Outsider

Nine

It's Christmas.

My first Christmas without my father.  God, I didn't know how many days I had been trapped inside Hydra, but I knew how much I was missing.  I missed seeing the bright days of summer, the changing leaves of autumn, the snow that fell to signal the start of December, and the birds and flowers that flourished in our little house in Alaska.  I wanted to leave, a voice inside was screaming at me to escape.  All that was on my mind was the need to be free.

"I want to escape," I declared to Oliver one night after training.

Oliver replied, "No, I don't think that's a good idea, Liss."

"Why not?"

"You'll get yourself killed."  

I grinned and said, "Not if I do it carefully.  I'm so much stronger than I was before, I think I can do it."

Oliver shook his head and told me, "Now's not a good time.  As soon as we can though, I promise you that we will get out of here."

"Why is now not a good time?" I cried, "I've been here for pratically a year!  I haven't seen sunlight, I haven't had a proper meal, and-" 

Oliver cut me off.  "No, I like you and I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I'm hurt every minute I stay in here," I pouted, my eyes welling with tears.   Oliver stayed silent, and a dark cloud covered his face.  Finally, he opened his mouth and said quietly, "You're ten, Elissa.  What could a ten-year-old do by herself in Russia?"

"I don't care, I'll find a way to survive." I said.  "I'll go tonight,"  I stood up and began to walk towards the exit of the training centre, but Oliver darted in front of me and grabbed my arm.  "What the hell are you doing?" I hissed.

Sternly Oliver pleaded, "I can't let you do this.  Please, when the time is right we'll go."

"You keep saying that we'll go when the time is right but you never actually pick a right time!  What if there is no right time, Oliver?  This is Hydra, they'll train us and then kill us when they're done with us.  They killed my father, next they'll kill me!" I was screaming but I didn't care.  "I've got to get out of here, I don't care if you join me."  I brushed past Oliver, whacking his hands which tried to grab me away.  I don't need him, I thought.  Sure, he was a good friend, but I've grown stronger and I think I could last on my own.  I started running- I was going to escape, and no one was going to stop me!

Corridors became blurs as I ran through the Hydra base.  I was giddy with excitement, laughing and sprinting with an energy that had been dulled out through training and torture.  Oliver didn't think I was going to make it on my own, and I was going to prove him wrong!  I would escape; and maybe one day come back and save him.  

Strangely, no one followed as I ran.  None of the soldiers were guarding their usual spots, but I just assumed that something major had happened in the outside world and Hydra was busy.  Escaping was a bit difficult considering I had not a clue where I was going, but I kept trying different halls and doors to find a way out.  The sides of my stomach ached with forming cramps, and I stopped to catch my breath.  I walked slowly down the halls, fingering the rough, brick walls.  This was the furthest I had been in almost a year, and I was as much nervous as I was excited.  Nervous if I was going to make it on my own.  Maybe Oliver was  right, I thought-

I'm ten years old.  What on Earth can I do alone somewhere in Europe?  

Then, I looked up.

Along the wall to my left, there was a row of framed pictures.  Girls the same age as me, some fair some dark, but all were stern and serious.