" At three oclock (Hello had left but was supposed to come back later), the doorbell rang. I didnt hear it, since I was out on the balcony, lazily reading in the sun. A little while later Margot appeared in the kitchen doorway looking very agitated. Father has received a call-up notice from the SS, she whispered. Mother has gone to see Mr. van Daan (Mr. van Daan is Fathers business partner and a good friend.) I was stunned. A call-up: everyone knows what that means."
" Visions of concentration camps and lonely cells raced through my head. How could we let Father go to such a fate? Of course hes not going, declared Margot as we waited for Mother in the living room. Mothers gone to Mr. van Daan to ask whether we can move to our hiding place tomorrow. "
" The van Daans are going with us. There will be seven of us altogether. Silence. We couldnt speak. The thought of Father off visiting someone in the Jewish Hospital and completely unaware of what was happening, the long wait for Mother, the heat, the suspense – all this reduced us to silence"
" Heres a description of the building… A wooden staircase leads from the downstairs hallway to the third floor. At the top of the stairs is a landing, with doors on either side. The door on the left takes you up to the spice storage area, attic and loft in the front part of the house. A typically Dutch, very steep, ankle-twisting flight of stairs also runs from the front part of the house to another door opening onto the street. "
" The door to the right of the landing leads to the Secret Annex at the back of the house. No one would ever suspect there were so many rooms behind that plain gray door. Theres just one small step in front of the door, and then youre inside. Straight ahead of you is a steep flight of stairs. "
" To the left is a narrow hallway opening onto a room that serves as the Frank familys living room and bedroom. Next door is a smaller room, the bedroom and study of the two young ladies of the family. To the right of the stairs is a windowless washroom with a sink. The door in the corner leads to the toilet and another one to Margots and my room… Now Ive introduced you to the whole of our lovely Annex! "
" Now our Secret Annex has truly become secret. Because so many houses are being searched for hidden bicycles, Mr. Kugler thought it would be better to have a bookcase built in front of the entrance to our hiding place. It swings out on its hinges and opens like a door. Mr. Voskuijl did the carpentry work. (Mr. Voskuijl has been told that the seven of us are in hiding, and hes been most helpful.)"
" Now whenever we want to go downstairs we have to duck and then jump. After the first three days we were all walking around with bumps on our foreheads from banging our heads against the low doorway. Then Peter cushioned it by nailing a towel stuffed with wood shavings to the doorframe. Lets see if it helps! "
" Today I have nothing but dismal and depressing news to report. Our many Jewish friends and acquaintances are being taken away in droves. The Gestapo is treating them very roughly and transporting them in cattle cars to Westerbork, the big camp in Drenthe to which theyre sending all the Jews. Miep told us about someone whod managed to escape from there. It must be terrible in Westerbork. "