This Cold Empty House Full of Secrets - Soviet Union Short

Part 4 - Ukraine

Katyusha eyed the newest arrival warily. Always warily. She tensed as he jumped from his second-floor window to the soft snow below, her mind quickly running through any scenarios as to why he was up so early. The sun was just barely rising, but Katyusha was used to early mornings. She had been raised at a farm, after all. The lack of roosters around the house was unnerving for her in and of itself.

The new arrival, she believed his name was Raivis, didn't seem to be fazed by either the early hour or the rooster shortage as he stuck his head out from the snowbank under his window, shaking snow off his head. He jumped to his feet, then squinted at the scenery of the Russian countryside - rolling hills, pine forests, falling snow.

Katyusha wanted to call out to him, to tell him that he should not be awake at all, should not be standing here, should just return to bed. It was painfully obvious that this child had not been taught the ways of the house yet, and she did not want him to learn the hard way, but that was probably the way it would happen in the end. Children, when they were still young and adventurous, were much more daring than they were once their spirits had been broken.

Katyusha was tired of seeing broken spirits.

He saw her, of course, just standing in the field. He tilted his head curiously, then grinned and waved. Katyusha was struck dumb. It had been ever so long since she had seen someone smile. She tried to wave back, but her hand was not used to the motion, and Raivis had turned away by the time she raised it enough to do so.

"Hey! Lady!" his yell could not have terrified her more. Katyusha paled instantly, and she frantically made an attempt to shush him, waving her hands around while she muttered unintelligibly in Russian.

"Shh! Quiet, be quiet!" she insisted when she'd finally regained control of her speech.

"Oh, right, sorry. I just couldn't sleep." he yawned and skipped over to Katyusha, much to her distress. "Who're you anyway?"

"My name is Katyusha. And you should not be awake." she said firmly - or rather, what she liked to think was firmly. In reality, her voice wavered uncertainly.

"Aw, why not? I mean, I know it's early, but I just got here, and it must be fun to explore, right?" he smiled brightly, eyes glittering with mischief.

Katyusha closed her eyes and leaned on her pitchfork for support. Oh, but he was just a child. A little too adventurous, perhaps, but he did not deserve what was to happen to him. "You... really should not." she said weakly.

"Lady, you alright? You look faint." his voice cut through the fog in Katyusha's head dubiously.

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine." she opened her eyes and attempted at a reassuring smile, which didn't work, as was easily gathered by Raivis' suspicious expression.

"Jeez, everyone here is acting so weird. First Toris goes nuts, then Eduard acts like he kicked my puppy or something, now you look like I'm scaring you to death. I feel like something's going on, but I don't know what..." he trailed off thoughtfully, squinting at Katyusha.

She almost laughed, it was so ridiculous. Almost. Of course there was "something going on". Of course this house was not just some friendly group settlement. Of course the walls of this house were stained with blood. Of course this house was full of nothing but secrets, lies, and bloody fantasies. And she wanted nothing to do with it. But she was too weak to something. To do anything.

Instead of saying all of this, instead of dumping her own personal problems on this poor young soul, she simply bit her lip. She decided that "I don't know." was the easiest way to give an answer, yet not give one at the same time.