Reality of Winter

1. Ostranenie

(n.) encouraging people to see common things as strange, wild, or unfamiliar.

1st person point of view
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      As I am sitting in one of my final classes, of the day and of the year, my mind can't help but reminisce about the memories this year had given me. Like the time where Timur came into Science with a pink polo because he washed his red tie with it or the time Nadia got stuck in her locker, and even the time when the skinny boy, Pavel, beat Konstantin, the biggest boy, in a training exercise.

     Zoned out, a loud noise hit the table in front of me. Sucked out of my thoughts, there stood my angry history teacher. As he continued walking, he kept his eyes focused on me, he gave me a withering look, with a few students snickering around me.

     Embarrassed, I turn my attention back to the board and listen to his boring lecture. While he was blabbering about the same thing that has been drilled into my brain for the past 10 years, my mind can't help but wonder.

     Was the entire Earth really like this? Stuck in what seems like concrete zoos? All following or not following the way of Hydra? No one thought differently than what is shown to us on the board? If the world was around so long, why was there only a few decades worth of history? Questions that I, unfortunately, could never ask, I sat there pondering, was there nothing good in the world? Would it all be fighting until the bitter end? Would the last two humans find something to fight about each other with? Sucked out of my thoughts once again, the bell rings, with the teacher telling us all of the great things we were about to accomplish in our journey with Hydra. It wasn't really a journey for me, I was born here, and apparently, I am meant to die here as well.

     I overheard that a few students came from outside. Not born in an ugly fortress. I always wondered what it was like. To be out there. I have been outside, don't get me wrong, but I've seen maps of big cities. I can't help but think of what being in one would look like. Of course, the thoughts of everyone I see would be out to kill me, for just being me, made me want to stay put. Never wanting to leave the safety that this underground oasis has provided me with. I never understood why they told us that. How would they know to kill me?

     Walking to the cafeteria, my thoughts screaming at me. Everyone there looks different, except for the twins. The Maximoffs. But even then, how would anyone outside know to kill me or even want to? I'm not that interesting of a person.

     All thoughts stopped when I felt a rush of wind right beside my ear. Turning my head, I see a knife in the wall, inches from my head.

     "What? You didn't see that coming?" Pietro screams across the room. I quickly dart to where I find the twins, they were much younger than me, however, they were my closest acquaintances. They were also surprisingly mature for how old they were. You could never really get too close with anyone here. Sometimes they would leave and never return. No one would know where they went.
     "You say that way too much," I say to Pietro.
     "What do you mean, no I don't." he quickly said. That boy always seemed quick. Quick reflexes, quick responses. It was weird.

     His sister gave him a look, one that made Pietro start pouting.

     "Do I really say it a lot?" he asked.
     "Yes." me and Wanda said together. Sometimes I swear she could read my mind. I just think it's because we were close. We are taught to have no emotional attachment to anyone or anything. But we were kids, what did that mean to us? Plus when the twins came, I saw something in them. A sense of peace, I suppose.