RED ASSASSINS ▹ NATASHA ROMANOFF [EDITING]

[7]

Two heavyset, well-built men sauntered into the cell, their faces plastered with an evil smirk. I grabbed Peggy's hand. What happened next was not something I would even want to think of.

They retrieved two plastic whips from their pockets, each brandishing one at the both of us. I stumbled backwards in fear, and shifted myself further and further away from them. They continued to advance towards us, until the both of us were cornered.

Peggy was on the far right corner, cowering with fear. I was on the left one, directly opposite her. It all happened too soon.

Whip! The whip lashed down on me viciously. I let out a scream. It wasn't an ordinary scream. It was one filled with mercy, with pleading and fear. I was thoroughly angry, furious. The emotions within me were a fondue pot, well not literally.

There was a deep gash on my arm. It was so wide, blood was gushing out of it. I had never suffered such a serious injury. Well, to them it wasn't an injury, maybe merely a pinch on the arm. To me, well it was a feeling that words were unable to describe.

I remembered one incident. It had since been in my head. It was like permanent marker on a piece of paper.

That fateful night, my father had come home late, as usual. His breath stunk of beer and cigarette smoke. Without further notice, he suddenly picked up an empty beer bottle and smashed it in the direction of my brother. He collapsed in a pool of blood, his whole body cold and rigid.

That night, he had gone cold and limp halfway through the ride to the hospital. Excessive blood loss. That's what the doctors said. I didn't quite know what they meant, all I knew was that the car seats had been stained a crimson scarlet colour.

After breaking away from my train of thoughts, I turned around to see Peggy clutching her leg. I gasped in horror and shock. The two men had whipped her roughly about five or six times, and there were pieces of flesh hanging from them.

I nearly fainted at the sight.

They proceeded to slash at us with unrelenting ease. No mercy. When Ivan came in to check on us, he saw what had happened to Peggy. He dragged her by the hand to the medical room with a grim-looking expression.

Once Peggy had woken up from the surgery, she joined me again in our prison.

This was the price we had to pay. Suffering and torture day and night.