Chapter: 3
6 months later:
Her room felt especially cold that morning, it wasn't the nicest room ever, some would even call it a dungeon, but at least it was hers. There wasn't a lot Natasha had left in her life.
The room had a single window in a 20 by 10 room. It was fairly well lit and the room had been painted a dull green colour, at least it was some colour.
She was grateful of Ivan for taking her in, although she did wish that she had nicer living quarters, was that wrong? The paint was chipped after all.
Maybe today they'd paint her room, if she was lucky. hopefully a nicer colour.
However today her bedroom wasn't what was bothering her.
She was nervous, for the first time in a long time she was nervous. She'd known for weeks that she was losing her tutor and joining a class room with other children, but the thought of meeting other children that were with in her same circumstance was worrying her.
To be honest Ivan told her from the start that if she was 'health' that she would be joining the class and that her tutor wouldn't be around for very long.
It wasn't that she liked her tutor, in fact she only knows her as Miss H and on one instance she heard a guard call her Lieutenant.
She would miss her, she just didn't want to meet new people, when you meet people you grow close and when you grow close people have a habit of dying.
That made her worry about Ivan, she liked Ivan, she needed him, he was the only stability she had in the past two years, if she lost him she doesn't know what she would do.
She was also given a new uniform that day, it was even less colourful than her room, plain old grey track suit with a red star on either shoulder.
The clothes were comfortable and kept her warm in the freezing room, there was even a note hidden in the pocket from Ivan. 'Good luck on your first day, make me proud. Ivan.'
It brought a small smile to her face, it showed her that he did care and that also made her worry for him. We can't lose him.
She crumbled up the paper and put it back in her pocket, she composed herself and walked out of her room. Show time.
There was a guard waiting for her at the end of the hall who would take her to her classroom, she was used to the guards and soldiers around the place, Ivan had already explained where they were and what they did here...well some of the details were changed but at least she had a name for her new home. The Red Room. It became clear very quickly to her that the guards and soldiers were here to protect her.
She felt a little offended, she was adamant that she could protect herself and that she didn't need anyone...even if they did have a high powered machine gun.
The guard didn't say a word to her as they walked, which was just as well, she was too nervous and caught up in her own thoughts to talk, although as she got close to the classroom the nervousness started to fade and be replaced by anticipation and excitement to meet girls her own age, finally.
In her head she kept track of all the turns and doors that they walked through, she was constantly actively thinking but at the same time totally aware of her surroundings, more so than anyone else she'd met so far.
Every crack in the walk, every flicker of the light bulbs, the small sounds of people talking that were barely able to make out, she heard and saw it all.
Sometimes it would give her a headache when she thought about things too much, it seemed like she obsessed over every detail in any room and about people. The headaches would hurt so bad that it kept her from sleep, however Ivan reassured her that the pains were normal, it was all apart of growing up and that they will disappear soon. Not soon enough, God I can feel one building...
She turned to the guard that was walking with her and noticed the thick yellow callouses on his fingers and the raw pink on his neck from a bad shave, his fingers tabbed on the handle of his gun with no real rhythm and he'd grind his teeth at least 3 times since they started walking. He was a smoker, middle aged, not a new recruit but definitely not a high ranking officer, his nerves seem shot and he smells of yeast and tobacco. His wormy scarred faces tell me he's no stranger to combat, but not well trained.
He turned his head to look down at her. "Do you want something?" He asked with irritation clear on his voice. He had noticed her staring at him for the past 30 second.
She didn't say a thing, just kept staring.
"Hello?" She maintained her gaze. "You kids really freak me out ya know that." he said under his breath as his head looked forward down the hall.
She was still looking at him. "You seem nervous." she stated. "Are you afraid of something?"
This most definitely creeped out the guard. "What?"
"You're hands are shaky and you've been grinding your teeth."
He looked down at her again and stopped in his tracks. "It's normal for some people." He said to her as he took out the near empty pack of cigarettes. "Especially for a smoker." He began to light a cigarette.
"I knew you were a smoker, but judging from the smell of your breath I'd say you had a cigarette just before you came and got me, also the yellow on your fingers is a dead give away." She walked on a little ahead. "The reason I asked is because you've been sweating and breathing fairly heavy."
The guard's face drops into a frown and wipes the sweat from his forehead.
"Also when I asked if you were afraid, you started tapping louder. By the way you can't smoke in the halls."
The guard took the cigarette out of his mouth and walked a little faster. He caught up with Natasha and before opening the door to the classroom he grabbed her shoulder tight to the point of pain.
She turned with a shocked look on her face. "You're hurting me." She said trying to pull away from his grip.
He flipped her over hard so her back was against the wall. "You might be something special to Ivan and all these doctors, but to me you're just a kid and you should learn to respect your elders." He pushed her shoulder back in a sudden jolt. "Now get to class."
Just rubbed her shoulder and walked slowly into the door. All she could think about was getting back at the guard. Who does he think he is? He better sleep with one eye open tonight...
When she opened the door she was greeted with stares from 7 other girls, they were dressed just like her, almost identical to each other. The only difference between all the girls were there hair colours, some with raven black, brunette and blonde, but Natasha was the only red head.
"You must be the girl Ivan was talking about." The teacher was in her thirties, she was quiet muscular but her face looked much younger than she really was. "Please come sit at the head of the class please number 4."
Natasha walked slowly to the chair her teacher had pointed at. As soon as she sat down she put her hand up, something Ivan told her to do if she had something to say.
"Yes 4 what is it?"
She slowly lowered her hand and looked around the room at the other girls that were still staring at her, some of them might even be older than her. "It's nothing, just my name is Natasha, not 4."
Her teacher came over to her and smacked the side of Natasha face with the back of her hand. "Wrong, you have the name we give you and your name is 4." Her teacher had completely changed at that point.
"But Ivan..."
Her teacher hit her again on the opposite cheek. "We do not question our orders 4, we all must do our duty and yours is to follow my orders." She raised her yard stick against Natasha chin. "Will that be a problem."
Natasha thought about her answer and much she'd love to shove that yard stick down her teachers throat, but instead fought back the urge. "No."
"No, what 4?"
She looked around at her fellow students all watching her even closer. "No...Madam."
She pulled the yard stick away. "Good, now everyone take out your books on advanced chemical science and radiation."
This is gonna be a good first day.
She'd finished off her essay before the other girls, their teacher had given them an essay on how you see human life, the subject threw her at first, but she soon realised that it was a psychological test, all of the girls here must have went through some sort of pain in the past and loss, they were just trying to profile them, so she lied, told them it was precious and that a human life is a gift from God. Meh, I'm gonna be sick.
The thought of life confused Natasha, what was it to be alive if you don't even know who you are?
She sat in silence watching the other girls in the room, there pencils burning furiously down the pages, light scratching noises filled the classroom.
Her teacher watched the room, like a hawk.
She noticed that Natasha was finished writing and slowly walked over to her table. "Is there something wrong number 4?"
Natasha stared up at her almost in a glare. "I've finished my assignment." She said passing her the filled file paper.
Her teacher looked through the papers, her eyes scanning every line. "Are you sure, number 4?" She asked, placing great emphasise on calling the young girl by her number in a hope of intimidating her.
Natasha lowered her head.
"Look at me when I talk to you girl!" she said gripping Natasha's jaw tight and forcing the girl to meet her eyes. "I can teach you many things in my class, but I have no time for bad manners, lets not make a habit of these embarrassing conversations, number 4." Her words were as cold as ice and filled Natasha's mouth with venom.
The entire class was now looking at Natasha, they were all waiting on Natasha's response. She didn't keep them waiting.
"I wouldn't be in such a bad mood if you'd gotten rid of that smell from your breath."
The room went silent.
The old woman smirked and turned her back on Natasha.
Natasha's heart finally started beating normally, although she remained cool on the outside, she was cracking on the inside. I can't believe I got away with that.
As Natasha stood up to walk away, the old woman quickly turned and smashed the 4 year old over the side of her face, the hit was loud, put it didn't hurt half as much as it sounded, the old woman was angry but she knew not to hit a young girl with actual strength, although it was enough to have Natasha dazed.
Get up! As Natasha tried to get back to her feet she heard the old woman say something to her and call after someone, within 5 seconds Natasha was being dragged out of the room by two guards.
She tried to fight back their hold but to no avail, she thought about continuing the fight but she felt a concussion rising in the back of her head and then black.
2 hours later:
She was sitting on her bed with her knees high into her chest, she hadn't seen it yet, but there was a dark purple mark growing larger on her left blood shot eye and almost closing her eyelid over.
She'd woken in her room what'd felt like an hours ago but in reality was only 15 minutes.
Her eyes didn't move from that same spot since she'd woken up. All she could think about was getting her own back on that old bitch!
She was lost in her own thoughts so much so that she didn't even notice the door being opened to her room and Ivan slowly walk in and greet her.
"Natalia?...Natalia!" He said more forcefully.
She snapped out of her daze and got on feet to greet him. "I'm sorry Ivan, hello."
Ivan's wide greet and open arms were all Natasha needed to feel at ease. "Please Natasha sit back down, its only me." he said sitting on Natasha's bed. He looked at the bruise on her face with real concern.
She joined him and leaned her head on his shoulder.
He held her head against him lightly. "Do you want to tell me what happened today?"
Natasha jumped from the bed. "She's the one that started it, she was picking on me ever since I walked into the class and she called me number 4! Plus she grabbed my face Ivan."
"Natalia!" He raised his voice. "Sit."
She looked down and sat beside Ivan again.
"I told you that this would be hard Natalia, the classes will be hard and so will the people."
She remained silent.
"Please Natalia, I'm here to help you."
She looked in the opposite direction. "I hate her Ivan, she makes me feel like a child." Natasha looked at Ivan. "Can't I be in another class?"
Ivan smiled and held Natasha close to him. "We all have to suffer in our lives child, life gives us these tests to find out who among us is the strong, we must endure, do you understand?"
Natasha looked into Ivan's eyes.
"That is why you are here Natalia, Russia has selected you to endure the pain that this country can't bare."
Natasha buried her head in Ivan's shoulder. "Why? Why does it have to be me Ivan."
Ivan lifted her head and spoke quietly to her. "Because you are special Natalia."
"What if I don't want to be special?"
"Its not up to us to be special, we are merely born with it in our bones Natalia, you and I." He assured her and placed a hand on her thigh. "We must use our gift, for the good of our people Natalia, don't you agree?"
Natasha nodded slightly. "Will you help me, when it gets hard?"
Ivan smiled and gripped her thigh and little tighter, which made Natalia feel a little uncomfortable. "I am always here for you Natalia."
Ivan got off the bed and walked to the door. "Please do try to be nicer to your teachers Natalia, we don't want anymore accidents like this do we?"
Natalia smiled at her guardian. "No Ivan, I'll be better, for you."
"I know you will sweetheart, for both of us."
Natalia nodded quickly. "I love you Ivan."
"I love you too dear, now rest, you have a big day tomorrow." Ivan left the room and the door was locked shut after him.
Ivan was now back in his office watching the phone with great intensity.
It finally rang. "Hello, has the boy been taken?"
"yes sir, we have him inbound now."
"Good, how old?"
"6"
"Excellent, prep him for the guardian program as soon as possible."
"Yes sir."
Ivan was about to hang up the phone. "Wait! What is the young man's name?"
"Alexei, Alexei Shostakov."
So sorry. Yeah I know its been awhile but my computer has been broken and I almost lost everything on this story and other stories I'm writing at the minute. But again I am so sorry and hopefully the updates will be more frequent now that my laptop is back, FINALLY! Hope you guys liked this chapter, after this there will be a two year jump and a very different Natasha.
Again thanks for reading and please review if you can.