meet me at our spot | n.r x oc | ✓

1 - we'll be okay

1995
[yelena's pov]

"No, no!"
I scream, my throat raw.

Everywhere around me, people are screaming and crying. Natasha holds a vice grip on my wrist, trying to keep us together while two large men dressed in heavy black combat suits pries us apart.

Over my own yelling and in my delirious state, I can see Natasha's mouth forming words but I can't hear anything. A third agent steps in and pulls our hands apart. I cry out louder, the pain of possibly never seeing my sister again weighing heavily in my body.

Natasha maneuvers around the soldiers to hand a piece of paper to me. I barely have any chance to react as the soldiers finally rips us away from each other, but I hold the paper closely to my chest.

The last thing I hear before I'm carelessly shoved into a truck is Natasha's fear-filled scream. I'm too terrified to move, afraid of what may happen. Through the tears in my eyes, I look down at the paper. Except, it's not just any piece of paper. It's a film strip with two pictures of Natasha and I, taken in a photo booth. The picture on the top is Natasha and I with matching smiles. The bottom is one of Natasha laughing while I had my palms over both of my cheeks with my mouth wide open.

I tuck the pictures into the front pocket of my dirty pants, hiccuping from crying. I finally take in my surroundings. There are other girls my age, all either with tears streaming down their clothes or passed out-- from crying or from injuries, I'm not sure. A girl next to me is curled up into fetal position, staring straight ahead. Her eyes look empty.

She acknowledges me and though it was quite dark, I can make out her eyes shifting to meet mine. Her face remains emotionless, but she snakes her hand over to mine and the warmth of her palm radiating against my skin makes me calm for just a second.

"We'll be okay,"
the girl whispers in English with a slight Russian accent.

"How do you know?"

She shrugs.
"I don't. But my father says that if you say something enough times, it will come true."

I nod.
"I want to go back to my family."

The girl sighs.
"Me too."

I shuffle my body closer to her. I can see that she's shivering.
"My name is Yelena. What's yours?"

"Stefaniya."

"Hi, Stefaniya. Are you cold?"

Stefaniya nods. I reach out my arms slowly not to scare her. She practically collapses into my arms, something I didn't expect, but I only hold her tighter. She takes one of my hands into her own, rubbing her thumb back and forth over my palm.

"We'll be okay," I whisper. I don't believe it myself, but I won't be the one to diminish Stefaniya's hope.

"We will look out for each other, yes?"
Stefaniya looks me in the eye.

"Yes. I've got you."