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He just took a walk around the block 'Til all his anger took a hold of him And then he'd hit
. . .
Ohio – 1992
She has always been observant.
It's often one of the skills Madame B praises Natalia for attaining. The seven-year-old is quick with corrections – never makes the same mistake twice – and is achieving scores higher than her age level. It's dangerous. Young and processing so much potential. A few of the dolls do not even bother hiding their looks of envy.
And it didn't take long for two ten-year-olds to decide to free themselves from the competition. The plan was to attack at her most vulnerable, when she was alone and the washroom was quiet and abandoned. But they had failed to hide their mischievous grins in training, and the younger doll had been prepared. By the time the guard found them – one of the girls was dead, and the other two were injured.
Natalia had a bleeding head wound, a broken arm, and a couple of bruised ribs. But she used a hidden knife to cause permanent damage to the surviving doll's hand – which means she is a liability. She would not be able to hold a weapon correctly. Suffer from chronic pain. Two days later, she was terminated.
A crippled weapon – is a useless weapon.
And therefore, not allowed in the Red Room.
Natalia still hasn't forgotten this lesson. And she knows Madame B never planned to send her pupil away on a long-term mission across the sea. Her training could be compromised. And that would ruin Madame's plans for Natalia to take her place in the world. Even though the plans confuse the seven-year-old, Natalia has no place in the world.
Madame B is always right.
And never to be questioned.
Natalia follows her rules like a perfect little doll. She is the perfect daughter – Natasha - to young parents Alex and Melanie, along with a three-year-old sister Yelena, who often confuses the young redhead. She cries and screams – always wants to be held. Natalia just smiles at the neighbors and struggles to understand why the foreign little human would scream for someone to hold her close.
Touch is bad. Touch only hurts.
None of this makes sense.
Not Yelena. Not Mel– no, mama. Innocent little Yelena will trust anyone who so much as smiles at her. Mama doesn't punish the blonde for crying or Natalia for not wanting her touch. Or for not knowing the answer to a question. Everything is different from the room.
