Arina

Chapter Eight

     "No, no, no. I'm sorry, but that's the way it is." 

Kos switched on the light in the room and both Arina & Natalie felt like their eyes were burning; they hadn't seen light in so long considering they had been both lying in the dark for two days.

       "I can't feel me legs, still!" Natalie complained.

       "Well, you're losing Mustafa money and he doesn't like it. So get up out of your beds and get ready." 

Arina rolled over onto her side. The pain was still alive inside her; she just had to work at ignoring it. 

       "Come on," Kos said almost mother-like while pulling the covers off Arina who responded with a groan. Natalie sat up in her bed and glared at Arina; her hate for Arina was proliferating by the second. She couldn't believe that Arina would tell Mustafa where she was- it was all Arina's fault. If she hadn't had told then Natalie could have been free by now; she could have been enjoying life somewhere else, away from this hell-hole. Arina would not get away with it.

Natalie removed the ice-pack from between her legs that Kos had given her. Although it had dented the pain, she too, just like Arina, felt the ache.

      "What are we doing today?" Arina asked.

      "You've got a round, today. And no funny business- don't ever pull a silly stunt like that again. It was incredibly stupid and childish."

      "Yeah, but that is all Arina is- a child." Natalie said that to spite Arina, however her words were actually true- Arina was only still a child. "Why is she even here? She can't even do anything right!" Natalie added when she saw Arina's face looked indifferent rather than offended.

      "Okay, okay, Natalie. Just get ready. D is waiting in the car downstairs and he's going to keep a careful eye on both of you. If you try anything like that again, then I'm sorry but you've brought it on yourselves." Kos concluded quickly before leaving the room.

Arina and Natalie were left alone in the room. They had both been alone for the past couple of days, however they had both been under their covers hiding from the world. Only now, were they forced to actually communicate. Natalie wanted nothing more than to go over and hurt Arina both physically and emotionally but she knew that sort of vendetta wouldn't teach Arina her lesson; Natalie would have to think of something bigger and better.

      "Natalie, I don't mean to be rude, but please can you stop staring at me in that way? It's a bit strange..." Arina spoke up & asked after a few seconds of being subjected to Natalie's deadly stare. She didn't know why she even asked; clearly, Natalie wanted to scare her.

     "Oh, just shut up, little-miss-innocent!" 

     "Natalie, I'm sorry for telling on you. Mustafa was saying things- horrible things. I panicked, okay? Please forgive me!” Arina begged. She so longed for Natalie’s clemency. Having Natalie as an enemy was a chilling thing.

      “I don’t want your silly excuses. You asked me to go and I let you out of kindness. I didn’t actually think you’d tell. It was you that told me that we should leave at that time. It was you that couldn’t run fast enough. And it was you that told on me! Do you understand how much I hate you? Do you?!” By now, Natalie was standing besides Arina’s bed and had her held by the hair. “Do you seriously think you’re going to get away with this?”

      “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Please, let go of me,” Arina said while struggling to loosen Natalie’s grip on her hair.

Natalie let go of it.