Crimson

hope or lack thereof

Food was sent in twice, a jug of water always placed neatly on the nightstand along with a glass. Clothes were draped across the chair near her bed when she woke up.
It was unnerving to have her life controlled again. After years of running and hiding, she was back in the same place she had been years ago and it was driving her crazy.
"This must be part of his plan."

Lately, she had been talking to herself more than someone should've. There was a crack running down the ceiling that she would study for hours on end, her fingers playing with the bed sheets. The sounds of her inhaling and exhaling as well as the feel of the sheets under her fingers made her eyes close, a steady river of memories flooding her mind.

"Alexandria, Alex," A boy's voice rang through her head, muted at first but then became louder and clearer. She could feel her body running, blond hair streaming behind her.

Her surroundings focused and now she was in a park, a lawn dotted with dandelions, weeds, and the odd squirrel or two. She recognized the memory, one she had tried to bury along with all the other ones of her childhood.

"Alexandria!"

Her ten year old body stopped, a breathless laugh bubbling at her throat.

"You should try to be faster, Dimitri." The boy caught up with her, his face flushed and a frown playing on his features.
"Mad that a girl beat you?" She teased, laughing again at his unhappy expression.

"Alexandria!" Another voice rang across the field, carrying with it a commanding tone.
The two shared a glance before a mischievous grin spread across the girl's face.

"Race you back."
And with that, she was already off, a complaining boy running after her.

The memory faded, meshing into a different one Pippin had also tried to hide away.

A pounding on the door made a now sixteen year old Alexandria jump at the sound.
The door had already opened before she said anything, the action sending a twinge of irritation through the girl's body.

"Just let yourself in, won't you?" Her annoyed gray eyes met angry brown ones that met her gaze fiercely.

"What do you want, Dimitri?" She returned to applying makeup to her bruised neck.
Dark blue and purple mixed into a terrible color in the shape of fingers around her neck.
Chekov had been in a bad mood the past week.
There was nothing anyone could do.

"Hey." She protested as the newcomer plucked the concealer out of her fingers.
"What are you doing?"

Despite the uneasy feeling in her stomach, she managed to keep her annoyed tone and gaze.
Dimitri didn't say anything for a while, his eyes simply darted all across her face then to her neck. "I can't keep seeing you like this."

She watched him sit on the bed, dragging a hand across his seventeen year old face.
Why did he seem so grown up?
So tired?

"There's nothing either of us can do." She answered, sighing as he placed an arm across her shoulders.

"Promise me, the very first chance you get, that you'll leave." His hand gripped her own tightly, conviction swimming in his dark eyes.
All she could do was nod, nod and hope that there would be a chance to get away from the monster.

The images swirled together until now it was just her, running.

She could see the alleys whizzing by but that wasn't what she was constantly looking back at. Before she knew it, someone had pulled her into one of the dark alleys. She tried to scream but a warm hand covered her mouth, pulling her into a warm body.