Chapter Thirty: 
I Promise
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

I promise.

Two simple words that carried an endless meaning. To most, these words were thrown around carelessly and without and meaning. I promise this, I promise that. The word almost didn't matter at all anymore.

Not to Ramona. The word promise meant a lot to Ramona. She didn't take this simple word lightly, which is why she believed Steve wholeheartedly when he told her he wouldn't let her die all those months ago. 

She could remember exactly how she felt at that moment. It was a whirlwind of emotions. It didn't feel like reality. It felt like a nightmare she desperately wanted to wake up from.

The blood soaking her white shirt pushed her into an anxiety-ridden state at the realization that it was no nightmare, but real. She almost couldn't breathe, she felt suffocated. In that moment, she felt pure fear for her life. She had no idea if she would survive. She thought, without a doubt, that she would die.

The idea of death didn't necessarily scare Ramona, but she wasn't ready to go so young. Death wasn't something she was unfamiliar with. In fact, the girl was eerily close to this idea. Death had followed her around like a lioness on her prey nearly her entire life. 

Her dad when she was a kid, by a drunk driver on the way home. She vowed off alcohol after that day, even if she was only nine years old. One of her best friends two years ago, and she had to pretend like everything was okay, even when everything wasn't. Her grandma when she was seven from a vicious disease

Her mind ran rampant as her eyes landed on her blood-soaked shirt, and Steve could tell. As much as he hated her then, he didn't want her freaking out. Even in the chaos surrounding them, he still wanted to make sure that she was okay. When Steve grabbed her so carefully, forcing her to look at him and whispered those two words so softly, she couldn't help but trust the boy she'd once hated. 

"I promise." He said. He promised her he wouldn't let her die, and she could tell by the emotions dancing in his eyes that he meant it with his entire body. 

He didn't mean to break his promise. He tried, Ramona knew that. Ramona knew he tried his very best not to let her die, and that's what hurt her the most. The thought that no matter how hard you try, life will always fuck you over in the end. 

That was proven to be true as the door swung open moments later, revealing the Russian soldiers. The general loomed over her as the so-called doctor walked over and unloaded the torture devices onto a table. The general's lips curved into a sinister grin as he blocked out the blinding light. "Let's try this again, shall we?"

Ramona let her head fall back onto the cold metal table as she shook her head. The lights flickered on, blinding her within seconds. Pain shot through her head quickly, leaving behind a dull ache slowly creeping down her spine. Her head pounded as her sweaty and bloody skin stuck to the metal table she was restrained to, "Si yo tengo que."

A dark look crossed the man's face as he looked up at the doctor, muttering in Russian to him as Ramona sluggishly pulled at the restraints in a weak attempt to free herself. "Do you know what respect means?"

Ramona rolled her eyes as her neck grew weak from the strain put on it. "Why, no! Why don't you explain it to me, bastarda?"

The soldier muttered something in Russian, raising his hand, taking the large needle from the doctor's hands and clicking his tongue. "This will hurt."

A pained scream left Ramona's lips as the needle pierced her skin, and at the sound of it the soldier's eyes seemed to brighten. Ramona whimpered as she felt the cold liquid flooding her body. Her muscles tenses and she reluctantly let her body stop fighting. 

"How do you feel?" The doctor hissed, tapping the empty syringe with his finger before discarding it, "Honest?" 

"You know.." Ramona giggled as the drugs pumped through her veins as she let her head fall back onto the cold table. "I don't think you're a real doctor! Perra falsa."

"Who do you work for?" The Russian man sneered, leaning down so he was eye-level with the beaten and bruised girl.

Ramona stifled a laugh as she raised her head to meet his eyes. She let out a puff of air, blowing her hair from her eyes as she grinned sarcastically. "Ever heard of Lava Java?"

A dark look crossed the man's face as he turned his head to another solider, muttering something under his breath in Russian. Ramona's heart sank, she knew what was coming. She'd heard that word every time before they'd hit her hours ago. "Wa-wait! Woah, woah, woah, no, no, no, no! ¿Que es esa cosa? Wat-"

Ramona struggled against the restraints holding her to the table weakly, trying to escape from the pain before it could start again. A grunt left her lips as the man's fist connected with her already bruised stomach, an emotionless expression flashing through his eyes. "How did you get here?"

"Elevator room." Ramona answered, shutting her eyes to block out the bright lights. "You should fire the architect because I'm a fuckin' coffee shop worker in high school and I cracked your code on how to get down here... Totally on accident."

"Who knows we're here?" He continued, folding his hands behind his back, "With respect."

"Well, me." Ramona rose her finger, attempting to point to herself as she squinted from the blinding lights the doctor shoved in her face. "The boy in the sailors uniform and... the girl in the sailors uniform. Oh! And Hopper."

"Hopper?"

"Yup! And that means the U-S-of-fucking-A military's gonna come here and fuckin' beat your commie asses!" Ramona shouted, pulling on the restraints holding her to the table. "Tick tock, bitch."

A bitter laugh escaped the man's lips as he shook his head. "You're going to regret not respecting me."

Ramona gulped as the general nodded to the doctor before leaving the room. The doctor turned around to face her, his eyes dark and his lips curving into a sinister grin as he loomed over her. "I'm going to have fun with you, pet."

~~

"Hey! Henderson!" Steve greeted, "That's crazy, I was just talkin' about you!"

Dustin ignored him, instead untying the restraints holding him and Robin back, panic flooded his eyes once he realized there were only two teens tied to a chair. 

"Where's Ramona?" Dustin asked urgently, looking around the room as Erica untied Robin.

"Ramona? Ramona! Oh, yeah. We lost her." Steve answered, letting his hand drop from his vision. His smile sank seconds later, "We lost Ramona."

Dustin's eyes nearly popped out of his skull as he straightened his back, shooting Steve a harsh glare as he crossed his arms, "You what?"

"Yeah." Robin muttered, nodding slowly as her eyes widened, "The Russians came and just... stole her away!"

"Jesus Christ, okay." Dustin muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. He raised his head, pointing at Steve. "You're an idiot."

"Hey!" Steve whined, his shoulders slumping as he searched Dustin's face for any sign of him joking. He found none. "Meanie!"

"When did you lose her?" Dustin asked, his tone serious as he looked at Steve. Steve provided no help, forcing Dustin to look towards Robin for answers.

"Uh..." Robin trailed off, tilting her head back to rest on Steve's shoulder. "Like-like, I don't know! Before you came in.."

"Wow." Dustin muttered, shaking his head. "I-I mean.. Just.. wow! I have to everything around here. Jesus!"

"Hey!" Steve scoffed, shaking his head quickly, "Watch it, Henderson."

"Watch them." Dustin said pointedly, ignoring Steve's insult and looking towards Erica. 

"Watch them?" Erica repeated with a scoff as she rested her hand on her hip, "Why would I want to watch these nerds?"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Dustin said sarcastically, "Would you rather go against evil Russians alone?"

Erica rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Whatever."

"Whatever." Dustin mimicked,  "Make sure no evil Russians show up!"

"And how am I suppose to do that?"

"Figure it out!" Dustin said as he shut the door behind him. A sigh left his lips as he focused on the endless hallway, "Here we go again."

~~

Fear struck Ramona's heart as red flashing lights blurred her vision. Alarm bells rang in her ears as the lights blinded her. Panic began to set in at the thought that they'd left her behind. "No.."

The doctor's eyes widened as he looked up at the red flashing lights, muttering swears under his breath as he put down the syringes filled with a mystery liquid and left in a hurry, leaving Ramona alone in the dark room. "I'll be back for you."

Her eyes fluttered shut as her body gave up on fighting for freedom. The alarm bells became muffled in her ears as the world around her became muted as she blocked out the unwanted sounds. 

She almost felt herself drifting off to sleep as an escape until the world came crashing back down around her. All at once, the sounds and visual stimulation flooded her again, nearly overwhelming as her headache returned. "Ugh..."

"Ramona!" Dustin's voice broke through her walls as her eyes shot open.

"Dusty roads!" Ramona greeted, "Hey.. Nice to see you not dead."

His eyes softened as his eyes trailed over the dried blood sticking to her face, matting her hair to her forehead as his throat dried. Her eye had swollen shut, and her once honey golden skin was covered in sickeningly purple and green bruises. Handprints embedded themselves on her arms, a clear sign of brute force used against her.

 "Ramona?" Dustin said, his heart dropping as he quickly rushed over and frantically pulled at the restraints, his hands shaking as he helped her off of the table. "We're gonna be okay, okay?"

Ramona nodded slowly, tripping over her own feet as she fell to her knees. Dustin gasped, pulling her to her feet and sliding his arm around her waist to help her walk, "Just trust me, okay?"

"Okay," Ramona nodded, her balance thrown off as she struggled to stand straight because of the higher drug dosage, "I trust you, Dusty Roads."

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

{ A/n: i made strawberry bread!!! }

{ Translations: if i have to, bastard, bitch, fake bitch, what is that thing }

{ Edited: No }