Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story, even if I wish I did
Lullaby: Set Apart This Dream by Flyleaf (Imagine it softer if you actually listen to it)
"Natalia, it's almost bed time! Go wash up and I'll tuck you in, alright?" her mother's voice called from the kitchen.
"Okay Mama." she called back, looking up from her coloring. Natalia didn't exactly want to move, as she had gotten comfortable in her spot in front of the fireplace after dinner and had nearly finished the drawing she had been working on. It was a typical family picture, poorly drawn and labeled. Her father had been sick lately, something about work stress, so she tried to draw him healthy and smiling. Her baby brother was there also, and so was her older sister who was ten now. It had been difficult to draw her brother so she had decided to do a bundle shaped thing with a face. She decided she would give it to her mother when she came upstairs, wanting to put a ribbon on it she had in her room. Her small hand grabbed the rag doll she had just gotten for her fifth birthday, and turned to get ready for bed.
As she ran past the kitchen to reach the stairs she could hear her mother humming a familiar tune while she finished the last of the dishes. "Mama? Can you sing to me before I go to sleep?" she decided to ask, watching as the woman turned and smiled at her patiently. "Of course dear, now go wash up and change." her mother promised, before putting the dishes back in their cabinet.
The redheaded child seemed excited that she had agreed, despite the fact she usually had a story read to her or was sang to anyway. Sometimes they would talk about the ballet lessons she had been enrolled in with what little money they could squirrel away. She loved it, and had fallen asleep a few times just talking about the other girls in her small class. She entered the small, slightly cramped bathroom and got onto the step stool so she could brush her teeth. Two minutes, just like she had been taught, and then rinsed out the leftover toothpaste.
Her room was only a few feet away from the hall bathroom, and she pushed open the door when she reached it. She shivered at the cold that had worked its way into her room, knowing the house was usually a little drafty. She pulled the thicker nightgown from her closet, and tugged it over her head and grabbed some socks to keep her feet warm. Remembering the picture that she was still holding, she turned to grab the ribbon off the mirror where she had tied it. She then tied a bow with it and made sure that it didn't bend the corner too much to tie it around it. Then she turned towards the small twin bed and hopped onto it, clutching the gift and doll close. As she laid down on the bed, she tugged the blanket around herself and waited for the door to open.
It was only a matter of seconds before the door opened, revealing her mother as she walked into the room. Her hair was shorter than her own, but not by much. The weathered face was smiling at her, glad she didn't have to fight her to get ready for bed like she sometimes did.
The blankets were moved and tucked snugly around her, making sure she would stay warm despite the chill of the house. Then she began playing with her curls in the same soothing way. As she situated herself onto the edge of her bed, Natalia looked up and smiled before yet again remembering the drawing.
"I drew you something.. I wanted to put a bow on it first." she said, grabbing the picture off the bed beside her and then handing it to her.
"I love it. I'll put it on the wall when I go downstairs." she assured, smiling as she looked over the image. Her daughter was more of a dancer than an artist, but as any mother should, she assured her that it was good. "Now.. you need to go to sleep."
After pressing a kiss to her forehead she began to sing quietly, her words taking on a soothing and gentle quality. "Close your eyes pretty girl. 'Cause it's easier when you brace yourself. Set your thoughts on a world far off. Where we only cry from joy. Oh, set apart this dream. Oh, set apart this dream for me. Set apart this dream for me. Oh, lovely and beautiful, precious and priceless. You're so much more than you know, heart of the purest gold. Pure clean and white as snow clothed in such splendor. Oh, what a beauty for me…" the song trailed off as her mother seemed to notice she was already mostly asleep, and an affectionate smile was on her face. "I love you Natalia.. Sleep well." she spoke softly, adjusting the thick comforter over her body again to be sure that she wouldn't get cold.
"Love you Mama.." she mumbled, her eyes heavy with her bodies need to sleep and a content smile on her face.
"Goodnight my sweet girl.." she whispered, running a gentle hand over the red curls, and standing up. Natalia only made a small sound of acknowledgement, before curling up deeper under the blankets and beginning to doze off. The door was closed only after she had fully fallen asleep, dreams of ballet and pretty dolls preparing to fill her head.
The first thing to assault her senses as she came to was the scent of smoke. Heat quickly followed, the house was unnaturally warm for a Russian winter. The third was the sound of her bedroom door slamming open and hurried footsteps.
"Mama?" she asked, noticing the look on her face and coughing at the smoke filtering into the room slowly. It smelt horrible, and she was groggy enough not to fully realize that this was a potentially dangerous situation.
"Get up Talia. Come on, we're leaving." she said, keeping her voice quiet and light as she led her over to the window. They were on the second floor, and there were a few people outside who had been drawn by the fire to try and put it out.
"Mama what's going on?"
"It's not safe. Come on."
"But.. Where's papa and the others?" she wanted to know, and refused to budge much.
"Your sister is with him, they should be getting out now. They were heading downstairs. I'm taking you, and we'll all meet outside. I promise. Now come on." her mother scooped her into her arms as she stepped onto the ledge, looking desperately around for a moment as if though for someone to help. She still couldn't see any sign of her husband or children, and clutched Natalia tighter for a moment.
There was a large man standing there, looking up at them and extending his arms. "I'll catch her! Just throw her down and then jump too!" he called up, his voice barely heard over the sound of a beam crashing down in the hallway. The fire was compromising the structure of the wooden home already, and it seemed they only had a small window of opportunity to try to escape.
"I love you Natalia.." she seemed to know something the young child did not, and pressed her lips to her forehead before tossing her into the air. A cry of shock escaped the girl, feeling herself suddenly plummeting only to crash into the man's arms.
"You're safe. Your mother is coming now, it's okay." he assured, smoothing her hair gently and watching as the woman glanced back and then made to jump. That wasn't going to happen though, because as soon as she seemed to work up the courage to jump, another beam crashed down, sending her stumbling off the ledge and into the room. Fire was licking at the structure now, and the smoke was dark and menacing against the night sky.
As the fire raged on and her mother didn't reappear, she began to weep, the freezing temperatures making her eyes sting even worse. Her body was shivering as she cried, staring up towards the window she had been thrown from. "Mama!" she cried out. "Mama. Please! You have to help her!" she looked up at the man suddenly, her eyes wide and fearful, as if knowing what had happened already. The look on his face reflected her own suspicions, and he seemed mournful for the child he'd caught.
"Shh.. It's okay.. It's okay." he assured, moving to hold her closer and smoothing out her hair as she cried.
"But she's in there! She- She.. She's coming now, she has to!" she sounded desperate, a child's useless plea, suddenly beginning to struggle against his hold. She cried out again, watching as the building continued to crumble. Suddenly she remembered the doll that she had left on her bed, and the family that was supposed to have been outside now. Surely they would have come in this direction, and there weren't as many people outside as expected. No one looked familiar, and fear pooled in her belly as she tried to call out again. "Mama! Papa! Nikolai! Anna!" she began screaming out for her parents, desperate to receive some sort of response from her parents or siblings. "Anna! Anna please!" she had been told her sister was getting her father out of the house, and had been with Nikolai most likely.
He couldn't bring himself to tell her that none of her family had seemed to escape the fire unharmed or even alive. The building had caught flame so quickly, and he hasn't seen anyone get out besides her from where he had been watching. This was definitely not what he'd been expecting to see from just a simple observation assignment. "Hey.. What's your name? I'm Ivan."
"Natalia.." she answered, sniffling slightly and her voice sounding hoarse from the screaming. Her eyes were puffy from crying, and she kept looking around desperately for any sign of her family.
"Would you like to come with me? Out of the cold at least? I know a place, you'll be safe there." he suggested, wiping away a tear with his thumb. "I'm really sorry.. About for family. I tried to help.. But you can make a new family. I'll keep you safe." he was trying to tempt her with offers of a new life, but couldn't tell if it were working.
"I.. But my family.. They… They have to be alive, right? They.. They loved me, they wouldn't leave me.." her words sounded so desperate and pained, and yet there was a creeping understanding on her face. They truly wouldn't come for her. Never again would her sister braid her hair and cheer on her ballet practices. Nor would her mother sing her to sleep, hold her close when she was scared as she should be now, or tell her stories. She wouldn't let her help with whatever baking they could do, or sew her dresses. Her father wouldn't play the piano for her again, while letting her sit on his lap, or dance with her mother in the living room. Her baby brother would never age, never grow into the handsome young man they always said he would be. She wouldn't be able to play with him or watch the way he looked so happy about almost everything.
"They can't.." her voice seemed to give out as she broke into another fit of sobs, shaking with both cold and pain. Meanwhile Ivan never stopped stroking her hair, trying to provide some form of comfort for the small child.
A few minutes passed and she sniffled as she calmed down, only occasionally jerking as she tried to even out her breathing. "Where would we go?" she asked, blinking slowly and wiping her eyes. The idea of somewhere warm was nice, and she was exhausted from crying.
"I have a truck, it's a bit of a long drive." he was making sure she was going to willingly go. "Don't worry.." he added.
"C-Can we.." she asked, blinking a few times to clear her vision again, to which he responded with a nod. He carried her in the direction of his truck, knowing she wasn't going to be walking much at the moment and wanting to buy her a few moments to recover from what she'd witnessed. He pulled open the passenger door to the ZIS-5, and situated her inside, making sure she was buckled. Then he walked over to the other side of the truck, and glanced over before starting it up. Her eyes were locked with an expression of longing and pain on the still burning home. He reached over to put his hand on her shoulder lightly, giving her a smile of assurance before beginning to drive.
A/N: Alright, so this is my first chapter of a story I plan to have cover her time in the Red Room. We'll see what happens. I was wondering what my readers think, how they'd like languages to be handled, etc. Do you want the text all English but it's understood they're speaking Russian, or when it's in any language but English have it in that language such as: "Vstavay!" (Get up) the booming voice commanded. Let me know, also reviews in general bring on chapters faster!