The Girl With The Red Eyes
Natalia Romanova
~~~
The new girl shows up when Natalia is fifteen. She has now been in the Red Room for ten years and has become cold and hard.
The real world is no place for niceties.
~~~
"Here is your room. This is your roommate Natalie," Madam Knox opens her door and a small blonde girl walks in. Her head is bent down and she stands half behind Madam Knox. Natalie wonders why she doesn't put up a fight. Gently Madam Knox judges the girl into the room.
"Natalie watch this one," Madam Grim orders and both the older ladies walk out locking the door behind them. Natalie is left with the wide eyed naive girl. This girl looks strikingly like the one from her dreams when she was just coming into the Red Room.
"What's happening? Why am I here?" the girl finally says something after they're gone. "Where's my parents?" Natalie looks into the girls striking red eyes and is reminded of herself. She was just as clueless and scared when she came. Natalie's lip quivers and she actually feels sorry for the girl.
"Your parents..." Natalie stops if she tells the girl that they are most lushly dead that will crush her spirits. "Are probably fine. You're just here to stay for awhile." It's a blatant lie but Natalie is good at lying now.
"Like summer camp?" she asks and Natalie's heart breaks. Natalie gives a smile and nods.
"Like summer camp." The girl gives her a shaky smile and Natalie wonders about her age. She can't be more than eleven.
"Well if we are sharing a room at this summer camp you should know I'm Nova and I'm ten years old. Eleven in a few months!" Oh the naivety and innocence of this girl!
"I'm Natalie and I'm fifteen," she'll indulge the girl. Only because Nova will surely not survive more than two days in training. They'll pick her off real quick. The thought makes Natalie shiver. The feeling makes her flinch back. Nova looks at her confused but shrugs after a second and jumps onto her bed.
"This is gonna be so much fun Natalie! We'll be besties before the summers over!" Natalie allows a smile and a small flutter of happiness. But only for a second.
~~~
"Natalie and Nova good night sleep tight," Madan Knox says nonchalantly and clicks Natalie's handcuff closed around her wrist. Natalie is used to it by now and actually has trouble sleeping without the security of it. Nova however is not.
"Why are you handcuffing her?!" Nova yelps.
"James," Madam Knox says and James grabs Nova holding her down on her bed. Madam Knox quickly and efficiently clicks the cuff on her right wrist and the other to the bed. Nova cries and fights but James is stronger. "Stop screaming! Sleep." Madam Knox slaps Nova and stomps out. James follows her. Natalie looks over at Nova. She feels sad for the girl who now struggles against the restraint and cries quietly. Her cheek is red and her eyes puffy. Natalie feels a stab of sympathy and guilt. She should have warned Nova.
"Lie still and lay back. Don't tug you'll hurt your arm," Natalie advises.
"Why are they doing this? Where's my parents!" Nova whimpers and Natalie closes her eyes to keep from seeing the crying girl.
"Nova please calm down," Natalie requests and the sniffling stops.
"How am I supposed to calm down!? I was taken from my parents to a strange manor somewhere in Russia, locked in a room and handcuffed to a bed! How am I supposed to calm down!" Nova snaps and Natalie sits up yanking her arm painfully in the process.
"Because the same thing happened to me and I am fine! But only because I followed the rules and kept silent," Natalie hisses angrily and Nova curls in on herself. The tears start again and Natasha regrets her outburst instantly. With a sigh Natalie pulls out a bobby pin and unlocks her cuff before heading over to Nova and unlocking hers. Nova rubs her wrist and Natalie sits next to her on the bed. They sit in a dreadful silence for a long moment before Natalie breaks it. "Look I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped. I'm not admittedly used to talking with younger girls or other people really." Nova wipes her eyes and looks at Natasha. Her red eyes are piercing and Natalie hopes she can't see her sins with them.
"It's okay. I know everyone gets angry sometimes," Nova forgives her in a second. Natalie misses that childlike trust she used to have. Novas will be gone soon. Along with her tears, courage, and empathy. Natalie can tell this girl is the type to care to much about others than herself. They will take that. "How long have you been here?"
"Ten years," Natalia replies. This girl deserves the truth. Nova takes in a shuddering breath and makes a strangled choking sound.
"I guess I'm not leaving when the summer is over then." Natalie screws her eyes shut and bites her lip. This girl deserves more than this. No one deserves life in the Red Room. Nova makes nod sound only leans into Natalie and cries.
~~~
Natalie awakens to heavy footsteps and opening doors. Looking down she observes Nova sleeping on her. Natalie isn't in her bed and both their cuffs are off.
"Shit!" Natalie swears and shoves Nova off pulling out the cuff and snapping it on before leaping into her bed, snapping her own back on, and hiding the bobby pin again. Adrenaline pumps through her veins and she takes deep steady breaths to slow her heart and calm down. Madam Knox will notice her upheaval. Natalie glances at Nova to see her slowly waking up and jiggling the cuff again. Their door swings open without warning and Natalie sits up with a smile.
"Ah Natalie always the early riser," Madam Knox praises stepping forward and using the key to unlock the cuff.
"Thank you Madam Knox," Natalie murmurs and gets up to grab her clothes for the day. Madam Knox unlocks Nova and gives Natalie a look.
"This one is weak Natalie." Natalie gulps and keeps a straight face.
"She is how I was," Natalie counters.
"Yes I suppose you're right and here you are our most valuable asset." Madam Knox says her poisonous words with praise but Natalie want to wretch. That's all she is to them an asset.