After a few minutes, Mary spoke.
	"She is dead, no?"
	Lois felt like someone had punched her in the stomach.  She looked
into Mary's face.  All the hurt and anger was ever present in her face and
she seemed to age right before Lois' eyes.
	"I. . .I don't know if she is or not.  We. . .I. . ."  Lois
stammered on her words.
	"It is okay.  You do not have to try to explain.  I know it must be
difficult to talk about."
	"It's not because it's difficult to talk about it, it's just hard
to tell you because you're her sister and I know that more than anything
you would like to be reunited with her,"  Lois stated, a look of dread upon
her face.
	More than anything, she didn't want to tell Mary what she thought
had happened to poor Alicia.  Even if she were alive, Lois knew she was in
a horrible state.
	Abruptly, the train lurched forward and the two women looked at
each other.  Mary then looked up to the ceiling of the cattle car and said
a silent prayer.  After seeing Mary's act of desperation, Lois couldn't
help but acknowledge the indisputable fact that they might not come out of
this alive.  As she realized this, Lois began to feel fear at a whole new
level.  Everywhere she looked within herself, apprehension and uncertainty
seemed to be embedded there.  This was it.  They were on the threshold of
hell.
	The train ride lasted for several days and was utter misery for the
passengers.  None of them had eaten since they had left Hamburg three days
before and were desperately hungry for food and water.  Many people had
passed out from the effects of near-starvation and were actually left
standing because of the cramped quarters of the cattle cars.  Still
standing by the window, Lois was trying to keep the cool air on her face to
keep the powerful stench of excrement and urine from overpowering her.
Lois thought she might suffocate if left in there too much longer.  The
smell became worse by the minute and Lois found that even the fresh air
blowing lightly across her face wasn't helping much.  She raised up closer
to the window to get more fresh air.  Finding that the window was just out
of reach, Lois angled her head a little to the left and took deeper
breaths.
	*I have to get out of here.* Lois thought wearily.
	Suddenly, her stomach lurched and Lois held her head against the
wall so as to not get sick on anyone.  As she threw up what little was in
her stomach, Mary put a supportive arm around her shoulders and held her
head against her arm after she was through.  Lois couldn't believe what had
just happened.  She shivered a little against Mary's frame and closed her
eyes.
	*How much longer are we going to be in here?*  Suddenly, Lois began
to shake with chills.
	"Are you cold?"  Mary asked, concerned.
	Lois just nodded.  She couldn't seem to warm up now.  Earlier she
was dying it was so hot.  Now it seemed to be just the opposite.  What was
wrong with her?  Mary put a hand to her forehead.
	"You are a little warm.  Here, you can have my shawl,"  Mary said
as she wrapped it around Lois' shoulders.  "Just try to rest, okay?  You
can lean up against me for support,"  Mary told Lois, soothingly.
	Lois fell against Mary's shoulder and almost instantly fell asleep.
Hours later, the train pulled to a stop.  The doors to the cattle car flew
open and cold air blasted through onto the passengers.  Awakening at the
cool air flowing throughout the perimeter of the car, Lois looked around.
	*Where are we?*  Lois thought, squinting her eyes from the light
that poured in from outside.  Funny, it didn't look daylight outside.  What
was that strange bright light?  Slowly, the passengers deboarded the train
and stood in the cool night air.  Lois, being pulled by Mary, followed
closely behind.  When she reached the ramp and stepped off, Lois looked
around at their unknown destination.  She then realized that the strange
light she had seen earlier were actually spotlights installed on towers.
Lois looked around at the guards, dogs, buildings, fences, and grounds and
nearly panicked.
	"Do you know where we are?"  Mary asked.
	Lois was speechless and could only look around with wide-eyes.
	"Lois?"  Mary said, worried.
	"I don't know, but I have an idea,"  Lois said, a fearful
expression on her face.
	The passengers were lined up in the familiar formation of roll call
and made to stand in the cool night air for hours on end.  Much to Lois'
surprise, no one was shot.  Afterwards, the women walked towards a small
cluster of buildings.  As the large group walked toward the buildings, they
split into smaller clusters.  Lois grabbed Mary's arm to keep them from
being separated.  The first group of women were led into a small building
marked with a Star of David.  Another group behind them waited outside,
shivering in the cold air.  Lois looked at the crowd in front of her and
began to wonder what would happen to all of them.
	The snow fell silently around them and Lois was scarcely aware of
anything except the roar of a furnace nearby.  She looked to the building
on her left and saw a large smoke stack with smoke pouring out of it.  She
closed her eyes in desperation, trying to forget where she was and what
could possibly happen to her.  Even though the Nazis tried to keep the fate
of the prisoners at the concentration camps a secret, Lois assumed that
most of the people here knew what was going on in that building.  She
blinked back the tears and tried to concentrate on getting out of the
situation alive.  So far she had survived the past week, which seemed
pretty amazing to her.  However, people had survived for years in this kind
of chaos.  Lois thought about this grimly.
	*I guess I was a little hasty about that Holocaust story after all.
I never really realized the dangers of just going on living an everyday
life.  If I get back. . .When I get back, I am definitely writing this
story.*  Something broke her thoughts.
	"Move it!"  a soldier yelled at her group.
	Lois quickly began to follow behind the others, trying not to call
attention to herself.  A million thoughts ran through her mind as they
began to walk to the building in front of them.  Lois took a deep,
shuddering breath and walked forward a little faster.  All of a sudden, she
tripped and fell onto the frozen ground.  Before she could even think about
getting to her feet, a guard was on top of her.
	"Get up!"  the guard screamed.
	Lois couldn't move.  She looked into the face of the officer,
searching for something that represented human compassion or kindness but
found nothing but hatred.  Lois began to pull herself up but not before the
officer grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out of the cluster of women.
He dragged her to the side of the yard and threw her to the ground.  Lois
clenched her fists in the dirt and snow and tried to catch her breath.  She
was surprised to see that the guard had called the group to a halt.  Lois
looked around, fear spreading through every part of her body.  She caught
sight of Mary, who was standing near the front of the group.  She looked
terrified to Lois so she quickly turned away from the young girl.  The
guard spoke.
	"It seems we have a cripple on our hands, huh?"
	The other guards laughed.  The first officer leaned down to Lois' ear.
	"You do know what we do to cripples, do you not?" he whispered.
	Lois looked at the ground frantically, but showed no other signs of
fear.
	"I do not think I heard you answer me."
	Lois opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.  She sat there
looking at the guards' feet, not knowing what to do next.
 	Suddenly the officer grabbed her by the hair and pulled her into a
crouched position.  Lois gritted her teeth to keep from screaming but was
unsuccessful.  He delivered a hard smack to her left cheek that sent her
reeling back to the ground.  Lois didn't dare move from where she lay.  She
then realized why the group had been stopped.  She was an example to all of
them, a message that anyone can and will die in this place.  Their lives
were all in the hands of these men and she was proof of that.  All of a
sudden, the officer bent down and pulled Lois up into a sitting position.
He pushed her head down but for the moment Lois didn't know why.  Then she
heard a gun cock.  She looked back
at the officer.  He stood with the gun pointed directly at her skull, but
before he could say anything, she turned back around and lowered her head
once again.
	"It will take more than that,"  she said, solemnly.
	The officer grinned.  "I am sure you are right."
	He squeezed the trigger and watched as Lois' body pitched forward
from the impact of the bullet and then bounced back into his body.  He
pushed her off with one kick of his leg and turned to face the group.
	"Now you see how it is done here in Dachau.  Now, move it!"
	The group turned on their heels and quickly walked into the small
building ahead of them.  Lois looked down at herself lying on the ground
motionless.  It had all seemed so painless.  She didn't feel alarmed or
scared, just maybe. . .she didn't really know.  Slowly, she looked up at
the sky and noticed in the midst of all the snow, a single, solitary dot of
light.
	*Funny, it's snowing.  There shouldn't be any stars out.*  She
seemed drawn to the single star and suddenly found that she was indeed
getting closer to it.  It felt as if she were flying through a tunnel.  The
dot of light got bigger and bigger until it was so bright she couldn't see.
Lois covered her face with her hands to shield herself and was shocked
when, all of a sudden, the light was gone.  She uncovered her face with her
hands and saw a dimly lit room.
	*Where am I now?*  she thought, wearily.
	She looked to her left and saw an IV and a tube that extended to
her arm.  She looked out the nearby window and saw that indeed it was
night.  Then, finally, she looked to her right and saw him.  He was asleep,
his head lying on the edge of the bed.  She smiled weakly at him and then
brushed his hair with her fingers.  His head turned a little to the side as
he woke and lifted his head.  The instant that he looked at her, she felt
such love and safety.
	*How can he do that?*
	"Hey,"  he said softly.  "How are you feeling?  We were pretty
worried about you."
	Lois looked at him.  She took a deep breath and tried to hold back
the tears but they came anyway.
	"Clark, I was so scared.  I didn't know if I was ever going to make
it back home to you."
	Clark immediately pulled her to him and held her as she cried.
	"Lois, you've been right here the whole time.  What are you talking
about?"  he said as he pulled away to look at her.	Lois looked
bewildered.
	"Here?  I don't even know where here is."
	"You're in the hospital.  After that guy ran into you, some people
called an ambulance and they brought you here to Metropolis General."
	"How long have I been here?"
	"Since yesterday morning,"  Clark said.  "You've got a pretty bad
concussion and the doctor wants you to take it easy,"  he said with a
smile.  "And," he began, as he stroked her cheek.  "if you're good, maybe
we can even go home early."
	Lois looked dazed and shook her head slightly.
	"Then . . .it was all a dream?  But how can that be?  Everything
seemed so clear and real."
	Clark looked worriedly at Lois.  She didn't seem to be making any
sense whatsoever and that concerned him.  Lois looked back at Clark and saw
the concern in his face.
	"Clark, I'm fine," she said with reassurance.  "I just had the
strangest dream.  At least I think it was a dream.  It all seemed so real,"
Lois shook her head in disbelief.
	"Do you want to tell me about it?"
	"No, I want to write it."
	"Lois. . ."
	"Just go get me a pen and paper, please,"  Lois said, stopping him.
	Clark gave her a stern look but got up from his chair to retrieve a
pen and some paper.  He returned to her bedside and gave it to her.
	"Thanks."
	"Is there anything else I can get for you?"
	Lois looked up at him and smiled.  "How about a little privacy?"
 	Clark turned toward the door and began to walk out.
	"I love you, Clark,"  Lois said, giving him a sheepish look.
	He turned and smiled at her tenderly.
	"I love you, too, Lois."
	Two hours later, Lois was still writing down her story.  She had
completely filled the pad that Clark had given her and began to write on
the backs of the sheets that had already been written on.  Periodically,
Clark would poke his head in the door to see if she was all right.
Every time he had done so, he had seen her steadily working on writing down
whatever was on her mind.  He couldn't figure out what she could be writing
so furiously about but assumed it must be something important.
	Around 10 o'clock that evening, Clark walked into her room.
	"Lois?"
	She quickly put her hand up to keep him from speaking until she
finished writing.  When she finished, she looked up at him expectantly.
	"Yeah?"
	"It's getting late, maybe you should put that up for now and get
some rest."
	"No way!  I'm almost finished anyway."
	"But. . ."
	"Just give me another half hour, okay?"
	"Lois. . ."
	"It's just half an hour,"  she said as she swallowed a yawn.
	"See, you are tired.  Now let's put this up and go to sleep, okay?"
	"I will not.  I'm determined to write this, okay."
	Clark sat down in the chair next to her and sighed as Lois began to
write once again, energy pouring from her to the paper she was writing on.
Clark had seen her in action before but was fascinated at the ferocity of
her writing now.  It looked as if she was doing it to save her life.
Finally, Lois let out a sigh and lay back on her pillows for support.  She
pulled all of the papers together and laid them in a drawer next to the bed.
Clark studied her for a moment and noticed a new expression on her face.
Was it exhaustion. . .or relief?  Whichever it was, he couldn't tell.  But
he could see that she was happy and content with what she had just
accomplished.
	"Are you through?"  Clark asked, quietly.
	She nodded her head.
	*Yup, she's exhausted,*  Clark thought to himself as he smiled at her.
	He placed his hand gently against her cheek, lovingly stroking her
temple with his thumb.  Soon Lois closed her eyes and fell into a
mercifully dreamless sleep.  As she slept, Clark scooted his chair up
beside her and held her hand in his.  She looked so peaceful lying there
sleeping.  As he put his head down on the bed to rest, he thought about how
long the past two days had seemed.  But in the long run, it was just
another one of those moments in his and Lois' life.  He smiled at that
thought and closed his eyes.
	The next morning came too soon for Clark.  Even though he could
generally get by on very little sleep, worrying about Lois had exhausted
him.  He raised his head and looked at Lois, who was still sleeping
peacefully.  She suddenly stirred and woke.
	"Hey.  How are you feeling?"  he asked with a smile.
	She nodded at him.  "Better."
	"Good."
	About that time, Lois' doctor came in.
	"Well, look who's awake.  The nurse told me that you finally
decided to join us last night."
	Lois smiled.
	"Well, Ms. Lane, I'd really like to get another x-ray and then see
about letting you go on home if everything checks out.  You've got a pretty
bad concussion there."
	"Is that really necessary?  The x-ray, I mean."
	"Well, I'd like to do it just for precautionary reasons.  I'm going
to schedule you for 1:30 this afternoon."
	Lois nodded.
  	Later that afternoon about three o'clock, Lois and Clark came out
of the hospital.   Since everything had checked out fine, the doctor had
released Lois on orders to get plenty of bed rest.  Clark promised to make
sure that his orders were followed to the tee and ushered Lois out the
front door of the hospital.  He escorted her to the curb and flagged down a
taxi.  After they got in, Clark nestled beside Lois and held her close.
She closed her eyes and laid her head back against his shoulder, content in
finally having him with her.  The ride to her apartment didn't last long
and soon they pulled up to the front door of her apartment building.  Clark
paid the driver and walked Lois up to her apartment, draping a protective
arm around her as they walked.  She grabbed her keys from her pocket and
unlocked the door.
	"Home at last,"  Lois said as she breathed a sigh and sat on the couch.
	Clark sat down next to her and put a hand on her knee.  She smiled
up at him affectionately then placed her hand on top of his.  Their eyes
met briefly as Lois scanned his face, then looked past him at the clock.
	"I can't believe it's after three o'clock already.  It seems like
today is flying by."	Clark, lost in thought at the moment, seemed
startled by Lois' off-the-wall comment.
	He shook his head a little.  "Yeah, it does, doesn't it?"
	Lois sighed and gave a little yawn.
	"Are you tired?  Do you need to rest?"  Clark began.  "I can leave
you alone if you want to go to sleep."
	"Clark, slow down.  I just yawned,"  Lois began cupping his hand in
both of hers.  "I'm not tired.  I've spent the last two days in bed!"
	Smiling, Clark looked down at her hands covering his own.
	"I'm sorry, Lois.  I just worry about you."
	"And you need to stop worrying so much," she said as she bent down
to look him in the eye.  "I'm fine.  And to prove it. . ."
	Lois leaned forward in time to reach Clark's lips with her own.  He
pulled her close and let his lips close over hers.  Lois closed her eyes
and let his scent intoxicate her.
	*Gosh, I've missed him!*
	He let one hand run through her shoulder length hair while the
other held her back.  The kiss broke momentarily and Lois lay her head on
Clark's shoulder.  She always felt so safe with him and this time was no
different.  She loved the way he made her feel when they were together.
The thought of this caused Lois to smile.  She put her arms around him and
snuggled up close to him.  Clark turned and cupped her chin in his hand,
tilting her face toward his.  She allowed him to lead her mouth to his and
relished in the feel of his lips caressing against hers ever so gently.
Suddenly, the kiss deepened and Lois grasped Clark's shoulders to steady
herself.  She leaned into the kiss more, glad that Clark was returning her
affection with equal enthusiasm.  At that moment, Clark moved his lips down
her chin and to her neck.  She ran her fingers through his hair, holding
his head closer to her neck.  The small kisses he planted there sent
tingling sensations throughout her body.  Lois let out a small gasp as he
made his way down to the base of her neck.  All at once, the phone rang.
Lois pulled away quickly and grabbed the phone.
	"Hello?"  Lois panted.
	"Lois!  I wasn't really expecting to get you at home yet,"  Perry
said at the other end.  "I was just going to leave you a message that as
soon as you feel up to it, I need that Holocaust story, okay?"
	"Yeah, Chief.  Sure.  No problem."
	"So, how are you feeling?"
	"Much, much better.  I feel great!"
	"Well, that's good.  I'm glad to hear it,"  Perry said, gladly.  "I
trust you'll be taking a few more days off though before you come in to
work?"
	"Well, the doctor said I should take it easy for a few more days,
but I honestly think that I'm ready to come in whenever you might need me."
	"Lois, I think you should probably take the doctor's advice on this
one.  He is a trained professional and I wouldn't want anything else to
happen to you because you didn't follow his orders, okay?  So I don't want
to see you in this newsroom for a few more days until you can get rested."
	Lois sighed.  "all right, Perry."
	"Well, I'll talk to you later.  And get some rest,"  Perry said,
putting on his serious tone.
	"Okay, bye."
	"Bye."
	Lois hung up the phone and turned to look at Clark.
	"That was Perry."
	"I know.  And I also heard what he said about you needing to rest
and I think he's right,"  Clark confirmed as he got up from the couch.  He
stood in front of Lois and clasped her hands in his.  "Come on, you need a
nap."
	Lois looked up at Clark with her "Oh, Really!" look.  Immediately,
Clark pulled Lois up from the couch and led her to the bedroom.  There, he
tucked her into bed and kissed her softly.  Turning over on her side, Lois
soon fell asleep.
	The next few days passed with a boring sense of regularity that
Lois couldn't stand.  She felt she needed to get out of bed and get some
work done.  She still had her story written down from her dream and she was
determined to get it printed sometime before the week was up.  Lois'
accident was on Monday which left her having only until tomorrow, which was
Saturday, to get her article written up for the paper.  Lois began to think
of ways to write her story but soon discarded them.  She wanted to be
different, more memorable than the articles that she had read on the
Holocaust.
	*This is going to be a lot tougher than I thought.*  Lois thought,
grimly.  She closed her eyes, thinking about new ways to approach her story
to where it grabbed the reader's attention.  Soon, she fell asleep once
again, dreaming peacefully.
	Several hours later, Clark came into the bedroom.  He saw her
asleep again and decided to let her nap.
	*The more rest she gets, the better off we'll all be,*  Clark
thought with a smile.  Clark turned around and walked out, pulling the door
closed behind him.  Lois began to stir awake and yawned.  She stretched her
arms and legs and suddenly froze.
	"That's it!"  she exclaimed.
	Lois quickly grabbed a pad and pen and furiously began to write
once again.  The next time Clark came in, she had almost finished.  He saw
that determined look in her eye and knew better than to disturb her at the
moment.  Deciding that fixing her dinner would be a better thing to do to
pass the time, Clark walked into the kitchen.  Halfway through preparing
dinner for them both, Lois walked into the kitchen behind Clark.  She put
her arms around him and hugged him to her while she lay her head on his
back.  He immediately turned around and pulled her into his arms.
	"Guess what?"  Lois said, breaking off the hug.
	Clark turned back to the cooking.  "What?"
	"I figured out a way to write that Holocaust story that Perry
wanted us to write,"  Lois said as she sat on the counter next to the stove.
	Clark cocked an eyebrow.  "Really?  How?"
 	"Well, you remember the night I woke up, I asked you to get me a
pad and paper?"
	Clark nodded.
	"I wrote down everything I could remember about a dream I had.  The
only thing was, it seemed so real.  I thought I was really trapped there
and I didn't know how I was going to get home."
	Clark turned to Lois.  "Where exactly were you?"
	"I guess I should start from the beginning."
	Lois began her story of her adventures halfway across the world.
When she finished, the dinner dishes had been cleared and they were sitting
on the couch.  Clark sat  staring at Lois in amazement.
	"Lois, I am so sorry.  I didn't mean to give you a guilt trip about
not wanting to do the story."
	Lois laughed.  "Clark, don't be silly.  I don't think it was you
that triggered it.  Although, if it was, you did me a favor."  She patted
his hand.  "I never knew how hard the Jews had it.  I just accepted the
Holocaust as a part of the past.  But I realize now that it's so much more
than that.  I guess I realized that so many people wrote about it to keep
something like this from ever happening again."
	Clark smiled at her tenderly and grasped her hand.
	"What?"  Lois asked.
	Clark looked at her for a moment.
	"Do you remember when you kept brushing off all of my suggestions
about writing this story and I told you that you missed the point of the
assignment?"
	Lois nodded.
	"Well. . .I think you just wrapped up all the years of torture the
Jews went through and put it into one sentence."  Clark paused a minute.
"That is exactly why so many people wrote about it and told about it.  They
tried not to forget what happened so it would never happen again."
	"And that's why I wrote my story,"  Lois said softly.
	The next day, the elevator doors opened up into the City Room of
the Planet and Lois stepped out.  She hurriedly walked down the ramp and
went straight to her desk.  Pulling up her story on the computer, Lois
quickly began to print it out to hand in to Perry.  But something caught
her eye.  There was something about the very end of the article that just
didn't seem right.  Lois looked it over and thought about it.  Quickly, she
changed the ending a little and then printed it out to hand in to Perry.
When she walked into his office, he wasn't there so she put her paper in
the middle of his desk where he would see it.  Lois turned around and
prepared to go home.  She grabbed her coat and headed towards the
elevators, a smile on her face.  She couldn't wait for the evening edition
of the paper to come out.  After getting off the elevator, Lois headed home.
	"Clark?  Are you here?"  Lois called out when she walked in her
apartment.
	She didn't get an answer and assumed that either he had gone home
or had to go save someone.  She sat down on the couch and turned on the
television.  About that time, Clark flew up to the bedroom window and let
himself in.  He spun into his clothes and walked into the living room where
Lois sat.
	"Where were you?"  Lois asked.
	"Oh!  A bridge was out in Detroit.  I had to go uh. . .you know
~>,"  Clark said, giving the hand signal.
	Lois nodded.
	"Well, where did you go?  I flew by earlier and didn't see you here."
	"I went to the Planet to drop off that story."
	"Oh.  Did Perry like it?"  Clark asked as he sat down on the couch
next to Lois.
	"He wasn't in his office at the time, so I just left it there for him."
	"Can't wait for the evening edition to come out, can you?"
	Lois looked at him sternly.  "Yes, I can."
	Clark laughed a little and leaned back on the couch.
	"What's so funny?"  Lois asked.  "Me?  Are you laughing at me?"
	"I'm not laughing at you, Lois,"  Clark said with a chuckle.
	"Then what are you laughing at?"  Lois said poking him in the side
where she knew he was ticklish.
	"Nothing, I just thought what you said was cute."
	"Cute?"  Lois stated.
	"Well, yeah,"  Clark began.  "I think you're cute."
	"Cute,"  Lois said, thoughtfully.  "I could live with cute."
	Clark smiled and shook his head.   While they watched the movie on
television, Lois cuddled up to Clark and laid her head on his shoulder.
Soon the paper would be out and Lois could see her prized story that she
had worked so hard on.
	A few hours later, Clark came back from getting take out.  He
opened the door to Lois' apartment and saw her still sitting there watching
television.  He threw the paper on the couch next to her.  Lois grabbed it
excitedly and opened it to the page where her story was printed.  She
looked at the finished product and was very pleased with how it had turned
out.  Folding the paper, she laid it out on the coffee table to read it.
Soon, Clark came around the corner with a steaming hot plate of Chinese
food and set it down next to her.
	"Here you go.  I hope you like it,"  said Clark.  "Are you reading
your article?"
	Lois nodded.
	"May I?"  Clark asked, pointing toward the paper.
	"Sure.  Knock yourself out."
	Clark grabbed the paper, straightened it out, and began reading.
Eyeing the plate of Chinese food, Lois grabbed a fork and dove into her
dinner.  After several minutes, Lois wondered if Clark was ever going to be
through with her article.  Usually, he read almost everything at
superspeed, which saved a lot of time under normal circumstances.  Clark
put the paper down unexpectedly.
	"Well, what did you think?"  Lois asked, nervously.
	"It's great,"  Clark began.  "The whole story really grabs you."
	"Do you really like it?"
	Clark smiled.  "Yeah, I do.  But I really loved the way you ended
it."  Clark pointed to the ending of the article.  "To the dead and the
living, we must bear witness."


The End