Serpentine Desires

Prologue

The biting Russian cold welcomed her as she stepped off the plane, a fleeting mist forming in the frigid air as she breathed out in nervousness.

It clung to her senses, contrasting the warmth of Texas where her family was. Seraphina thought that leaving behind the suffocating struggles would ease her stress, but it only seemed to fuel her anxiety more. She still didn't know what she was doing there or how she ended up in Russia. Her only answer was the scholarship letter and three hundred dollars that she exchanged at the airport earlier.

Though she was told that the scholarship included her tuition fee and dorm, she still had to pay for yearly semester fees and living expenses.

A sigh left her lips with mist as she dragged the luggage to the exit. The paper in her hand was wrinkled as she read the address written on it: Star Square-lane 25-building 56. Seraphina wondered how far it was. She could only spend a limited amount on fare. Pushing her hands into the long coat her aunt gifted her last Christmas, her fingers unconsciously rubbed on the money.

Her heart raced as she clutched the strap of her worn backpack, filled with nervousness and the weight of her mother's expectations. The subtle cut of anxiety added another layer to her already-storming emotions. It was her first time visiting a foreign land all alone without her mother. But this time, she had to. Her mother was the one who convinced her to take the scholarship test at Moscow University, and even though she was ready to fail, fortunately, she somehow got in. It was a startling surprise for both of them. She had two days to pack her stuff and leave for Russia. Her mother borrowed some money from her boss, and despite her refusal, she insisted on buying her woollen scarves and coats.

A small curve formed on her lips as she looked down at the maroon scarf. It was a handmade-limited edition, she might say since her mother knitted it herself in two days. All this made her reason for coming here more valid. It was just a matter of two years. To pay back all the debt and loans they owed, she had to become the responsible daughter. For how long would her mother suffer? She wanted her to rest now. To give her a peaceful life, where she didn't have to worry about anything. Her purpose was to graduate and get a decent job.

As she crossed the unfamiliar streets, the chill seeped through her coat. The receptionist said she'd find the cabs on the other side of the street. Crossing the pedestrian, she found the cab stand.

"Can you take me to this address?" she asked, grateful for the Russian lessons she took in her undergraduate course. Though her knowledge of the language was limited, she knew few basic sentences.

The man with a gruff beard and a big fleece jacket looked her up and down, his eyes narrowing at the address. "It's far from here," he said in his thick Russian accent. Far? How far? The receptionist said it would take her only twenty minutes to ride.

"How much then?" she inquired fidgeting with her hands as her hold on the straps tightened.

The man casually dragged in the cigarette and blew it in the air.

"7890 roubles," he stated bluntly. Her eyes widened. 7890? It was almost ninety dollars. She would be left with two hundred and ten dollars. How would she survive without money?

"How about 6000?" she pleaded with her eyes. Even one dollar meant so much in times like this. The man looked sceptically at her for a moment, studying her. He must have figured out she was a foreigner.

"Hmm...7000. No more, no less," he finally agreed.

She sighed. Here went her negotiation skills.

"All right," she conceded with a sigh. He put her luggage in the trunk, and she got in. The insides were warmer than the outside as she settled in. Her legs ached as she tried to stretch them. The driver rounded the cab before turning the radio on.