⧗𝚁𝙴𝙳 𝚆𝙸𝙳𝙾𝚆⧗ - 𝙱𝙰𝚁𝙽𝙴𝚂(𝙾𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕)

-𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆-

𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐆𝐈𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐊
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐌
𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐀, 𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐀
1992

“Welcome to the panic room”

FOUR WALLS, THAT WAS ALL SHE KNEW BY NOW. 

Four metal walls with unusual scrapes and dents engraved on its dull freezing surface. A small cot resided on the northern side of the room, holding only a small threadbare blanket and lumpy pillow, across from it a small lavatory of sorts and a tiny basin. There were no windows in the enclosed room and the only way in or out was the large bolt-locked door that was located by the northern wall, the only sign of a world existing beyond that of the small metal room. 

A small prison for a small child

Maggie Stark had only ever known the walls of this room and the mysterious scars they carried, her memories of a life before being nothing but a blur of crimson and haunting nothingness in the landscape of her mind; yet more haunting and terrifying for the small child of six were the ghostly-like doctors who came like vultures to pick away at her being.

These faces and walls, no matter how strange and frightening they appeared were all she knew and had of a tangible past. Her first real perceptible memories were the glare of the harsh fluorescent lights and murmuring voices, metal medical rooms, and the blur of doctors who placed her there. 

In her time locked away, she hardly knew what day or even what year it was the longer she spent encased in the small metal room. The few and rare times she had even dared to ask one of the strange doctors who rotated in visitation to her room when checking on her vitals or intaking her measurements, would always repeat the same stern answer to her greater annoyance. 

“Ty Doma.”

She didn’t understand what their words meant but she could understand their meaning as such intentions blazed clearly from opportunistic eyes, she was never going to leave those who held her. Fear had racked the small girl at the realization, the emotion showing its ugly face in the trembling of pale fingers, the unsteady inhale of shaky breaths, and the trembling beat of her once clement heart.

Where curiosity once resided in her soul at the sight of those who emerged from the daunting metal door, only trepidation and wariness could be found in the young girl each she saw one of the strange scientists. 

Few and rare as they were, there were times the young girl did have someone other than those of the scientists who came to visit her with their medical devices or the guards who brought her small trays of food to feed her, but instead personnel carrying with them only clothes or the familiar presence of an older woman she had come to call Nurse, who at every call for bed would come to secure her to the cot with the affirming metallic snap of the handcuffs they carried with them. Amongst these rare times, she did have someone visit her in her room who wasn’t one of the many scientist or imposing guards stationed at her door, but rather a woman. 

Maggie the first time she had seen the woman she could vividly remember thinking how pretty she was with her warm heart-shaped face framed by the thick brown curl that danced around her face, sharp dark eyes that glinted thoughtfully under the flickering fluorescent lights as they gaze down at her with keen observation.

Under all her beauty, Maggie though couldn’t help to think that underneath such beauty, there was a deadly grace hiding and waiting to be unleashed. Standing in the open doorway of the room, all stiff and sleek lines painted a regal but almost recluse image, in her hands a small but impressive collection of books printed in a language that was unknown to the young girl. 

“Hello, malen’kiy,” the woman’s voice had been a soft croon of words, each word revealing the hint of an accent that linger behind them. 

“Hello,” Maggie said, her own voice not that much higher than a whisper, she had learned quickly in her time spent in the small room to not speak too loudly in fear that the guards or even the scientist not caring for her tone. 

She watched with reserved eyes as the woman walked over in slow but measured steps to sit by her side on the small cot, when closer enough, Maggie could see that her dark eyes like the rest of those she had met since, were hard and devoid of any visible emotion. Cold little chips of frozen amber that gazed unaffected and unbothered by the young girl blatantly watching her, only serving to make her apathetic mask much more severe. 

“Do you know where you are, malen’kiy?” the woman asked, her voice was still soft and gentle, something that was welcoming for Maggie when compared to that of the harsh tones used by the guards. 

Maggie shook her head silently, unable to answer the question. When the woman showed no visible emotion or indication to Maggie’s answer, a prickling of fear began to bubble in the depth of her stomach and made the fine hairs on the back of her neck prickle with terrible anticipation of what punishment to come for her less than satisfactory answer. Yet, instead, the woman only sat down her pile of books in the small space between them; leaving the young girl more confused than scared as to what her real purpose was of visiting her. 

“I have heard from the scientist and guards that you have been asking where you are.” her voice was emotionless as she spoke, never once giving away as to what she was truly feeling or possibly thinking. 

“Am I in trouble for that?” Maggie asked, brows knitting. 

The only indication of emotion came in the small parting of the woman’s mouth but even then she was quick to collect herself, shaking her head as she answered the young girl. “No, you are not in trouble.”

Maggie looked at her, head tilting as she closely observed the growingly interesting woman with keen and dark eyes. “Then why are you here?”

“Because I am here to teach you.”

It was then that everything fell into place for the young girl, the books were for her, yet she wondered why and how she was ever going to read them if she didn’t even speak or understand what language they were even written in; prompting her curiosity but also her distrust even more. 

“And what are you going to teach me?” she questioned the older woman, eyes never leaving the cover of the books. Gently, the woman brought her hand and tilted her chin to meet her own dark gaze, lips lifting ever so slightly at the edges in an almost imperious-looking smirk that only held promises of greatness in its seems. 

“Everything.”