IVANOV ~ yelena belova

𝟎𝟎𝟑

Karina immediately got up from the cold, dusty floor and stood up straight so she didn't appear weak and submissive. They were both standing across from each other in their small shared room, neither of them breaking eye contact.

Even as she made her way to her own bed, Yelena's intimidating gaze never wavered. She sat down slowly, paying close attention to Karina's movements. Karina took this as an invitation to sit on her own bed. The tension in the room was thick as neither of them broke the heavy silence.

"My name is Karina Ivanov," she said, clearing her throat. Karina shifted awkwardly as the blonde continued to stare at her as if she were a puzzle. But she kept her posture straight and her gaze fixed on Yelena to show she wasn't afraid.

She was well aware that first impressions would be crucial in this situation. Karina had heard of the stories about men dressed in black ripping little girls away from their mothers and never returning. She intended to survive and persevere through whatever they were going to put her through, for Sharlotta.

Yelena opened her mouth to say something after she finished studying Karina, but the sound of an alarm buzzing interrupted her. Karina looked around frantically for the source of the noise but couldn't find it, so she looked expectantly at the other girl in the room, as if to ask what they should do.

"Get under of the covers, quickly," Yelena said urgently. Karina immediately followed her instructions, fearful of what would happen next. She wanted to go home and curl up in the safety of her own bed. Yelena saw her terrified expression and felt an immediate need to reassure her, but she knew that getting close to anyone in the Red Room wouldn't be good for either of them. So she resulted in simply rolling over to face the wall.

A guard entered the room after the heavy door was unlocked from the outside. Karina shuffled away from him when she noticed a glint from the metal object in his hand. However, the guard grabbed her hand and roughly handcuffed her wrist to the bed. Thoughts of what the guard might do to her, laying handcuffed and vulnerable, raced through her mind.

Karina became more violent as a result of her thoughts and kicked the guard in the abdomen.

"Get off of me, сука" she grunted as he stumbled back with a grunt, and Karina yanked on the handcuffs in an attempt to free herself. The guard, on the other hand, recovered quickly and did not hesitate to punish her. He straddled her waist as she lay exposed, and her breathing became shallow. However, he punched her in the cheek, causing her head to snap to the side. But he didn't stop until she was bleeding and bruised.

Yelena sat in her bed, quietly watching the scene unfold. She silently begged Karina to not react and just let the guard handcuff her. But she knew it was unlikely; Yelena had reacted similarly when she was first sent to the Red Room. All of the adrenaline and uneasiness builds up on the way to the institution and it was natural for her body to react when she felt threatened.

Yelena looked away as the guard continued to beat Karina. Her ears were tortured by the small whimpers that came from the girl's lips. Yelena was used to the sound of skin hitting against flesh and violent fights. However, the girl laying next to her was vulnerable and unable to defend herself.

After releasing his rage on Karina, the guard moved on to Yelena, handcuffing her wrist to the bed. The guard looked at Yelena with a testing look in his eyes, as if he were challenging her to do the same as Karina. She, on the other hand, just gave him a defiant glare and turned away. The guard smirked at both girls before exiting their cell.

"That was a stupid move, you know?" Yelena muttered, turning to face Karina, who appeared to be fighting back tears as she stared at the ceiling.

In response, she turned her head and glared at Yelena. "It was a natural reaction to a 6ft tall man coming at you with handcuffs," she huffed.

Yelena chuckled and shook her head. She wasn't sure if her attitude was a good or a bad thing. It proved her resilience, but if she spoke like that to Dreykov or Madame B, they would not hesitate to execute her.

"You know you should watch your mouth if you want to survive here," Yelena advised, having learned the hard way.

Karina reluctantly nodded, knowing it would be wise to take the girl's advice.

The lights went out, signalling that it was time to sleep. Both of the girls turned away from each other and settled down. But Karina couldn't close her eyes without picturing the horrors that might be lurking in the shadows. She always used to be afraid of the dark, but the thought of her mother and sister in the next room provided some comfort. But she didn't have that right now, so she hid under her thin, scratchy blanket.

Yelena was wide awake as well, but for a different reason. When she closed her eyes, she could see and hear the screams of the innocent mothers, children, and families she had murdered.

As a result, the room was left in the hands of two people who were too afraid to sleep, wishing for comfort from another.

"Yelena," said the blonde girl.

"Hmm?" Karina responded, confused by the girl's sudden words.

"Yelena, that's my name," she explained.

"Oh. "Goodnight," Karina said softly.

"Goodnight," Yelena replied quietly.