Cigarette Daydreams - Marvel

1.

2005.

The Pavlova family sat around their dining room table, a two-year-old Valeria happily tucked into her highchair as her mother fed her dinner. The family seemed more than happy, with a sense of harmony and peace filling their home. Valeria's mother spoke fondly to her as the family engaged in a warm, loving conversation filled with smiles and joy.

Her twelve-year-old brother Dmitri happily chattered away to their parents about how he was enjoying school, the family surrounding the dining room table in an atmosphere full of love and excitement. But, that serenity was quickly shattered as they heard a sudden loud knock at the door, all of them turning to face the sounds with a newfound sense of concern. Her mother stood up to answer the door, when a loud gun shot was heard.

Valeria watched in horror as her mother's body fell limp to the floor, the sound of the gun still ringing in her ears as her father rushed to his wife's side. Dmitri quickly scooped her up, carrying her under their dining room table and beginning to rock her back and forth in a vain attempt to keep her calm, the young children's lives completely uprooted in mere moments.

Another gunshot quickly rang out, immediately followed by the thud of a body falling to the floor, Dmitri's head poking out from under the table to reveal a similar fate to his father, his eyes locked in on the masked strangers that had invaded their home. Valeria's confusion only grew deeper as she could not fathom what was happening to the world around her. A series of sudden, unexpected events had left her completely disoriented and lost, her small hand clinging tightly onto Dmitri's as the masked individuals moved to surround them.

The masked men quickly flipped the dining table, their faces hidden by dark masks, revealing Dimitri cradling his two-year-sister protectively. The masked men ripped the siblings apart, holding a squirming Valeria. They held her still and forced her to look at her brother as a bang echo sounded.

The two-year-old cried out in fear as she began to shake, the man who was supposedly her protector was now dead and she could not take much more of this carnage. She had just watched her entire family get killed, and she had no idea who these people were.

The men grabbed her tightly and quickly threw her into a van, slamming the doors shut as soon as they had secured her inside. Valeria found herself surrounded by masked strangers, her cries quickly turning to screams, her fear and confusion reaching its peak. The men quickly climbed into the front of the van and drove off, leaving her with no knowledge of what would await her beyond her new, cold confines.

As the van came to a slow stop, Valeria heard the sound of several loud bangs, followed by another sound of doors opening as a bloody old man emerged from the front of the vehicle, his gaze quickly fixed on the young girl. The sudden appearance of the bloodied man quickly filled her with a fresh dose of dread, her screams escalating as she quickly crawled into the corner, desperately attempting to escape from the man and his horrifying appearance.

The old man's thick Russian accent was comforting in a strange way, his soothing voice quickly filling her with a strange sense of ease as his appearance no longer seemed as terrifying as before. She slowly stepped out of the corner as he quickly reached out to grab her hand, the feeling of his rough calloused grip oddly soothing as she allowed herself to trust him. "It's okay, little one, I won't hurt you. They wanted to hurt you." His eyes quickly glanced at the front of the truck, his words filled with a reassuring calmness.

Slowly, her tiny fingers wrapped around his rough hand, the girl moving closer to the man as she took one step after another into his grasp. The old man's words had a calming effect on her, this man with the thick Russian accent was the only adult who had shown her any sort of kindness, as she nodded silently. "Come with me, and you will be safe," he repeated as he began to slowly walk her toward the front of the truck.

With a small, trusting grip, she tightly clutched the old man's finger, following him as he led her toward a car, slowly easing her inside. He opened the door and let her in, closing the door behind her as she sat down in the seat, the old man quickly taking his place behind the steering wheel.

Once he had gotten behind the wheel the car made a quick start, the pace increasing as they drove on. Valeria's interest was immediately drawn to the view outside at that moment, her eyes glued to the passing surroundings as they raced forward. The old man kept his eyes firmly fixed on the road ahead, but eventually, they came to a stop. Valeria looked out the window and saw a large building up ahead, her gaze quickly shifting to the old man, his expression revealing nothing more than a stern demeanor as he stared out the front windscreen.

The car's engine was quickly cut off as they arrived outside the large, grey building, her hand lightly brushing across the ivy-covered walls with a quiet reverence as they walked towards it. The buildings' massive presence quickly dominated the environment, the old man's firm grip keeping her close to his side as they made their way towards the entrance.

The old man's strong grip kept her a safe distance behind him, the man gently guiding her towards their new destinations, his words only providing more questions than answers. They soon came across a massive grey building, the old man opening up the door and leading her inside. "Welcome to the Red Room" He said "I think you'll fit in pretty well here.' She didn't know what he meant, but she had grown to trust him. They walked inside the building, taking her up some stairs until they reached a room full of young women, most of whom had already retired for the night.

He quickly handcuffed her to the bed, binding her arms to the metal frame. The handcuffs were tightly secured and locked away in his pocket, while he leaned against the wall beside the bed and continued to watch over her. The other girls, all of them also chained to their own beds, continued to stare at her as though she was some kind of specimen that had just been brought in for their amusement. As they did so, one of them began to speak to her, her voice bearing a tone of curiosity as she looked over the new girl.

The young girl's playful voice cut through the otherwise dead silence of the dormitory, the girl laying casually on her bed, one hand propped up on her hip as she stared at Valeria's motionless figure. "You should have run when you had the chance."