Arina

Chapter Four

The room was dull, lifeless. All that could be heard was the faint breathing of Natalie in her bed. Natalie hadn't said a word to her when she had arrived home from her 'round'. She simply jumped into her bed. But that was not the peculiar thing. The strange thing was the marks on Natalie's skin. Scratches. What had happened? Arina wondered. 

Rays of light eventually began pouring through the window, illuminating the ground. 

                "Wake up!" Kos began exclaiming, walking up and down the corridors, banging on each and every door. Arina thought of the irony of that- she wished she could "wake up"; she had been awake all night so that was in no way possible. All that occupied Arina's mind was that man's body on hers, his filthy hands touching her delicate skin and the words her Baba had told her. She wouldn't allow another man to touch her, she had decided after hours of anxious self-debating. 

Natalie's eyes flung open. It was amazing how she had gotten so used to waking up at that time that she didn't even struggle. She rolled over to her side, back and forth, until she finally sat up on her bed. Arina watched carefully. 

Natalie's hair was sticky, and her clothes looked like she hadn't washed them in years. 

                "What yous lookin' at, young 'un?" She enquired.

                "Nothing, I'm sorry." 

                "Are yous trying to say I'm nothing?!" Natalie came closer to Arina.

                "No, no! Of course, not!" Arina became defensive.

Suddenly, Natalie's arm swung around. Arina took this to be a violent gesture so moved back, but she was wrong. Natalie only put her arm around Arina's shoulder.

                "Ha-ha! I was only playin', young 'un!" She let out a laugh. With Natalie's arms around her shoulders, Arina took the chance to observe the scratches. She saw the marks covering her wrists creating a trail all the way up to her elbow. Natalie caught her looking. She pulled her arm away.

                "What happened?" It was Arina who first broke the silence.

                "It's nothing to do with you, young 'un."

Arina knew not to question her further about that specific subject, it could enrage her. Instead, she asked something else that had been bugging her all night.

                "What do men do to you, Natalie?" She suddenly came out with.

Natalie was taken aback.

                "Huh? What yous mean?"

                "Kos said that I should allow men to do whatever they want to me." Arina was unpretentious.

                "Ah. Well in that case, men do whatever the hell they want to me!" 

                "Like what?" 

Natalie stayed silent., either out of shame or because she didn't want to be the one to explain; it was most probably the latter. After a few moments of silence, Arina realised Natalie wasn't going to answer the question.

                "Why do you let them do it?" She opted to ask instead.

                 "You know why? Cause I know there is bigger things out there waiting for me. I'm going to get out of here one day. I'm going to go so far I'll never have to see Mustafa or Kos or D's face again. I'll never have to touch another man again."