6. I'm Dead, And Alive

In response to Slaughterhouse Five Chapter 6 (page 63-71)
Diary Entry
(Billy Pilgrim's perspective; Billy's journey to Dresden. Billy time travels to his moment of death then back to war.)

Dear Journal,
The day before we went to Dresden, I was in the hospital. When I woke up that day, I was with Lazzaro and Derby, and boy, was Lazzaro pissed. I think he had some anger issues. He told me that day that whenever people messed with him, they were always sorry. He told me his plan for the Blue Godmother who hurt him, how he planned to let him be for a few years, then one day someone'll knock on his door, and they'll say "Paul Lazzaro sent me" and shoot him.
He talked about Roland Weary.
Then, he proceeded to tell me that he was gonna shoot me after war because of what I did to Weary.
I suppose I should have been scared, but I already knew that was true. I'd seen it before.
"I, Billy Pilgrim, will die, have died, and always will die February 13, 1976" (Vonnegut, 66). I'm in Chicago, talking about the Tralfamadorians and Time. Ironically, I talk about the threat that is the cause of my death within the hour it happens.
I tell the crowd about Lazzaro and his threat and how he is an old man now, but he still intends to keep his promise that night. However, death isn't something I would ever fear, because I know it is not real. That is what the Tralfamadorians taught me.
Anyways, after the speech, some police offer to stay with me, but I don't let them. There, a laser gun is aimed at me from a dark press box...
I'm dead.


Then I'm back in 1945, a little while after Lazzaro threatened me. We all got dressed and headed to the theater. An english man gave a lecture on the importance of hygiene, which was rather odd if I'm being honest. Then he spoke about Dresden.
"Dresden is a beautiful city" he said. "You needn't worry about bombs" he said. "It is an open city" he said. "There are no war industries or troop concentrations of any importance" he said. If only.
Then, we marched.
It took about two hours to get there. It was quite beautiful, lovely really. Pretty much every other city in Germany was bombed, but Dresden was okay.
Walking through Dresden and passing people, it was strange. Unfortunate that I knew they would all be blown to pieces in a matter of days.
Well, we approached the Slaughterhouse. There was a number five on the door outside. This was the home for the American prisoners of war. Slaughterhouse five was our new home. For a littlw while at least.
There, that was the journey to Dresden.
How it was before it crumbled.
And if anyone or any book says different, they weren't there. They don't know.

Billy