Ghosts of Kiev

Set across decades and locations—Wisconsin, Nevada, New York, and the haunting landscapes of war-torn Eastern Europe—Ghosts of Kiev is a psychological thriller and historical mystery that unravels the dual identity of a man who may be both a comatose American and a long-lost Holocaust survivor turned Nazi hunter. ⸻ Opening Dual Timelines – 1968, Wisconsin & Nevada: The story begins in snowy, rural Wisconsin, where a mysterious and intense man named Frank is interrupted during construction on his property by Chaim, a battered, older man who confronts him with a revolver. As it turns out, Frank is a former SS officer hiding in plain sight in the United States. In a tense confrontation, Frank overpowers Chaim and strangles him to death by the banks of the Wolf River—burying the body and setting fire to an old Nazi photo that implicates him. Simultaneously, in Nevada, a young man named James, fresh-faced and unremarkable, is involved in a head-on collision with a drunk driver. As he slips into unconsciousness, the scenes between him and Chaim blur—death, violence, and surreal images interweave their fates. ⸻ James Awakens – Five Years Later: James awakens in a hospital room after being in a coma for five years. Disoriented and with no memory of his identity or past, he is told by doctors and his supposed parents, Carl and Iris, that he is James Bennett. But James feels entirely disconnected from them and himself. More disturbingly, he experiences vivid hallucinations or flashbacks of concentration camps, Nazi officers, executions, and unspeakable trauma—memories that couldn’t possibly be his own. He dreams of Syrets, a brutal Ukrainian concentration camp, and sees through the eyes of a man named Chaim Rothstein. James is confused and terrified but compelled to investigate the origins of these visions. ⸻ Echoes of the Holocaust – Is James Actually Chaim? As James undergoes physical therapy with Vivienne, a compassionate French nurse who herself survived the war, he confides his fears and delusions to her. She treats his visions not as madness but as a possible echo of something deeper—memories of a soul or past life. James is drawn to her, especially her ring, which he recognizes despite his amnesia. He correctly identifies the jeweler and store in New York where she bought it, despite supposedly never leaving Nevada. He draws symbols from his dreams—most notably a circle containing triangles, which he cannot explain but repeatedly sketches. ⸻ The Search Begins – To New York and the Past: James leaves the hospital and his supposed family behind to follow these signs. He tracks the symbol to the New York diamond district and finds a store with a red awning, matching one from his visions. There, he meets Levi, a blunt and intimidating Holocaust survivor and jeweler. Levi is startled when James mentions the name “Chaim” and ultimately accuses him of being a spy or assassin sent by old Nazis. James is kidnapped and interrogated, and only escapes death when he reflexively recites a Hebrew prayer—something James should have no way of knowing. Levi tests him further. James signs a name blindfolded: Chaim Rothstein. The signature matches one from a letter Levi kept for years. Levi, convinced that James is either Chaim reborn or a man overtaken by his essence, explains the secret post-war Nazi hunting organization they both once belonged to. This group, made up of Holocaust survivors and resistance fighters, executed escaped SS officers around the world. Chaim was one of the most driven and deadly members—until he vanished five years ago. James, now teetering between his identities, is told to complete what Chaim started. Levi hands him a box of Chaim’s belongings—letters, photographs, and a weapon. James heads to Wolf River, Wisconsin. ⸻ The Return to Wisconsin – The Ghost and the Murderer: In Hiles, Wisconsin, James rents a remote cabin and begins his surveillance of Frank, who now lives quietly as the town sheriff. Frank has a daughter, Katie, who bears an uncanny resemblance to a woman in Chaim’s old family photo. Slowly, James realizes Katie may be the child of Chaim and his wife, stolen or raised by Frank. Haunted by vivid flashbacks of the Holocaust and the Babi Yar massacre, James recalls Chaim’s life as a prisoner forced to burn corpses and extract gold teeth for Nazi crematoriums. He remembers Frank—then known as Heinrich Strauss—commanding these atrocities with psychopathic calm. These visions grow increasingly clear and horrifying, merging with James’s waking life. James stalks Frank and his daughter. He considers killing Frank immediately, but hesitates when he sees Katie. As James digs deeper, he uncovers the truth: Frank was not just a guard, but the very officer who murdered Chaim’s family and tried to destroy all evidence of the crimes. ⸻ The Final Confrontation – Memory, Justice, and Identity: James finally remembers everything: Chaim’s imprisonment, the escape, his induction into Levi’s covert team, and the botched mission that led to his coma. He remembers being strangled by Frank—left for dead—before waking up as someone else. He confronts Frank at last. A psychological and physical showdown unfolds between the ghost of the victim and the aging monster who escaped justice. James forces Frank to face his crimes, reliving each one through James’s impossible memories. Frank breaks down but remains unrepentant. In the climax, James executes Frank, fulfilling Chaim’s mission. But it is not just vengeance; it is justice—on behalf of all the “ghosts of Kiev, of Warsaw, of Chelmno.” ⸻ Epilogue – A New Identity: After the deed is done, James returns to New York and visits Levi. He no longer identifies as James or Chaim alone, but as a convergence of both. Levi tells him that there are still others out there. More monsters wearing masks. James accepts the charge. He puts on the pendant with Chaim’s name, dons a long coat, and disappears into the crowd, ready to hunt again.