Wilhelm Hartmann opened his eyes and looked around everything was dark except for a dim light above him. Cautiously walking forward he eventually ended up bumping into a glass wall. Feeling startled he stepped backwards slightly he then stared at his reflection in the glass. The version of himself reflected in the mirror was wearing a Nazi uniform. Glancing down he realized that he was wearing different clothes compared to what he saw in the reflection. Staring back at his reflection he felt a lump forming in the back of his throat. He started slowly backing away from the glass until he bumped into a black wall.

"I'm not that man anymore.
"I don't want to be seen as that man who could have ruined the lives of many.
"I want to be seen as someone else..."

Tears slowly streamed down his face and the sound of his sobs echoed throughout the empty room. Sliding down the wall he sat down on the floor and pulled his legs closer to the rest of his body as if he was protecting himself from something.

"You can't be someone else," a voice said.

"I want to be," Wilhelm replied through sobs. "I don't want to be this person."

"Well, you can't,"

"I want-"

"You can't change who you are Werner Heisenberg,"

"Don't call me that!" He yelled his voice trembling slightly.

Wilhelm continued to just sob loudly his tears flowing freely. Eventually, he stood up wiped his tears and began walking over to the glass wall. Once he got closer to the wall he clenched his fist and went to punch the wall. When his fist made contact with the glass it didn't shatter and all he felt was the smoothness and coldness of the glass on his hand. Placing both of his hands on the wall he gazed at the reflection through teary eyes. He eventually lowered his head and let out a soft whimper.

"You need to remember who you are Werner.
"You are a great scientist and a good person.
"You need to find yourself again. You can't continue to be under a different identity you need to be yourself. Your true self."

Wilhelm clenched both of his fists and started trying to break the glass wall again. Violently hammering his fists on the glass while incoherently cursing under his breath. After a while, he stopped and just placed his hands flat on the glass his breath coming in ragged gasps.

"You need to stop and accept who you are,"

"I can't accept what I have done," Wilhelm said as he started to sob again. "I was a part of something terrible. Something that could have destroyed the world."

"Stop hating yourself, Werner,"

"It's a good thing that people think that I'm dead,"

"You can't lie forever about who you are,"

Wilhelm just fell to his knees his hands slowly sliding down the glass. Tears slowly streamed down his face like rain gently falling from the leaves of trees after a storm.

"I don't want anyone to know who I am,"

"It's your choice. But lying won't help you,"

"I have no choice I'm afraid of people knowing about me and what I did,"

"You need to find a way to let go of that fear,"

"I can't..."

***

Wilhelm slowly opened his eyes and allowed them to adjust to the early morning light shining through the tent. He lay there taking slow deep breaths allowing his heart rate to slow down to a normal rhythm. Eventually, he heard footsteps outside rustling in the grass. Koralin entered the tent and looked down at the empty wooden picture frame along with the tiny pieces of glass that were scattered around it. She looked at Wilhelm with concern wandered over to him and knelt down in front of him.

"Mr. Hartmann?" Koralin asked with a touch of concern in her voice.

"What is it, Miss Assing?" Wilhelm asked as he sat up.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm just fine Miss Assing,"

Koralin grabbed the empty wooden picture frame and held it out in front of her. Wilhelm looked down at the grass trying to hide the sadness in his eyes. Koralin noticed this lowered the picture frame and placed it in her lap.

"Where is the picture, Mr. Hartmann?"

"Gone,"

"Why?"

"Because I didn't want to be reminded of those times. I didn't like that my brother was a Nazi,"

Koralin reached her arm out and placed her hand on Wilhelm's arm. Wilhelm looked up at her and she noticed the sorrow in his icy blue eyes. Wilhelm took a deep breath and gave her a small smile even though it was forced.

"I understand if you didn't like your brother being a Nazi. I'm in a similar situation with my older brother,"

"How are you in a similar situation?"

"My brother is in the communist party in East Germany. I know that he is my brother and I should love him. But I don't like the path he has gone down,"

"I see,"

"Speaking of my brother he is coming to visit me and my mother in a couple of days. Anyway, I better go help my mother I might see you later Mr. Hartmann,"

Koralin picked the empty picture frame up and placed it down beside Wilhelm's sleeping bag. She got up off the ground and exited the tent. Wilhelm sat there in silence anxiety coiling in a knot inside his stomach like a snake constricting it's prey.

Wilhelm thought to himself out of anxiety. "What if her brother recognizes me? I can't let a communist know who I am. If he does know who I am who knows what might happen to me."

Wilhelm picked up his fishing rod got up off the ground and exited his tent. The early morning sunshine felt like a hug enveloping him in its warmth. The grass blew in the gentle breeze and birds sang their cheerful tunes. Everything seemed calm on the outside compared to the storm inside Wilhelm's mind.

Wilhelm made his way into the town. The streets were surprisingly busy for the size of the town. Many people were making their way to work on foot some were riding bicycles. There was a small number of cars on the road the sound of their engines echoing throughout the streets and the smell of gasoline filled the air mixing with the saltiness of the sea.

Wilhelm heard the sound of a small bell ringing behind him. A young man with short curly black hair and jade eyes stopped his light blue bicycle beside Wilhelm. Wilhelm paused and looked at the young man who was trying to hand him a newspaper from the basket attached to his bicycle.

"Do you want a paper, sir?" the young man asked politely.

"Yes that would be nice thank you," Wilhelm said while taking the newspaper from the man's hand.

"Have a nice day sir,"

"You too young man,"

The man then rode off on his bike carefully avoiding the people walking down the street. Wilhelm walked over to a wooden bench and sat down on it placing his fishing rod down beside him. Opening up the newspaper and reading it he eventually got to a part that interested him.

Otto Assing is planning on coming to West Germany to have talks with members of the West German government on behalf of the leader of the East German government. He will be speaking with the members on Sunday. But it's rumoured that he will be spending time with his family on Thursday.

Continuing to read the newspaper he got to a part that made him feel a sense of guilt.

It's almost been 3 weeks since the former physicist Werner Heisenberg escaped East Berlin. No one in East Germany has seen him and the Soviet Army is still searching East Germany trying to find him. But no one knows if he is still in East Germany or if he has fled to West Germany and gone into hiding. There is still a high likelihood that he has possibly fled the European continent and gone to the United Kingdom. But the soldiers in East Germany will continue their search.

Closing the newspaper and rolling it up he put it into a pocket of his beige trench coat. Getting up from the wooden bench and grabbing his fishing rod he wandered down the street once more. Eventually, he reached the wharf the sound of the wood creaking underneath his feet. Once he got to the edge of the wharf he cast the fishing line out into the depths of the ocean. Gazing out at the vast ocean he saw some small sailboats slowly sailing across the gentle waves. Seabirds screeched overhead in their search for food. Wilhelm felt himself starting to relax his anxieties being pushed into the back of his mind while he focused on trying to catch a fish.

***

A few hours later the sun was setting over Emden. Wilhelm was in his tent sitting on his sleeping bag. Grabbing the box that was full of macaroons he decided to open it. He chose a pink macaroon and took a bite of it savouring the sweet strawberry taste. He then heard footsteps outside his tent. Koralin entered the tent holding a small brown leather bag she smiled a little bit when she saw him trying the macaroons.

"Do you like them, Mr. Hartmann?"

"Yes,"

"I'm glad that you enjoy them,"

"I haven't tried these things before. What are they even called?"

"They are called macaroons. They are my favorite,"

"I feel that they might be my favorite as well,"

Koralin then approached Wilhelm knelt down in front of him and placed the bag in front of herself. Unzipping the bag she grabbed a large black book which was titled "Physics" out of the bag. Placing the book down beside her she then zipped the bag back up.

"I want you to have this as a gift. You did tell me that you were interested in physics," She said as she picked up the book and held it out in front of him.

"Thank you, Miss Assing," he replied as he hesitantly grabbed the book.

Wilhelm opened the book up and started reading the contents. He then flipped through the pages until he got to something that was familiar to him.  He placed the book down in front of Koralin who read it with a sense of curiosity.

"The Uncertainty Principle,"

"Have you ever heard of it, Miss Assing?"

"Yes, I have,"

"Do you know who created the Uncertainty Principle?"

"Werner Heisenberg. He seemed like he was a very intelligent man. I do wish that I could have met him. I have an interest in learning about physics,"

Wilhelm closed the book and placed it beside his sleeping bag. Koralin stared into Wilhelm's eyes and noticed a hint of sadness in them.

"Is something wrong Mr. Hartmann?"

"I think that Werner Heisenberg is dead Miss Assing. No one has heard from him for almost a month,"

"I don't believe that he's dead. He could just be hiding somewhere. But I do wonder why he ran away from East Berlin."

"He probably had his reasons why he ran away from East Berlin. Just like I had my reasons why I ran away from that place,"

"That is very true. We all have our reasons for doing certain things. Anyway, I hope that you enjoy the book I better get back to my mother,"

"Goodnight Miss Assing and thank you for the book,"

Koralin picked up the leather bag got up off the ground and exited the tent. Wilhelm sighed deeply feeling guilty that he couldn't tell her the truth. He felt as if he was lost in an endless ocean full of his lies and turmoil struggling to find a way out of it. Getting in his sleeping bag he just stared up at the fabric of his tent unable to sleep from the many thoughts rushing through his mind.