The Snow Girl’s Journey

In the winter of 1941, young Lena lived in a small town in Lithuania with her parents and younger brother. Her father was a brave man, secretly forging papers to help their townsfolk escape the horrors of war. One evening, Lena’s father gave her a sketch kit, encouraging her to enter an art competition. Though hesitant, Lena accepted it, inspired by her father’s faith in her talent.

One night, a terrible argument broke out between Lena’s parents, and her father stormed out. The next day, Soviet soldiers arrived, forcing Lena, her mother, and brother into a truck with many others from their town. They were taken to a train station and packed into a cattle car like prisoners. Lena felt scared and lost, but held onto hope that her father would somehow find them.

As the days passed, life on the train was grueling. People were hungry, scared, and beaten down by the cold. One day, a kind man sitting next to Lena noticed her drawing and offered her a pen. He told her to document what was happening through her art so that the world would know the truth. Despite the fear and hardship, Lena found comfort in drawing, even though she couldn’t find her father.

Finally, after days of travel, the train stopped at a labor camp. Everyone was stripped of their belongings, including Lena’s drawings. She watched helplessly as her papers burned. Life at the camp was harsh—back-breaking work, little food, and constant fear. But Lena kept drawing in secret, hoping that one day her art would tell the story of their survival.

As Christmas approached, Lena reunited with her friend Andreas, a boy she had known from school. They shared stolen bread and brief moments of happiness amidst the suffering. Their bond grew, and on Christmas Eve, they shared their first kiss under the watchful eyes of soldiers.

But their brief happiness was shattered the next day when Lena, her brother, and her mother were sent away to a new labor camp. Andreas tried to chase the train, but soldiers held him back. Lena watched him disappear from sight, tears freezing on her cheeks in the icy wind.

Now in the bitter cold of an island labor camp, Lena’s strength was tested further. People around her continued to die from starvation and exposure. Even so, Lena clung to her art and memories of her family, determined that she and her drawings would survive, if only to share the truth of what happened.