A Season of Red & Grey

I: Winter Blood

Natalia crept through the cold, bleak forest glancing behind her every few steps. She had to kill her. She had to get the key. She crept closer to the mansion that housed the queen and, by extent, her family. Natalia drew in a shuddering ice-cold breath.

Count your bullets, know where they land. Harm only the target. That was what she was taught, find and kill. Natalia skittered under a fence as if that was going to keep her or anyone else out, and headed toward the only lit room in the mansion: the dining hall.

"It's easy Nat, just get in and out. Like in practice." She muttered to herself, sticking to the shadows. But, she wasn't in practice. This was the real deal.

Natalia shivered as snow began to fall, explaining the temperature. She slunk under a windowsill, peering inside to the royal family. It was a picture-perfect winter holiday. The adults were sitting at the table chatting, their plates showing remnants of a fancy dinner, as the children ran about with their new toys. Natalia swallowed heavily, ignoring the rumbling of her stomach at the sight of uneaten rolls.

She ducked as a servant opened the window next to her, letting out a blast of warm air into the cold winter night. Of course, it would be "too warm" inside. Natalia thought with venom. She slid the barrel of her gun into the window, aiming right for the heart of the queen. It seemed fitting, seeing as no one thought that she actually had one. Before she could pull the trigger, a servant stepped in front of her. She quickly hid the gun, deciding to enter into the house while the servant blocked the view of the window.

Swiftly Natalia slinked into the room, ducking under one of the queen's son's chairs and inching toward the queen under the table. Three. Natalia breathed in. Two. She breathed out. One. She shut her eyes and pulled the trigger, wincing when a sharp scream echoed back to her and out into the night.

Natalia held back a gag as she stared at the queen's lifeless body that had fallen to the ground. Now all she had to do was sneak a hand out and rip the key off of the queen's neck. Slowly Natalia inched her hand closer to the key, hoping no one noticed. Gripping it in her hand she yanked, feeling the cord untie or snap, she couldn't tell which. She withdrew her hand, sneaking back toward the window, that was still somehow open. She took her chance to leave when the guards escorted the family, and servants, out of the room.

Natalia raced through the trees gasping as the icy air hit her lungs with each step. She burst into a clearing where an abandoned old shack was situated.

"Please let this work. Please let this work." Natalia mumbled, trying to get her numb hands to insert the key into the lock on the door. Finally, the key went in and the lock swung open. Natalia stumbled into the dark shack, opening the only crate in the shack. The crate opened easily enough and Natalia almost cried at the contents. A pale pink vial of liquid sat in the crate.

Natalia smiled, tucking the vial into her jacket and ran back into the night.