To Live Her Life

As the shots and screaming got louder, closer; Oceané cowered. She continued struggling with the thin yet extremely strong metal chain that linked her small wrist to the metal post of the bed beside her. Her breathing became harsher and harsher with each passing second while anxiety pressed upon her. She was getting more and more afraid with every pull of the chain against the head of the bed frame. It wasn't coming loose, wasn't even budging. The only thing accomplished was the metallic clanging of the metal upon metal and the slight movement of the bed's frame on the wooden floor. She had no hope, there was no way she would be able to get out of the room.

Her heart raced with the terrible, frightening realization.

She was chained here, to wait until someone came and found her. And if they didn't know she was here, and no one came... Hell, she would die regardless under many of circumstances.

So she did all that she could, she hid underneath the bed, her only hope at a lifeline.

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Youri entered the next home cautiously. Just in front of him Demetrio had kicked in the door, he always had a love for doing that, for whatever reason. Demetrio claimed by breaking in doors, he felt powerful. Sort of like he was indestructible since he could break down even the heaviest or most secure door out there in the world. Or so he likes to think.

Behind Youri were two others, Rallan and Raymick.

From that front door, the 4 of them paired up and split, searching carefully throughout the home.

Demetrio and Youri took the upstairs, while the other two took the downstairs. Shots rained all around the home by other soldiers since they originally entered, but as Youri and Demetrio went up the long set of steps gunfire sounded below their feet as a yell was heard too. Demetrio looked longingly back at the staircase, disappointed by not “getting any action.” Meanwhile, Youri prayed to every God out there that the rest of the house was empty. More importantly, that no one was in the upstairs of the home because then he had no choice except to shoot at the person.

Overturning beds, tables, wardrobe closets and other various furniture; searching anywhere a human could possibly be hiding, they all went though the house thoroughly. At the end of the hallway however, was a single locked room. The only locked door in the house. I'm sure you know how Demetrio felt about this particular finding, yet dread and nervousness filled Youri's bones. Chilled his bones from the spine down to his toes making him shiver involuntarily.

Demetrio rose his fingers, 3 of them and mouthed from 3, 2, 1 before he once again had the thrill of busting in a door from its frame.

Guns raised, they stealthily walked into the room. It could have been a trap, they knew, but risked that possibility. Both, side by side began scanning the room for anything out of place. No one was in sight. Although that meant nothing to them. Someone was in here, they both knew that as a sure fact. Despite there only being few hiding places, they took the search more slowly than in the previous knowingly empty rooms.

With only a wardrobe closet, small table, and bed it was sort of obvious where all hiding places were.

First Youri looked behind the curtains and draping on the walls, hoping he would not be the one to “finish it.” Then he was in a rut. Only the bed was left.

Together the two walked towards the bed, posed for attack, just in case if the person were to lunge at them in an attempt to defend themselves. Youri was the one to lift its frame upwards and tip it onto its side... Demetrio was to shoot. Youri had closed his eyes as his hand left the gun and slipped underneath the metal frame just enough so he had leverage. But something told him to open them as the metal crashed onto its side against the hard wood. And so he did....

Quickly enough to take action.

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Oceané whimpered and yelped lowly at the sudden overturning of the bed on top of her, the bed that hid her and was her only chance at salvation. All she knew was... Well, nothing to be honest.

Just moments prior she heard her fathers low hissing sounding shout and multiple gunshots. Like a machine gun...almost.

Her father was dead...

And she didn't know whether to be sad or in a tiny way, happy. This was all too much to take in. Everything was happening so fast and right now out of all times. She also had no clue as to why this was happening from the start.

Curled in a ball, her scarf still not covering her face from when she brushed it away prior, she was beyond scared. Her wrist was still caught and she couldn't go anywhere, do anything. If it were her government, by whatever slight of chance, she would be dead for not wearing said scarf. She would be considered immodest... She could be killed on the spot. If it wasn't. They killed her father already, they would never spare her life; she was a burden, a sin.

Demetrio's gun was pointed at her, poised to fire. Unbeknownst to Oceané, Youri was taking in the situation before him.

The trigger was pulled; Youri however was quicker than the bullet... somehow. He shoved the gun away from her, the target, the young girl laying in a heap on the floor. The one who jumped and shook noticeably at the sound of the shot and braced her rigid body for the pain. Oceané.

“Що ебать?” (What the fuck?!) Demetrio screamed, putting his aim at the hard wood floor as he ganged up on Youri for screwing up his shot. Demetrio's concentration was very easily broken by his fury at that point.

“Вона дитину!”(She is a kid!) Youri hissed at the man in front of him while slinging his gun over his shoulder and onto his back, the safety on for once. Kneeling in front of the young girl, Oceané, he noticed she was chained to the post on the headboard of the bed.

“Ти в порядку?” (Are you alright?) Youri asked gently, as he grabbed her small wrist and picked at the lock on the chains, lifting the metal frame up of her bent arm afterward. Oceané glanced upwards at the man only a millisecond as she quickly pulled her once caught elbow and forearm towards her body. Nursing it in a way against her body.

On her single hand and knees she backed away, stumbling, as quickly as she could from the men around her. After that short millisecond she never looked anywhere but at the men's boot clad feet. She was taking a risk in even doing that but the designs were captivating. The intricate stitches in the strange unidentifiable material that was used. She never seen a man's shoe in her life. Like actual shoes, not sandals or moccasin-like tie on animal hide shoes. Not to mention actual feet. She was never allowed. Besides, her father has never owned ones like these men wore from what she saw cleaning up around the house for multiple years. Never ever before had see even imagined something such as these shoes. And that alone spiked her interest and got her dazing off in her thoughts. About shoes, or all things.

“Якого чорта ти думаєш Юрію?” (What the hell are you thinking Youri?!) Demetrio's voice barked back, booming through the tiny room.

“Ви знаєте правила. Нам було наказано тримати дітей!” (You know the rules! We were ordered to keep the children!) As Youri yelled, he stood back up to Demetrio's level. Despite being younger by a few years Youri still had a few inches on him.

“Вона не гребаной дитини!” (She is not a fucking kid!) Youri looked at her. Really looked at her this time. “дивитися на неї” (look at her...) He spoke lowly in a challenging tone.

Youri knelt down close to her once more, only this time she was free instead of chained. Oceané cringed away as his hand came towards her face.She thought he was going to hit her. But he hadn't a clue about her thoughts. Youri grabbed her chin carefully and lifted her head.

Hair, that once covered up all facial features, moved out of the way. With that hair out of the way, Youri could tell even more so that she was younger. Maybe not a child, but definitely still a young woman.

Oceané didn't meet his eyes, she started at the drapes that covered the wall behind his head. She refused to look at the man in front of her. Although when he made her look at him, when he moved into her view so she had to take a glance, it was like she was being taunted almost. And as she happened to do so, she was dazed. She couldn't look away from his intoxicating eyes, his stare, him in general. Soon realization once again coursed through her as to what was happening, she was staring.

Knowing she wasn't allowed to look at people, her head moved quickly so that she looked to the floor again. It was safe to look at the ground, or floor. No where else.

“штраф. Схопив її. Відпускає йти..” (Fine. Grab her. Let's go!) Demetrio snapped. Youri rolled his eyes but followed the elder man's instructions, grabbing Oceané's arm loosely and standing up. She didn't move...

“приходити..” (Come on...) She still never moved nor even looked up at him. He just now figured her out, well somewhat. She didn't understand a word he said...what they were saying. He also thought her a bit shy. “Come?” He tried in a broken form of English hoping she understood that. She didn't.

From the differences in their heights, Youri's palm barely held Oceané's tiny fingers. It was only after he tugged on those little fingers, that she look up at him; eyes wide, body now shaking like a leaf would in the wind. He motioned for her to stand, hoping she would comprehend that in the least.

Oceané looked at him in confusion before shifting onto her knees and standing, slow and reluctantly.

"ما انت ذاهب للقيام معي؟" (What are you going to do to me?) She whispered, asking the one question she dreaded as she stared at the floor. Her eyes widened and she bit her tongue, dread filling her body for that question coming from her mouth.

Youri was the confused one now. (Demetrio by the way was becoming extremely impatient with the two of them, obviously for different reasons but still he he had a short fuse.) Youri noticed the annoyance in Demetrio's stance and wasn't about to test the older man's patience any longer, that was for damn sure. Because of this, Youri grabbed a better hold onto the the hand of the tiny girl beside him and began to lead her out of the room.

Suddenly, Oceané remembered... her scarf. Without even thinking about it, she pulled her hand quickly away and rushed across the floor and behind the still overturned bed. Words she couldn't understand were yelled crazily, obviously in objection to her actions. She just didn't want to get into further trouble but she never considered it... until it was too late.

After bending down to grab the sheer, light, black and turquoise scarf; she stood back up. A gun was now pointed at her head, the bed being the only thing between her and the man who looked ready and willing to kill her with any sort of motion she made. Eyes wide, heart racing and body shaken even more than before, she froze until the other man made the guy lower the gun that was pointed towards her body.

"آسف" (Sorry) she whimpered an apology out while moving away from the man who obviously had all intentions to kill her on the spot. The nicer of the two men, or so she noticed, grabbed her hand once more causing her to blush a bright crimson red color.

It just now hit her. She was holding his hand. This show of “affection” was forbidden, more strictly followed than even the looking at a man was. Affection was a HUGE no-no. Lovers, friends, family or not, it was frowned upon even with young children and their mothers.

For the first time in a long time though, with him leading her away while being at her side, she felt a sense of protection. Not necessarily that he was a savior or anything like that; just that he wouldn't let the other man with the gun always raised at her, kill her in his presence. That was comforting. 'That's perfectly fine with me' she thought quietly to herself.

Rallan and Raymick popped out of the sitting room (or what used to be the sitting room) as Youri lead the timid girl and trigger finger happy, Demetrio through the upstairs kitchen and then down the steps towards the other two men.

“вау...” (wow...) Raymick stopped in his trackes, shocked beyond any other words.

“чому ти не вбив її?” (Why didn't you kill her?) Rallan asked Youri and Demetrio as he came the final distance into the room and saw the girl who was holding hands with one of his men. The tone of voice he had made Oceané flinch and shrink backwards, behind Youri further. Meanwhile Youri just glared at his group/squad leader in a bout of protectiveness.

“я зробив вирішення цього лайна..” (I'm done doing this shit.) Youri mumbled under his breath. He continued on pulling an afraid Oceané behind him in the process. Tears even sprang to her eyes at his harsh grip on her very bruised and slightly cut up wrist.

"من فضلك لا يؤذيني" (Please don't hurt me.) She pleaded lowly, knowing she really had no affect in outcome after this all. Whatever happened she couldn't possibly make them stop, they didn't understand her. Much like she didn't in regards to them. Surprisingly though, he stopped.

Turning to look down at her, he saw the tears before anything else. He wished to hell he understood her words... that she could understand he wasn't going to let anyone hurt her. He wasn't going to hurt her

But he couldn't...

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Only hours earlier everything had been simple, redundant, monotonous...

Now...

Things were about to change, even more than they had already. No more boredom, routines, simplicity.
Nothing was set in stone any longer; everything was thrown up into the air. This is war after all.

And Oceané is a “slave,” under control of the new “enemy.”

The only thing keeping her safe and alive are her youth, and a man whose name she doesn't know.