SANCTUM | Avengers

2

- TWO -

That night, we sleep on the dark wood floor. Thick curtains are drawn over the large glass windows, so everything is covered in darkness. A sliver of light flickers on the floor, cutting across it like a knife. Despite my internal uneasiness, the other girls sleep. Some of them take in deep, shaky breaths. Only God knows what they're seeing in their nightmares.

Maybe just the same as me.

I have had the same dream since I was a girl. Hands connected to bodies with faces I can not see grab at me, molding me like clay. I used to cry out, begging them to stop- to leave me alone. Sometimes, I wake up covered in sweat. Most nights I wake with a start, my chest heaving and my throat raw from screaming. If the other girls hear me, they have never done anything to shake me from the terrors.

My body remains tireless, and when it finally becomes that evident sleep will not come, I quietly stand and navigate my way through the sleeping bodies on the wooden ground.  I make my way out into the hallway, searching for the washroom I know is near the end of it. I have never walked down this corridor at night and it looks different in the dark. My ears, acute and listening for any sounds, prick up in the silence. Stopping in my tracks, I hear movement behind a closed door down the hall.  Slowly I approach, tilting my head to hear the low whispers.

I recognize the voice; I know it as well as my own. I hear her whisper solemnly.

"They know we're here. And they will come to shut us down."

A strong, deep voice replies quickly. "You've trained the girls well. They will not stand a chance trying to infiltrate our base."

I can almost feel her wheel around to look at the man speaking. He voice cracks like a whip in the calm of night.

"We're only as weak as our weakest members. We must finish the training soon. Because they will come and we need to be ready."

I had never heard her laugh before. As the sounds echoes through the hallway- cold and hollow- I realized that I never want to hear it again.

"The Avengers do not stand a chance."

-----------------

Avengers. Avengers. Avengers.

I repeat the name over and over in my head until it stops sounding like a word. I crawl back on to the floor, my mind dizzy with the new information.

Just as the morning light creeps through the curtains, I hear footsteps creaking up to the door. Evidently every other girl does, too. In a second, we all stand, awake and with proper posture.

The doors fling open.

"Combat training will be the first aspect of our testing. Then artillery, and then specialized components. We will end this all with combat once again," the small woman says, disregarding every girl in the room. I almost smile. Combat is where my skill lies. Doing it twice will be a gift. Something- hope or maybe even fear- glimmers in my chest.

"Yes, teacher, " we all whisper. The quiet voices raise the hair on the back of my neck. It would have been less frightening if everyone had yelled.

"Now, we will fight."

With her heels tapping on the floor, she walks to a chalk board and writes down our numbers.

Each girl in the Red Room, from the day they're brought in to the day they leave, has a number they keep. Mine is 5094, and it's all that they refer to me as, other than my last name.

I search for my number on the board, and when I find it, I automatically search for the name that has been written next to it.

2287.

Our two numbers are at the top of the board. First- we will be going first. My breath hitches in my throat. I hold the air in my lungs until it stings- until it burns. They could force me to do it a hundred more times, but that human part of me- whatever was left of it- would never numb to the thought of taking human life.

"I don't like to be kept waiting," Teacher says, tapping her foot on the hardwood.

Striding forward, I ready myself in the square. Finally, I look up at the girl in front of me. She is at least 4 inches taller than I am, with probably 15 pounds of pure muscle on me, too. But that will be her downfall. I will be quicker.

I have to be quicker.

Rashly, the she strides forward, attempting to use her brute force to knock me down onto the mat. I dash to the side. Behind her now, I land a quick kick to the back of her head. She falls on her face once again, but stands, looking at me with pure hatred. Reaching out again in an attempt to grab my head, she misses and I use this to push off of her shoulder. Landing on her waist I clench my thighs. Then, in one swift movement, I jab my elbow forcefully into her temple and her legs give out. A cracking noise reverberates through my body, echoing off of the high walls.

Both of us fall to the floor, my chest heaving.

Nobody bats an eyes. I push myself off the limp body, forcing myself to breath.

"Next."

The next two girls walk until they're facing each other in the middle of the room. I don't know them- don't want to know them. I stare at the mat, steeling myself.

"Begin."

The fight starts slow. They tease each other, leering like a wolf over wounded prey. But in the blink of an eye, the shorter girl flips on to her hands and wraps her legs around the waist of the taller, raven haired girl. Another loud snaps and the girls torso buckles inwards. She barely cries out, just straining further. Nobody moves; we've all broken our fair share of bones. The brunette takes advantage again, now collapsing her body over the other girls' and rapping both of her arms around the girls' head.

Both now on the ground, with legs wrapped around the others waists and faces scrunched in pain and determination, the brunette looks up at Teacher.

"Finish it."

"Bu-."

"Now."

Not a request. Never a request.

Without blinking again, the girl twitches her arms and the black haired girls falls limp onto the floor. A loud crack rips through the room. I used to flinch at the loud snap; it used to wake me up in the middle of the night. I don't even blink. Standing, the girl looks up, observing the face of our teacher. She doesn't find the approval that she was hoping for. I have learned that you never will.

"Sloppy," Teacher says. "Hesitation will kill you."

Turning to the table behind her she grabs a small hand gun and loads it. We all wait with our breath still held. Looking at the terrified girl, she then looks at me.

She tosses me the gun and says quietly, "Show her what I mean."

Hesitation kills, hesitation kills, I chant to myself.

I lift the gun.

Point the gun.

And shoot.

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This is just the start of the book and I'm so excited about the rest of it :)

And support of feedback is so welcome and totally appreciated!

Thanks! Hope you enjoy,

B x