Chapter 12
They'd left the town center and Kate had led them down a path Nastya had not yet walked until they reached a gate. A chapel stood there surrounded by a graveyard.
Shivers ran down the blonde's spine at the sight and she was wondering why Kate had decided to bring her here out of all places.
Her voice sounding indifferent as per usual, she asked the redhead. “What is this place?”
Kate rubbed her neck sheepishly and glanced at the taller girl. “You don't like it, right? I know it can seem pretty dark and intimidating, but it's one of the main sights here in Carbury, apart from Fairy Hill and Carbury Castle.
"This is the main cemetery of our town and the town's people usually go to this chapel every Sunday for the holy mass.
"My family is not very religious unlike most of the people in this town, however, so we rarely ever go here, unless to bring flowers to my grandparents' grave.”
Nastya was honestly relieved to hear that Kate was not religious. Having grown up mostly in the streets had resulted in the blonde not caring for religion, or believing in any God.
After all, if there was one then why did so many innocent people, many of them children have to suffer so much and live in poverty and fear?
This world was not just and it was ruled by the rich. Nastya had learned that from an early age on. Money makes the world go round, as an English saying went which she deemed very accurate.
Nastya snapped out of her thoughts by Kate asking her. “Are you religious by the way, Nastya? From what I have heard Russians tend to be pretty religious, much like the Irish.
"However, you somehow don't ping me as a very religious person. Correct me if I'm wrong.”
Nastya cocked her left brow, surprised by the younger girl's on-point assessment of the situation. “You are correct, Kate. I am not religious. However, people in Russia generally are rather religious.
"I am surprised to hear you are aware of that fact. Have you read it in a book you have lent from the town's library?”
Kate felt her cheeks flush at Nastya's question, nodding slowly. “I have read it in one of them actually, yes. Despite being a non-believer myself I've been interested in religions around the world when I was younger.
"Other countries and cultures have always fascinated me and my biggest wish would be to travel the world and see different places, explore and go on adventures, meet people from different countries. That kind of thing.”
Nastya felt a flutter in the pit of her stomach at that revelation, an idea beginning to form in the back of her mind.
'I could offer her to accompany us on our tour through the country. She could get to see new places, meet new people and we could stay together.'
The blonde bit her lip and started. “You could accompany us on our tour through Ireland, Kate. I am certain my father would be happy to allow you to join us.
"The family is always happy to welcome new members into its rows and I would be pleased to have you accompany us as well.
"It is only an offer though. If you do not approve of the idea, I understand. You should give it some thought first and talk to your parents.”
Kate, unbeknownst to Nastya had hoped the blonde would ask her that question, but not wanting to come over as needy, she told her. “I will consider your offer, Nastya. You're right, I definitely need to talk to my parents first and discuss this with them.
"As much as I like the idea of joining your theater group on your tour through my home country, I'd feel bad to leave my parents behind and force them to tend to the farm all by themselves.
"Also, I'm reluctant to leave Phoebe behind as well. She doesn't have many friends and despite our quarrels in the past, we love each other and care deeply for each other.
"She's my baby sister and I'm afraid to abandon her like this...”
Nastya nodded in understanding, already having expected as much.
'Of course, she would not agree to your idea right away. It was foolish of you to think otherwise.
She has family here, friends and responsibilities. She is not like you who was homeless, having no family, or friends when the family found you and was kind enough to take you in.'
The duo had entered the graveyard, despite Nastya's initial doubts about the place. As they walked through the rows of tombstones, the sun shone through the trees causing the silver facial jewelry above Nastya's left brow and on her cheek to glow.
Kate, unable to help herself and knowing they were the sole visitors of the graveyard at this time of day, reached one hand up to trace the crescent-shaped metal piece above Nastya's left brow, gently tracing it.
Nastya's breath hitched, her heart beating wildly in her chest. Kate was astonished at that unexpected reaction, Nastya's cheeks to her surprise having turned the softest hue of pink, her eyes closed, lips parted.
The shorter girl licked her lips at the alluring sight, carefully caressing the shining silver piece, the metal surprisingly warm under her touch.
Kate couldn't help herself and asked under her breath. “What are these? They aren't simply jewelry, are they? The fact that you are so sensitive here clearly proves that they must have a certain meaning and be attached to your nerve endings in some kind of way.”
Kate mentally cursed her curiosity which she had been unable to keep at bay, afraid to have gone too far in asking the taller girl about what seemed to be a delicate subject to Nastya.
The blonde slowly opened her eyes, the almost complete whiteness now present where before ice-blue had been shocking the redhead.
Her tone sounded distant as Nastya replied. “I had expected you to ask me about them eventually, but I must admit that I had hoped the question would not arise this soon. It is something I do not enjoy talking about since the memories it evokes are very unpleasant.
"However, I feel like you deserve an explanation and I trust you won't tell anyone else about this or judge me for what I am about to share with you.”
Kate nodded in confirmation, the two of them had come to sit on a bench under an old oak tree, Nastya keeping a safe distance from the younger girl, preparing for the worst.
“As I have already told you before I have lived in the streets for most of my life. I was born into a very poor family.
"Money was always a problem for as long as I can remember and I had to tend to the house and watch over my younger siblings while our parents were at work.
"When they came home, all they did was drink and sleep. They were of no help doing chores which were all left in my responsibility, as well as my younger siblings, I had nine of them.
"The sole things those people seemed to be good at was copulating and procreating. We also had various animals and pets that needed lots of care and attention as well, which once again mainly I had to provide them.
"Then one day, I was six years old, almost seven a man came to our house. Mother opened the door for him and she soon called me over. I had a bad feeling about this from the beginning and when she then told me that this man would take me to his place with him, I knew my worst assumptions had been right.
"I did not wish to leave my younger siblings, or the animals behind, but I was left with no choice. Mother and father did not care if they would never get to see me again.
"In all honesty, I am convinced that they were glad to be rid of me, one less mouth to feed.
"The man possessed the biggest horse carriage I had ever seen before. It was golden and to me that was a clear sign that he must have been very rich.
"Inside the carriage sat a woman in expensive attire. She acted very kindly and sweet in the beginning, but something about her seemed off from the start.
"It was her eyes, they were lacking any warmth and so was her voice. I merely realized that much later, however.
"Her name was Alice and she was clearly a foreigner, from which country, I do not know, but I would presume France. She was of petite stature, yet her aura was downright intimidating, if not chilling.
"The man who turned out to be a doctor, or so he claimed merely introduced himself to me as 'The Doctor'. He was a maniac and in my own opinion did not deserve that title, nor to be a free man.
"When we arrived at the huge mansion, there were six other children who were all around the same age as me. There was a medical ward in which I was forced to undress, so 'The Doctor' could examine me.
"He diagnosed malnutrition and dehydration but reassured me that he would be easily able to cure those symptoms and even help me rid me of the feeling of hunger, as well as the need for the ingestion of solid food altogether.
"He also promised to enhance my strength, intelligence, stamina, and senses.
"I did not believe him at first, well how could I? But it should soon turn out that that fact did not matter since he had his ways of 'enhancing my physiology', as he liked to refer to it without my consent.
"I never got to talk to the other children.
"Two more children arrived at the facility soon after me and I had been given the designation Seven of Nine, as I was the seventh child out of nine to have arrived there.
"The man who I only knew by the alias of 'The Doctor' had soon grown fond of me if you will, and as his 'priced pupil' I was granted lots of more freedom and was able to access the rest of the building.
"One day, while the other children were getting their weekly exams and Alice was out of town, I seized the opportunity to flee.
"I ran as fast and far as I could which thanks to my enhanced stamina and strength must have been quite far. On my way, I came by a baby which lay on the doorsteps of a church.
"I simply could not leave this innocent child behind, so I grabbed it and took it with me on my journey.
"For the next few years, I lived in the streets, disguised as a boy since I learned quickly that finding work was much easier if you were male than female.
"Because of my looks, the implants, and the rags, I was wearing I did not manage to find many jobs, but I somehow got Natascha and me through.
"We soon moved to the underground where it was far easier to find odd jobs to work even as a young homeless kid.
"Natascha was very far for her age, always surprising me. I mostly left her with other people while I went to work during the day.
"Then one day even working odd jobs had become increasingly tough, but a woman approached me one day, seducing me.
"I was inexperienced, at first not having a single clue as to what she even wanted from me, but she guided me through the whole thing and later asked me if I had ever considered doing this for money.
"According to her, women would be willing to pay a fortune to get to sleep with me and in the end, I agreed.
"Those were by far the toughest times and I was deeply ashamed, humiliated after every single time, hardly able to look Natascha in the eyes anymore who had turned into something like a little sister to me, who I was very fond of and protective of.
"Then one day, another young woman approached me. I immediately liked her and knew I could trust her, which was a new experience for me.
"She spoke in an accent, which I at first could not place, but she soon told me that she was originally from Greece.
"During my years spent at 'The Doctor's' facility, I had read a lot of books and come across this country in one of them.
"The dark-haired woman who later introduced herself to me as Dee, stating that her original Greek name was too hard to pronounce for foreigners, told me about Pjotr and the Voyager theater group.
"After I had broken down and confessed to her the sins I had committed, selling my body for money to women, she wasted no time bringing Natascha and me to safety.
"Pjotr immediately accepted us as his own and inofficially adopted both Natascha and me.
"We then toured Russia and other European countries, until we eventually came to your home town.”
Nastya had averted her gaze in shame, tears brimming in her eyes. “I... understand if you do not wish to associate with the likes of me any longer, Kate.
"I am scum who does not deserve to be given as much as a second, no not even a first glance by a girl as innocent and pure as yourself, not even to mention beautiful.”
Tears streamed down Kate's face, her heart aching at all the hardships the other girl she'd grown so fond of over the time they'd spent together.
She hugged the blonde tightly, to Nastya's shock, her voice hoarse and thick with tears. “You are not scum, Nastya! I won't tolerate you downgrading yourself like that.
"You're the most gorgeous, intelligent, fierce, courageous, extraordinary girl I've ever met in my life!
"I love you, Nastya, and what happened to you is a crying shame.
"I wish I could erase those scars on your heart and all those horrible memories, the trauma, the hardships you were forced to go through in your life and make you see what I see in you.
"I am never ever gonna turn my back on you, or abandon you as those people did. They do not deserve the title of parents.
"The way they treated you and your siblings make them sound like monsters. I hope they'll rot in hell!
"They are scum, Nastya, and that Doctor and Alice as well.
"You, on the other hand, are anything but that.”
Nastya's eyes were wide, tears now running down her own cheeks as well and she let them.
Her voice was cracking as she muttered. “Y-you l-love me? How?”
Kate chuckled softly, a huge grin on her face, her hands gently wiping away the blonde's tears. “Oh, I dunno. It's not all day a foreign beauty that might as well be a deity comes 'round this town and agrees to spend her spare time with me out of all people.
"I fell for you the moment I saw your performance that night. It might sound sappy, but it was love at first sight.”
Nastya felt her heart leap at the redhead's unexpected confession, her cheeks heating up, she muttered. “Same here. From the moment you came to my trailer that day I was entranced by you. No, that is incorrect.
"Actually, I believe that in a strange way I already was from the day of my performance as well.
"The whole time during it, I had felt like someone was watching me intently, not that usual feeling of the crowd gazing, but a specific person staring at me, almost burning holes into my skin.”
Kate whined out embarrassingly. “Nastya that is... Gods, that's so embarrassing, but I couldn't stop staring, you captivated me with your charms.”
Nastya chuckled in amusement, smirking at the younger girl. “So I see, Kate.”
The duo soon decided to head back to the Janeway farm, tgeir hearts beating wildly in anticipation for something neither was truly aware of what it might be.
Kate for her part was more determined than ever to accompany the Voyager theater group and mainly Nastya on their tour around the country.
The only problem she saw in this was convincing her parents.