Uranium ➵ The Old Guard

➵восемь

"Natalia!" she cried, jolting up. She was not in her bed. One minute Natalia was next to her climbing and the next she falls into a dark chasm, Aleandra not too far behind.

This was worse than what she was used to. Watching her colleagues die was something she had already seen, nothing could happen to them anymore. But Natalia was still alive, she could still leave Aleandra.

Nathaniel came rushing in, water flying everywhere from his hands. His face was paled and his movements quick and jerky as he stumbled to the side of Aleandra's cot.

"What?" he asked, looking desperately at her. "What is it? Tell me?"

Aleandra took a few more breaths to steady herself and then turned to Nathaniel. She reached for his hand and squeezed it lightly, checking to make sure she was awake now.

"I just had a bad dream is all. Thank you," she breathed out. Nathaniel's face softened and he placed his other hand over Aleandra's. 

"It's no worries," he replied. "My orders are to watch over and take care of you. I don't get a choice."

Aleandra scoffed, smiling. "I don't think your orders were to comfort me through a nightmare."

"No," he smiled. "No, they weren't."

Aleandra shifted so she was sitting up more comfortably. "Can I have food?"

-

Andy shifted in her sleep, turning her head to the other side as she lay belly-up on the couch the hotel provided. Her brows creased in worry. The scene that was playing beneath her eyelids hurt to watch, but she stayed asleep. It was the only way she could be connected to Aleandra Dimitrov.

What could they possibly want from her for it to come to this? Andy winced as Aleandra's elbow popped back and she screamed out a name. Na–something–l.

No matter how long Andy had been alive the pain burned fresher into her if it was inflicted on someone else she cared about. She could never shake it.

A man was getting beat up in front of the woman. She obviously cared for him as she cried his name over and over, blubbering words falling out of her mouth.

"Shut up!" A man yelled at her. Aleandra only screamed louder, out of spite it seemed. Andy gave a small smile. She hadn't even met the woman and was already proud of her.

"I'll kill him," the man threatened. Aleandra glared at him but quieted her screaming nonetheless. A dark glint caught Andy's eye, she knew it from almost anywhere. The promise of pain.

Aleandra yanked herself free from the person holding her in place. It was sloppy but she got out all the same. He was slow to react when she punched him in the face. He hobbled backward clutching his nose in his hands.

Aleandra took a few breaths as the room went silent. The man she cared about was the only one making any sound, moaning in pain. His tormentor had stopped, shocked that Aleandra had landed a punch on his partner.

"Karl?" he called to his friend before turning to Aleandra. Karl nodded, signaling he was alright. "I'm going to make you pay for that, witch." 

Andy felt her blood run cold. He couldn't know, could he? There was no way he knew. They never told anyone about it, they killed them if anyone found out. He was just calling her names. He just hated nuclear warfare.

Andy watched Aleandra die.

She sat up on the couch, her expression impassive. Her lip twitched slightly as she wiped the sweat off her brow. She had yet to experience a simple, happy slumber. Visions of...she didn't want to think about it.

She stood up, unsticking the tank top from her torso as she went. Marching her legs, she walked to her bag looking for new clothes–ones that weren't sticky with sweat.

Aleandra never left her mind as she pulled the clean shirt over her head. Her body itched to be there, to protect her. But she knew that was impossible, they had to wait until they knew where she was. Andy preferred to wander until she found her. That's how she had found everyone else–dreams and luck.

She scoffed at herself, she sounded like someone who complained about nothing comparing to the 'old times' in the '20s. Those people had always made her mad. Did they not see the progress they had made? They were stupid and blind. She never wanted to be one of them.

The thought still crossed Andy's mind multiple times during the next hour. She couldn't unhear the man calling her a witch–something she was all too familiar with. That was it, she was going.

"I'm coming Aleandra," she said hoisting her bag over her shoulder.