Eyes of Vengeance

Chapter 9: Ephemeral Peace

Act 2: Life Goes On

Chapter 9: Ephemeral Peace

            The next three months were relatively peaceful, Nataliya would do nothing but read in her room all day, then learn German from Heidi for about two hours after she returned from school. It was mundane, it was repetitive, and it was boring. Nataliya was bored, she wanted something, someone. She wanted to kill someone or kiss someone, either would have done. She wanted her sister back, and she wanted Lilia to love her, rather than think she was a monster.

            Heidi considered her and Nataliya friends, they talked often, but only because Nataliya couldn't talk to anyone else. Heidi had asked about the war at least a dozen times over those three months, each time Nataliya dodged the question. Heidi was frighteningly curious about it.

            On a Saturday, Heidi wanted to go out with Nataliya. Nataliya had shot her down multiple times before, and decided that she may as well go. They walked around town for a bit, it was the tail end of winter and was getting a bit warmer, but they still both had thick jackets on. Nataliya was bored through the entire thing, she wanted to pull out her gun and shoot something, but knew that she had to fight her urges.

            It was late when Nataliya finally convinced Heidi to go back, around 9 PM. it was dark out by then, but the streets were all well lit. Heidi was talking about something that Nataliya wasn't paying much attention to, when a woman screamed. The scream radiated from a nearby alleyway. Nataliya quickened her pace and looked down the alley.

            A large man was coving a woman's mouth and dragging her behind a dumpster.

            "We shouldn't get involved," Heidi said, grabbing Nataliya's hand.

            Nataliya shook her hand free and began to walk down the alley.

            "What are you doing?" Heidi said quietly, "If you want to help, just call the police!"

            Nataliya didn't hear Heidi's objections as she continued to walk down the alley. Time slowed down as the muffled screams traveled from the dumpster, as well as grunts and the tearing of cloth. Nataliya slowly drew her gun and loaded a bullet into the chamber.

            Heidi gasped, then said with the tiniest hint of excitement, "Oh my god, is that a gun?"

            Nataliya's pace quickened as she moved silently towards her prey. The woman was gagged with a piece of her clothing, her coat was ripped open, and her pants were already removed. The man was in the process of ripping off her panties when he felt a piece of cold steel against his head.

            Nataliya smirked, then fired. A macabre explosion of blood, brains, and bone shot out from the man's skull as he fell on his side. Nataliya stepped over the man's body, ignoring the woman. She placed her gun directly over his head and emptied the clip, destroying his face and coating her pants in blood. Heidi said something to the girl in German then moved to Nataliya, saying, "We need to go, the she is calling the police now."

            "Why should I go?" Nataliya inquired, her eyes locked on the man's bloodied skull.

            "Because the police will take you away!"

            "Maybe I deserve that," flashes of Viktor Shcheglov passed through her mind, "I killed this man without remorse, and I'd have done it again. My sister was right, I am a monster. I should just let them take me away..."

            "I won't let you do that to yourself," Heidi's tone changed from her usual honeyed tone, to a more honest one.

            "Why do you care?"