The Black Widow

The First Day in the Red Room

In this chapter, there is some Russian name stuff. In Russia, middle names are their father's name with a suffix added on. -ovena for girls and -ovich for guys. Last names are similar with different suffixes for guys and girls. most last names with no person attached are written in male form. For example, the last name ends in v or n you add an -a to put it on the female form. If it ends in -n then you add an -aya. In Russia, if you do not know a person well you refer to them in both their first and middle name. Also, certain names have nicknames or pet names for example Vova is short for Vladimir and Natasha is short for Natalia. Normally only close friends or family use these names. Adding certain suffixes can create pet names or insults. For example, adding -k to the end of a name is a sign of disrespect.   

"Mariya Kirillovena Vetrova." she sits on the bed beside me. She seems very eager to talk to me. She is even smaller than me which is surprising. All of her features are small as well. She has wavy blond hair that hangs loosely just past her shoulders.

"You already told me that." Which she did and a lot of other things as well. I didn't pay attention to most of it once I determined that it wasn't useful. I am here for a job not for friends.

"Yeah, well I kind of wanted to know your full name. I didn't know what you wanted me to call you, my mama says I should always ask so I don't offend anyone." 

I don't want to point out that if I wanted her to call me by both names then I would have told her both names. "Natalia Alinovena Romanov."

She frowns and wrinkles her eyebrows, "You can't do that, that's a boy's last name."

"I can and did," I say and lay back down in my bed, I stare at the ceiling.

A little while ago the lady brought us all in hear and told us to get aquatinted. Most of them are talking and chattering. A few are crying because they miss their parents.

It is a long room filled with beds that have metal frames and plain white sheets. In front of each bed is a small wooden chest. In it are five outfits. Two are school uniforms with a plaid skirt and a white button-down shirt, with a little tie.  One is a pair of baggy shorts and a tank top. I think it's like a sports uniform, I have never worn one before, only boys wear those. Then there was a nightgown. The last one is a black and red uniform with many pieces, it is almost military with many stars and ribbons but in dress form.

"Do you think we will see our parents again?"

Mariya is now leaning over my bed obstructing my view of the ceiling. I shrug. She must take this as a sign to keep talking.

"I saw you with your father out there. Where was your mother?"

I stare back at her, wondering who she could be talking about. I realize she must have meant Ivan. Ivan is not my father. He doesn't even look like me.

I sit up, "He is not my father."

She frowns, "Where were your parents then? Didn't they want to say goodbye?"

"There was a fire when I was born, they both died, Ivan saved me, he raised me."

She sits down next to me and puts her arm around me, "I am sorry Natasha."

I stare at her coldly, "who said you could call me that?"

She looks shocked, "I'm sorry. I..I"

I can't explain what is happening. It is this boiling feeling in my chest like I am bursting with energy and it keeps hearing up. What is this? Almost as soon as it came it is gone.

"Sorry Mariya, it's fine to call me whatever you want," I say.

About five minutes later a woman with blond hair walks in with a syringe filled with the blue liquid.

She walks up to me, "Have you had your injection today Natalia Alinovena."

I shake my head and she hands me the syringe. I inject on my wrist. This scene causes a few of the other girls to look and whisper. I don't mind, let them stare. Mariya asks me about it but I don't tell her because I myself do not know. I figure that I am sick or something and this is the medicine. They haven't told me because they don't want to worry me. I probably wouldn't worry anyway, if that's the medicine then it is curable so why worry? While I am thinking and Mariya is chatting away another girl walks up to us. She is taller than both of us,  which is not surprising because almost everyone else in the room is. She has blond hair and blue eyes.  She is pretty... I think.

"I'm Sophia," she says smugly.

"Mariya ," Mariya says staring up in awe. 

She smiles but not sincerely, "What's your name?" 

It takes me a second to realize that she is addressing me.

"Natalia."

She smiles again, "So what was up with the shot you just got."

I shrug, even if I did know I am fairly positive that she would be the last person I would tell. "Oh come on you can tell me."

I have learned a lot about reading people based on actions and words. I can already tell that she is used to getting anything she wants. She will be angry if I don't tell her. Anger, so irrational, I am glad I don't get angry much. In this case, her anger will be of much use to me, it will get her to leave.

I shrug again.

"Can't you speak Natashka! Why won't you just tell me?" She shrieks. Mariya flinches but I don't move. Her using that name doesn't bother me either. She glares at me. She is trying to break me with her stare. With anyone else, she might have been successful but I am not anyone else. 

"Oh you yourself don't even know, is that it?" She laughs. She is very smart too. Was that I guess or did she read mine in the same way I read her?

I answer with another shrug. This frustrates her even more. She clenches her teeth and storms away. Then she goes over to her own bed with a bunch of other girls on it. They whisper, giggle and occasionally steals glances at us. 

Mariya turns to me, "Wow Natasha, you were so brave right then."

I shrug, "Was I?" 

"Yeah, she was so much bigger than us."

I sit up and stare at her, "Maryia everyone here is bigger then us, pretty much everyone outside of here is bigger than us. If you back down from everyone who is bigger then you, then I doubt you will last a week here."

That is probably the most I ever said to her at one time. But she never seemed to care. It always seemed like my silence only made her like me more. 

"I suppose" She replies and then she sits down on her bed. 

It has been ten minutes. I think this is the longest she has gone without talking since I met her.

 A little later the same woman that came out to the yard earlier comes to get us for dinner. As we line up she introduces herself as Alexandra Dmitryovena. As we are walking she explains in a high pitched too cheery voice about what life will be like here. We will wake up at 7:00 and start breakfast at 7:30. At exactly 8:00 we will start classes. They will include languages, math, sciences and other special courses. Probably training for whatever this mysterious job is. 

Dinner is some kind of stew. I don't eat very much of it. I have never eaten very much so this isn't unusual. There are a lot of woman standing around the room, watching us. I follow there gazes and each one is watching 3 or four girls. The one who got us from the yard and the room is watching me and only me. She sees me looking at her and stares at me coldly. I don't drop my gaze. I sit in silence staring at her while everyone is talking, yelling and laughing until she tells us all to go back to our room to go to bed. 

I turn around and silently head back to the room. When I get to my room I don't wait for instructions. I put on my nightgown and go to bed.