Nobody Would Care

Days melted into each other, each one an exhausting repetition of the last.

Andrei had tried to gather courage and asked Ivan to let him see Marfa to ask her about his mother but all he got was a resounding slap from Ivan, warning him to not ask him such bullshit requests ever again.

And so having no choice, every morning, before the sun even peeked over the horizon, Andrei would be jolted awake by the harsh ring of the bell. He would stumble out of his bed, his sleep-riddled eyes squinting against the dimly lit room. Ten minutes – that was all they were given to hurriedly scarf down the meager portions of bread and a lukewarm, tasteless gruel that barely qualified as breakfast.

With the taste of the gruel still heavy on his tongue, he would then struggle to drag the weighty sack towards the grounds. His tiny body strained against the burden, the strain making his bones ache and muscles scream in protest. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, he always fell short, the sack just inches away from the designated spot.

But he did notice he was getting closer and closer to his goal, no matter how small the difference was.

Every failed attempt stoked the fury in Alexei and Boris. Their grimaces would turn into menacing snarls as they thrashed him in punishment. The bruises on Andrei's body were a grim reflection of their brutality. His skin was peppered with splotches of black and blue that throbbed relentlessly, the pain a constant reminder of his struggles.

In the last week of the month, after another particularly grueling attempt at carrying the sack, Andrei decided to retaliate, unable to take it any longer.

As Alexei's fist swung towards him, Andrei darted forward, his teeth sinking into the fleshy part of Alexei's arm. A pained cry escaped Alexei, his free hand swinging instinctively towards Andrei, knocking him to the ground.

"You little fuck!" Alexei bellowed, clutching his bleeding arm. "I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget!"

Boris joined in, the pair descending on Andrei like wolves. The brutal thrashing was worse than any he'd received before, making him wish he had the strength to stop them.

After they left, Andrei silently sobbed as his wounds stung him, though the absence of his mother was something that pained him more than anything all these days.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over him as a small figure appeared at the end of his bed.

He looked up and saw it was the red haired girl named Irina, her cold blue eyes staring down at him as if studying him.

Andrei wiped his eyes and looked at her, confusion etching his face.

"You're dragging it all wrong," Irina began and went on, "Don't use your whole body to pull it. Use your legs and hips more. They're stronger than your arms. And…biting is dumb. Aim for the stomach or throat."

Andrei blinked at her as she simply walked away while he was absorbing the advice. It sounded like she was right, but he didn't know if he had the strength to put it into practice. Still, he took a deep breath, his eyes glinting with newfound hope.

—

The next day where the sky was still asleep,

Andrei felt his heart leap as he dragged the sack over the designated line. The ground seemed to quiver under his shoes as the relief washed over him.

He did it! Her advice really worked!

He looked over at Irina and smiled, nodding his thanks. Irina simply shot a glance at him before looking away.

"Huh?," Ivan boomed, crossing his arms over his chest as he eyed Andrei, "The little rat actually managed it."

His gruff voice filled with disdain cut through the relative silence like a knife, causing the rest of the children to startle.

His lips then curled into a mirthless smile, "Good thing you did, because this was the last time you all would be dragging these sacks."

A collective sigh of relief echoed throughout the yard as the children exchanged exhausted smiles. Andrei's let out a huge sigh of relief. No more heavy sacks. No more struggling and straining till his muscles screamed.

However, didn't Ivan's sentence mean that the rest of the kids who didn't manage to complete the task would be thrown into a gutter?

But Ivan wasn't finished.

"Don't start celebrating just yet, rats. From now on, you start the real work...in the mines," Ivan's voice was cold and his expression stone-like, "From morning till evening, you will dig and dig. Your dirty hands will search for what's precious to us, not you. Remember, time is money. You waste time, you waste money and I will waste you. So do not slack off since your life depends on it."

A chilling silence settled over the yard as the children stared at Ivan with widened eyes, the smile slowly fading from their faces. Andrei's heart pounded against his ribcage, the brief moment of triumph now replaced with dread. Mines. The word echoed in his mind like a haunting whisper. It sounded dangerous. It sounded terrifying.

"What? Lost your tongues?" Ivan snarled, an icy smirk on his face, "Don't worry. You will get used to it, like everything else in life."

The words hung heavily in the air as the children stared back at Ivan, their faces pale and their hearts pounding with fear. Andrei's hands trembled at his sides, the pit of his stomach filling with dread. Would he survive this? He wasn't so sure anymore. He barely survived this one.

With a sharp snap of Ivan's fingers, the group of kids was herded towards the back of the orphanage. As they trudged through the gravel-strewn path, a grim spectacle unfolded before their eyes. The sight made Andrei's heart tighten in his chest.

The back of the main building opened to an enormous pit dug deep into the earth - a quarry. Even in the soft, golden glow of the dawn, the place felt like a scene straight out of a horror movie.

Hundreds of kids, some around Andrei's age while some were teenagers, toiled away relentlessly. Their movements mechanical, their faces smeared with dirt, sweat, and resignation. The distinct sound of pickaxes striking the rocks reverberated in the chilly morning air, occasionally punctuated by soft grunts of exertion.

Over the pit, a makeshift shelter of thin plastic sheets, crudely tied together with strings, was erected, barely providing any protection from the harsh weather.

Andrei's gaze then fell upon a group of children lying outside in the cold, muddy outskirts of another pit. Some of them were lying lifelessly while the others shivered violently, their thin undergarments offering little warmth against the unforgiving chill. Their gaunt faces, pale and drawn, stared vacantly into the distance, their expressions hauntingly lifeless.

"See them?" Ivan's harsh voice broke the eerie silence, pointing towards the shivering kids. His face twisted into a chilly one, "That's what happens when you don't pull your weight around here. You slack, you lay in the mud and freeze to death. Until you learn the value of hard work."

He paused, letting the reality of his words sink in. The children around Andrei exchanged frightened glances, their eyes wide and full of terror.

"If you die, you die," Ivan continued, his gaze as cold as the winter air, "Nobody would care. Some other rat will take your place, continue the work. You're replaceable, remember that."

Ivan's words echoed ominously in Andrei's mind. He shivered, not from the cold but from sheer terror. His fists clenched at his side, his gaze drifting towards the kids working in the mines.

In the disheartening bustle of the mining site, Andrei was handed a rusty claw hammer, its metal cold and unwelcoming to the touch. His tiny hands could barely wrap around the worn wooden handle, but he clutched it with all the strength he could muster.

An hour into the rigorous task, Andrei found his strength ebbing away. His meager attempts at striking the stubborn stone resulted only in light scrapes and scratches. His back ached, his hands trembled, but the fear of Ivan's wrath kept him going, albeit at a crawling pace.

*THWAP!*

Just as Andrei was preparing to deliver another feeble strike, a sharp, stinging pain radiated through his back. A gasp of pain escaped his lips, morphing into a high-pitched howl. Andrei stumbled forward, nearly dropping his hammer. Turning around in surprise and pain, he found Ivan, a malicious glint in his eyes and a long leather whip in his hand.

"I told you, rat. Work or get whipped!" Ivan snarled, his voice echoing ominously in the mining pit. With that, he walked away, his steps heavy and authoritative.

Andrei's eyes welled up with tears. His back was throbbing with pain, but he dared not to stop. Once again, he gripped the hammer, his knuckles turning white from the pressure. He began to strike the stones again, each hit draining him further.

Before he knew it, his vision started to blur. The world around him began to spin. His grip on the hammer loosened and, finally, he fell onto the ground, his strength utterly depleted.

He saw Ivan's boots approaching through his hazy vision. Rough hands hoisted him up, carrying him away from the work site. The next thing he knew, he was thrown onto the cold, hard ground outside. His clothes were removed with swift, uncaring movements, leaving him shivering in his underwear.

"Rest here, rat," Ivan scoffed. His voice held a chilling note of pleasure, "Take all the time you need," With that, he walked away, leaving Andrei to the mercy of the cold.

The chilly wind whipped at his vulnerable body. Andrei pulled his knees up to his chest, hugging himself in a desperate attempt to trap some warmth. His teeth chattered uncontrollably as he laid there.

He slowly turned his head to one side, his body protesting against the small movement. The sight that greeted him was horrifying.

Lying beside him was a boy, not much older than him, lifeless eyes staring blankly at the sky. The skin on his exposed body was blue and numb, a clear sign of the harsh punishments Ivan so mercilessly doled out.

Andrei's heart pounded in his chest, a fear gripping him - would he too end up like this, life snuffed out in this cold, heartless place?

With that frightening thought, a desperate strength seemed to surge through Andrei's body. He gritted his teeth, clenching his fists, trying to push himself up from the freezing ground. His body, however, didn't seem to cooperate. It felt like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. His muscles strained, but he didn't move an inch.

Just when he was about to give up, Andrei saw a flicker of light piercing the sleeping, dark sky. He craned his neck up and found the sun breaking out from behind the oppressive gray clouds.

Its warm, golden light seemed to bring life back to the bleak world. Andrei was spellbound. The sight was so mesmerizing, so peaceful, that it seemed to make him forget his surroundings, even if just for a moment.

A warm sensation began to spread through his body, as if the sun's rays were caressing him, soothing his aching muscles, driving away the cold. The stinging pain on his back seemed to ebb away, replaced by an unexplainable warmth.

With a newfound energy, Andrei clenched his fist around the hammer lying next to him. His body protested, but he forced himself up, his back straightening with difficulty. His eyes remained fixed on the glowing sun, its light casting a serene glow over his exhausted figure.

"Mama..." He whispered, a small, soft smile spreading across his face as his eyes teared up. His mother was no longer beside him but he imagined it was her, watching over him from above, bathing him in her warm light, just as he always considered her as one. This comforting thought renewed his spirit.

Taking a deep breath, Andrei turned his attention back to the stones lying next to him. His hand, though numb and sore, held the hammer tightly.

With renewed determination, he began to strike the stones, each hit resonating with his resolve and with even more vigor.

He will survive this place no matter what it takes.