Wunderhein Academy: Book 1- Awakening

“No.” Kitten shot up, her eyes darting wildly in the darkness. It took a few seconds before she recognized the few belongings of her room.

“Blyad.” She swore, trying to breathe so her heart would stop racing. “Not again.”

She huddled in the corner of her bed, resting her sticky damp forehead on her knees.

Outside she heard movement and her head shot up instantly as her heart began drumming again.

“Dumb animals.” A coarse voice muttered behind her bedroom door. “They should all be shot.”

“Forget them. At least we get paid for this.” Someone answered. “You got a light?”

She waited, listening to the conversation as her body grew tenser. There had been voices outside her door last time.

Last time she had let Teddy die.

After some laughter, they wandered off. Biting her lip, she stood up and checked her pocket, making sure her switch-blade was in place. She must have passed out and forgot to remove it.

Thankful, she tip-toed to the door, finding the key in the hole. After unlocking it, she checked that the passage was clear of guards before making a turn.

“Father Frost, Father Frost, guard those sleeping...”

She halted, hearing the words mix into the night it was comforting in a strongly odd way. Cautiously she tip-toed across the cold stone floor until she saw Dmitri’s figure in the darkness of the courtyard.

He was sitting on the grass. The light of his cigarette barely even touching his face. She could make out that it was tilted sky-ward though, resting against the back of the giant tree there.

She swallowed before stepping onto the grass then shivered as wet grass squished between her toes.

“Ya look a sight.” Dmitri nodded briefly as she made it nearer towards him. “Baba Yaga keep ya up?”

“I’m fine. Just couldn’t sleep.” She answered, rubbing her arm. She avoided looking at him, hoping he couldn’t tell she was lying. “People walking around and stuff.”

“Them being the guards.” He pointed out. “And they’ve been here since I was a kid.”

“Great.” Kitten winced. She should have known better than to try that excuse. “Um, I wanted the bathroom?”

“Shut up and sit down.”

Kitten blinked as she hesitated. She was doubtful the grass under the tree was wet from morning dew but still, the thought of sitting on it was already making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

“I said sit.”

“Nah!” She yelled as Dmitri reached out to grab her arm, pulling her down next to him. She grimaced, wiggling slightly on the grass much to Dmitri’s amusement. “Not funny.”

“Next time ya obey the Commanding Officer.” He smirked before turning away from her to stare ahead of them. “Why ain’t ya sleeping? It’s been three nights.”

She stopped wiggling and stared at him blankly, a blush hitting her face. “You can’t know that?”

“I know.” He pulled on his cigarette.

“How…” Kitten turned to look at the window on her wall. “Wait…You’re stalking me?”

“Ya be so lucky.” Dmitri snorted. “I don’t sleep much so sit out here sometimes. Better than listening to the others snoring away.”

Kitten tried to stop the giggle that was rising at his words. He glanced at her before taking his cigarette and slamming it towards her, stopping inches from her face. She didn’t move, finding herself staring at the burning ashes dying into the night. “Huh?”

“Mmm, thought so.” He moved the stick away from her face, tossing it into the wet ground. “Ya reflexes are off.”

“My…Wait what?”

“Reflexes.” He replied seriously. “What ya expect with ya not eating.”

“I…was hoping no one noticed.” She hugged her knees. “I haven’t been hungry.”

“Don’t be dumb. We all noticed.” He scoffed. “Ya still hear the kid’s screams, don’t ya?”

Kitten’s head bolted up. Dmitri wasn’t watching her. He was staring ahead of them unseeingly. “You heard me?”

“Didn’t need to.” His face didn’t change. “I know.”

“How…” She looked ahead, trying to see what he was seeing but all that was ahead of them was a brick wall.

“Ya’ll be slow for a few days.” Dmitri carried on, ignoring her question. “Dreams will haunt ya for a while. Ya should still try and sleep though. Ya should also try and eat some. Otherwise, ya gonna battle with ya training and just be some weak kitten ya whole life.”

“Wait, hold on.” Kitten bolted to her knees. “How do you know this?”

“Ya ain’t the only one taken before.”

Kitten’s mouth dropped.

“What?” He looked at her frowning.

“You were taken too?” The words barely managed to break out of her throat. She swallowed, feeling tears burning her eyes. She quickly brushed them away, determined to at least appear brave in front of Dmitri. When she looked at him again, his eyebrows were raised slightly.

“Yeah.” He finally answered.

“When?” Kitten straightened, leaning slightly towards him. “I mean… you’re so…”

“Un-touchable?” he scoffed, raising his hand. “Was before ya time. I was a kid but my hide had already kicked in. It made me valuable so I was taken. Lexie saved me. Still see the hole I was dumped in sometimes when I close my eyes.”

“Wow.”

“Take my advice.” Dmitri continued. “Just push through it. Ya fine now. Remember that.”

“Why do they take us?” Kitten finally whispered. “Is it some kind of test? Was Teddy just not good enough? Is that why he …”

Kitten chocked back on the words. The image of the door hitting her again. She could almost conjure up the stench around it.

“Ain’t a test.” Dmitri replied simply. “If it was, then ya passed.”

“Want do you mean?”

“Some kids lost it up here.” He tapped his head. “Because of the island. Think people’s spare parts will make them better at stuff so they hunt them out or hire others to get them. That’s what happened with Teddy.”

“You mean he died because he was with me?” Kitten felt the bile rise to her throat.

“Ain’t everything is about you Kitten.” Dmitri shrugged. “Either way.”

“You’re not helping.”

“Didn’t say I was trying to help.”

Kitten frowned for a moment. “Do you mean someone was hunting him, or me, and the other was in the way?”

She noticed the smirk touched his lip and knew she hit the jackpot. He didn’t say anything as she frowned. It still didn’t make sense. Neither of them made good spare parts for anyone.

“Staying young means lots of things.” Dmitri’s words didn’t improve the sharp burning in Kitten’s throat. “If ya wanna pay the price for it.”

“How do you know all this?” Her mouth suddenly felt dry. She didn’t like where this was headed. “What price are you willing to pay?”

Dmitri went eerily silent for a moment before speaking in a lowered voice. “A big one.”

Kitten sucked a deep breath of air. Before she knew what was happening, Dmitri lunged forward, growling, before a pain struck her on the side of the head.

She yelped before jumping to her feet to run. She had hardly stepped away from him when the world began spinning around her.

As soon as she stood still, everything turned black.