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Karina, Natalia, and Maria stood dumbfounded in the dark for a few seconds as Irina continued to choke.
"What do we do?" screeched Natalia. "We can't let her die -- you heard them! They'll kill us!"
"Fuck her, the little snitch," Karina said coldly. "They're probably bluffing. And if they're not, I plan on taking my death with pride, knowing that I gave my life for the people."
Without saying anything, Maria sprung into action. While her eyes got adjusted to the blackness, she hopped around the room until she collided with Irina's struggling body. With her hands bound behind her back and her ankles secured together, she paused for a moment, wondering what she could possibly do to keep Irina alive.
Then it hit her. She would replace the stool. She clumsily fell to the ground beneath Irina and positioned her right shoulder immediately beneath Irina's struggling feet.
"I'm right underneath you! Stand on my shoulder!" she barked. Irina desperately thrashed around, trying to get a foothold on Maria's shoulder. For what seemed like an eternity, her bound feet struggled to find the right place.
Finally, she managed to get her feet into place. It was awkward as hell, but she took in a choking gasp. The noose was tight enough to make breathing difficult, but it was possible. Barely.
Maria groaned as Irina's full weight pressed down upon her one shoulder, but what alternative did she have? She sat in silence as Irina continued to fill her lungs to the best of her ability.
Eventually, she couldn't take the weight any more. Fortunately, Natalia agreed to take her place for awhile. Irina was left dangling for a short amount of time while they switched out, but she quickly found a foothold and desperately sucked in air once again.
After a time, they switched off again. And again. And again. The guards never returned. The whole time, Karina sulked in a corner of the room, unwilling to help.
Thirst, fatigue, and soreness began to take their toll. How long must they do this?
Finally, Maria realized what had to be done. The guards wouldn't let them out until all of them helped Irina cling to life.
Somehow, she had to get Karina to agree to help.
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