ALONG CAME A SPIDER
[Nicole “Nikki” Ann Iosif Dzhugashvili]
(10/23/2005)
“Vat da ell do vou tink vou’re…” Nikki was thrown into an empty prison cell. She threw her golden locks out of her face as she yelled, “Vo do vou tink vou are?” The correction officer was a dark skinned woman that gave a frustrated, “I know exactly who you are dear!” She began to walk away as Nikki yelled “Vell den vou are idiot…can’t ev’n ollow imple enructionz!” The guard just laughed as she began to open a door at the opposite end, Nikki yelled, “I von’t alk o…” but the guard gave a rude “I know, who do you think is here?”
Turning in the spot she watched as another door opened at the opposite end. “Vell, vell, vell,” she said as she glared at the newcomers like a cat watching a mouse. The cell door opened, “vell ef et izn’t mi blood zucking nake en de grazz usband and mi ov’r aid blood zucking nake en de grazz lawer.” Her lawyer had slicked back greasy black hair and his pin striped office suit hung from his scrawny body. Sweat glistened down his crooked nose as he moved aside to let in an older gentleman. His brown hair was shaped like a football helmet and his wrinkled face made him appear ancient compared to her still youthful looks. “Well the supposed love of my life,” he snarled as Nikki added, “I’m sill vaiting on apers from vo Yoseph!” “Well that is what I am here to discuss,” her lawyer invited her to sit as they all took a seat at the metal table.
“I am afraid dear that your upcoming trial will not be as fortunate as the one I tried over,” “I’ll andle et” she shot back to her husband. “Yes, but this is not some silly telemarketing scam that you pulled. However despite everything that you have done to me Nikki…” Nikki huffed, “Oh dat es noting arling cumpared vo vat I cood ave don. Did…vou not ze de list?” Joseph nodded, “I know…I got a hold of your record. Your WHOLE record…you have a very impressive rap sheet and I must say it was foolish of you to come back. I wish I would have known all that before I married you.” She crossed her arms, “Sum of et appened vhile ve vere married…but I glad oo ze vou’re emprezzed.” “So what do you plan on doing while you have been remanded to jail until the trial,” sneering at her lawyer, “Vell if omebody ad done deir yob and…” A hand raised as Joseph said “whatever the case you’re still here and are going to be here for the rest of your life. I got you off last time, but like I said this is not a simple telemarketing scam… only this time I am working against you.” “Vou alwavs id bore me, o vou ave a point or are vou oing oo cuntinue oo amble on?”
Nikki’s lawyer brought out a thick manila folder and opened it reading aloud “Nicole Ann Romanov,” “Es Nikki vou ov’raid zuit! Remend me ow I ot ztuk vit vou?” Her lawyer just continued “Nicole Ann Romanov born May 12, 1979 in Boksitogorsk, Soviet Union, now Russia.” Her lawyer continued, “escaped from Bedford Hills and fled the country, recently recaptured at Plattsburgh International Airport… charges including the first trial were as followed five counts Grand Larceny, five counts Identity theft…” “Vat es all bout Yoseph, I ave bedder tings vo do!” “Well I think that you even realize that you can’t weasel yourself out of this one, nor escape again.” Nikki tossed her blonde hair back “Vell ef vou are offing a yeal I am all earz.” He leaned in and whispered “I do have an offer…not that you deserve one after what you did to me!” “Ef et meanz yaylight or reduzed entence I kan pare a youple zeconds,” Joseph leaned in even closer. “What if I told you that I could promise you your freedom?” Nikki gave an interested “jo on.” “My firm has recently decided to go international and we plan to buy out another large firm but are having problems on the settling cost.” Brushing her hair back again, “Vou alwayz id ore me vith vour yories. Vhy vood vou tink I vould fane even da slitest inerest…especially afer all da yarges vou filed on me.”
Joseph’s face had grown sour and Nikki could not hide the small bit of pleasure that it brought her. “The point is Nikki that you possess a certain set of skills that I find suitable for this line of work. This set of skills can be used to convince a certain somebody on merging our two law firms together quicker” she stared at him. “Vell dat is a veri dantalizing ofer but I iz fraid vou are en for a long and iresome rial… danks by da vay for all vour phanancial zupport.” She glared at him adding, “making me youze ze public efenders ike I am zum animal! Vhen da divorce es final I can ake dat money, fire dis joof and et myself a real lawer!” “I know your tricks, and I know all your secrets Nikki! I am making sure that you aren’t getting a dime of that…” Joseph snif f edl grabbing the bridge of his nose as she slyly smiled again, “and vo es da one ceeping zecretz?” They both stared at each other with mutual hatred. Nikki could see the hidden anger in his face. He was a snake in the grass. Why would a man that she tried to kill offer a helping hand? “How’s vour ack by de vay,” his teeth seemed to clench, “you left me to die!” Fluttering her eyes as she began to sprout fake tears “ut arling I vas raped, istraught…how cood vou zay dat I ave zecretz?” “Secrets…your rap sheet speaks for itself! I don’t think rape sounds like…” he pulled back and gave a fake “give it to me really hard! I heard you darling as I was walking into the house. Was he good?”
(09/20/2001)
They both seemed to dwell back on the event that had plagued them four years ago. The estate gardener Jimmy was giving her the usual good stuff, when a car door slammed in the distance. She stared up into Jimmy’s sweaty face. His crooked teeth made Nikki almost gag whenever she caught a glimpse of them. However Jimmy served a purpose and love had nothing to do with it. If she felt any pleasure that would just be an added bonus. Footsteps could be heard under the window it was time to put her plan into motion. Giving him a false, “ive it vo me reelly ard!” Jimmy began to go harder with every rock of Joseph’s bed. She slapped Jimmy’s face playfully, “Vou amazing,” she lied. She heard the front door open in the distance. Jimmy’s heavy breathing seemed to drown out his senses. She slapped him again playfully but this time getting a little harder and rougher. Soon she was slapping him hard as he grabbed her throat holding her down. She nodded, “ust ike dat, zqueeze arder!” His grip tightened as she whispered “on’t…et… jo.” Her nails dug deep into his back and she began to choke, “ease on’t vo dis,” her attitude had taken a sudden change. “I ave an usband, et me jo,” she screamed. The bedroom door swung open and a voice yelled, “Get off of her!” Jimmy froze as Joseph pulled him off of her. Tears filled Nikki’s eyes as she fake cried, “e vas raping me!” Joseph took a swing at Jimmy, who yelled, “wait I wasn’t…” Joseph’s hand missed and crashed into the mirror. He let out a howl of pain as Jimmy pleaded, “She seduced…” but Joseph tackled him and they crashed against the wall. Whispering softly, “Et’em Yimmy…et em.” Jimmy began sending shots into Joseph’s gut. His muscles began to ripple and Nikki knew that their “love affair” was not going to be in vain.
Jimmy pulled Joseph’s hands apart twisting on the spot. They both stumbled to the window. “I’m taking you with me you son of bitch,” Jimmy gave a giant thrust but Joseph’s good hand grabbed his and he fell through as well. They twisted in the air and Joseph was able to land on top of Jimmy who crashed on top of Nikki’s blue Lamborghini. He heard Jimmy’s back break at the moment of impact. Joseph slammed with such force and flew over the top crashing to the driveway. He smacked his head on the bricks staring up at the third floor landing. Nikki stared down at him with a sheet wrapped around her naked body. “Call... 9…1…1,” he muttered weakly. A hidden pleasure appeared as she began to retreat from the window. “Help me,” were his last words as he stared up at the empty window. Joseph had lost track of time as he lay motionless on the driveway. Soon he succumbed to the oncoming darkness that he tried to resist.
(Present)
“You guys…hey, wake up!” A snapping of f ingers from her lawyer seemed to bring them both out of their stupor. An awkward silence grew in the room as Nikki just leaned back in her seat. “Zo….” Nikki said gazing back to her weasel looking lawyer to her blood sucking husband that should be dead instead of Jimmy. “Will you take the deal,” asked the lawyer who tried to keep the train on the tracks. “I aven’t eard de rezt of et. Vhat vo I et ef I zeduce dis juy and et vou vour erger?” “We are prepared to get most of the charges dropped and some to misdemeanor assault. We’ll think of something for the disposal of corpses but I guarantee in the end all you’ll have to do is community service.” Nikki gave a loud laugh as her husband coughed loudly. She fell silent as he reluctantly said, “I will also offer you a cash total of twenty thousand dollars…plus expenses.” “Vow,” Nikki exclaimed sarcastically “Vou vere all vays dullest bulb in da bunch veren’t vou?” Joseph was frozen on the spot as Nikki continued, “I don’t ean rain on paraid but dere es small roblem of up oming rial phor oter argez and fact dat I urrently locked up til dat rial.” “If we can’t get the charges reduced or removed your lawyer will ask for a continuance which the judge will grant…an old college and fraternity buddy of mine. Think of this continuance as a chance to take a vacation…a permanent vacation. On that note you’ll never be able to come back to the United States.”
Nikki began to rub her chin in thought. Her mind dwelled on the promise. The offer was tempting but it might as well come from the devil himself. Still Nikki could not survive prison and prison was something she really didn’t want to do. She had dodged it for too long and too many times. She knew that this time there was no way out of it. However the truth remained the same, this trial would eventually come to an end and the result would be life in prison. “Alright, vat oder choice vo I ave?” Nikki watched Joseph hide his jubilation with a “smartest thing you ever did Nikki. I’ll take care of the paperwork for you in the meantime I would start practicing your art of seduction.” Nikki laughed, “I on’t eed ractice…it vorked on vou idn’t et?” Joseph straightened his suit, “I wish you loved me as much as you wanted my money…representing you in that case was the worst mistake I made.” Nikki stood up and yelled “juard!” The jailer came from behind the door and headed towards the cell door. “I vant alf da ash upfront and de ivorce en vriting. So I juess I vill ee vou at rial?” She laughed a little as the guard began to shackle her up. Joseph and her lawyer left out the other cell door, when he said “I’ll see you soon darling.”
As the guard walked Nikki back to her cell her mind dwelled on the following incident. Why would a man that she tried to kill ask for her help? It didn’t make sense. Why would her husband make her an offer like that? How did she end up in this mess? Even if the offer was true, Nikki didn’t expect it to come. She had to think about the upcoming trial and her survival. It seemed like all she was doing was surviving. Since the day her mother pushed her from the house, the day when soldiers burst through their small secluded cabin in the woods. The day when Stalin ordered the capture and the safe return of his first born son, her uncle Yakov in 1925. She believed he was 18 at the time. Nikki’s mother Vera had sat next to her on her bed and bragged to her countless times about how she is a direct descendent from the great Soviet leader, Joseph Stalin. Her mother insisted on it being the focal talking point to every conversation. Her mother used to exclaim, “You should be proud I am the daughter of the great Joseph Stalin…in your blood runs the blood of the greatest leader the world has ever seen.” However Nikki knew deep down that her grandmother was just being a whore. After all Stalin didn’t want to have anything to do with Nikki’s grandmother or mother. Nikki never knew her grandparents. Nikki’s mother told her that Soviet soldiers were sent to wipe out the entire family at their home in Boksitogorsk when they were deemed a threat to the security of the motherland.
Her mother told her again and again the story of how Nikki’s grandmother had gotten pregnant by the great dictator twice in over a forty seven year period resulting in two children. Nikki’s mother Vera and her uncle named Yakov Dzhugashvili. Yakov was kidnapped and adopted by Joseph and his first wife Ekaterina to avoid a national scandal and bury his adulterous ways. They divorced the following year but Nikki’s grandmother always stayed in contact with Stalin. Nikki had heard that her uncle Yakov had committed suicide while being held in a prisoner-of-war camp in 1943. Nikki’s mother Vera had never known her older brother Yakov. She was born on January 11 of 1953. Vera’s mother had become nothing more than a secret mistress to Stalin until his death in 1953. In fact, Vera bragged about her mother being the very last to be loved by Stalin and stated in her diary that she was “Stalin’s real wife no matter how much of a secret their love was.”
Vera’s mother had spent all her life surviving Stalin’s constant avoidance. His hidden little secret was masked behind his two marriages. At three years old Nikki remembered how her mother used to say, “That thing between your legs can change hearts and minds.” She would throw up her fist and say “ultimate power to those who could harness it. Boys want it and will do anything for it.” When she was young she didn’t understand, how could she have understood? That night in Boksitogorsk her mother pushed her out the back door with a “run Nikki run!” Her mother was taken by Soviet soldiers and shot. They buried the secret that Stalin had kept so well hidden all those years. She was left all alone in the world. Raised in an orphanage her only link to her past, two diaries that her mother and grandmother had kept spilling the dark secrets of Joseph Stalin. Besides the blood in her veins those diaries become her only proof to reveal her relation to Joseph Stalin. She used her body like a tool and soon after many drunken “one night stands” greed took over her soul.
I was thrown into my cell, “ey,” I yelled uselessly at the guard who smiled at me as if daring me to complain. She slammed my iron door, “ey juard?” “Yeah,” she snarled. “Vat are vou macking e phor inner do night,” she smiled “how about a nice bologna sandwich and then for breakfast a bologna sandwich, and for lunch…hey guess what a bologna sandwich!” She laughed as she walked away from my cell. I grumbled as all I could do was sit on my bed and stare at the wall. No books or television to keep my attention, I didn’t have anything to do and no plan in my head. The prison was dirty and it was not a place that I wanted to stay. There used to be a time when I went to the finest restaurants and all the popular parties.
(06/22/2005)
I remember one particular party that I had gone too. It was a couple years after I fled America and escaped the American prison named Bedford Hills. With the help of my good looks and make up I could appear a little older and fatally attractive. A trait that helped me escape and fulfill my revenge. I was in the most famous restaurant in Romania and its name translated to The Ice Bird. I sat at a table with a man that had thinning black hair and a big nose. His face was fat and filled with wrinkles reminding me of dry Play Dough with a slight pinkish tone. He had on a gray Russian uniform and his breasts were each covered in rows of dif ferent medals. “So, Colonel Kakava please finish telling us that incredible story about that family.” “Family…” he spluttered as he raised another glass filled with red wine. “Ah yes, so the mother claimed to have slept with the great Stalin hundreds of times, even taking the great dictators last name. Insulting…name was, um…Zenya that’s it…anyway,” he waved his hand taking a large drink of his wine. “It is absurd anyway! Stalin loved his first and second wives…that woman, that incorrigible woman was just another common whore, she…” He began to laugh and his pudgy hand clapped me on the shoulder. “Zenya was hoping that Stalin would pass on the leadership of the Soviet Union to their supposed daughter before he died…like an heir to the throne kind of thing! Zenya wanted Stalin to make sure that the position would always be held for her until she grew up enough to take it. What was her name again?” He began to wave his hand trying to recall it, “Vera,” I whispered. He stopped and stared down at me, “yeah…how did you know that?” I shrugged “Luky uess, an I try two por two?” He glared down at me and then began to smile, “by all means please Milaya Moya!” “Her daughter’s last name was,” I waved my hand like he did pretending like I was taking a stab at it. “Maybe, Romanov,” I was prepared to hear “how…did…you?” But instead the Colonel shook his head “No, no last name started with a d, Stalin’s son kept the name since it was his father’s last name as well. I can’t remember her original last name but the second name…oh, what was it… Dzhugashvili,” he laughed “I knew I would get it!” “Are vou ure et vasn’t Romanov?” The Colonel laughed “no I never forget traitors to our motherland.” He nodded at every person, “I want to see who is stabbing our country and me in the back so they can be dealt with like the dogs they are!” Everyone began raising their glass as the Colonel bellowed “May Russia return to its former glory! Long live the Soviet Union and the motherland!”
When the toast had been finished another soldier at the table asked, “So Colonel what happened in the end with the Dzhugashvili family, the mistress and the daughter Vera?” The Colonel waved his glass as he replied, “tragic just tragic. Stalin’s mistress Zenya began selling secrets to the Americans after he died. She had changed her last name back to the original one. I can’t remember it, but when Stalin died she did try getting her daughter Vera a guaranteed political position with the party when she became of age. When Khrushchev took over after Malenkov officially resigned he ordered her to be hung. She was the oldest woman in the country to be hung as a traitor. I always have trouble with the year…1964, I believe. She was seventy six when she was hung and birthed Vera at the age of sixty five…sixty five!” He took a little sip of his wine as he seemed to dwell on the incident as if replaying it in his head. “The daughter Vera was already eleven when she watched her mother be hung.” “Really,” I asked trying to hide the fact that the truth of the story was already told to me through my mother’s diary. The diary the orphanage had returned to me when I turned eighteen and was sent out into the world. The same diary that had come with me when I was first brought into the orphanage. The Colonel gave a sad “I’m afraid bad blood is contagious my friends. She had a daughter out of wedlock just like her mother had done with her…”
The Colonel’s gray eyes narrowed as he leaned into the table and whispered softly, “it is rumored that Vera had gotten pregnant by Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh.” Leaning back he waved his drink at every member of the table, “but you didn’t hear that from me.” “And what about the love child Vera had, what happened with her?” I asked trying to sound mildly interested about what he was going to say about me. The rest of the table erupted with a “yeah, yeah, what happened with the child…and Stalin’s son?” “Stalin’s son, I heard committed suicide while in a German prison camp. Stalin wouldn’t even consider a prisoner exchange to get him out. He told me personally about what a disappointment he was and how he never wanted to see him again. He called him a mere cobbler.” “Vera had a daughter, don‘t know her name nor do I care… probably dead by now.” “Dead,” I repeated, he turned to me and gave a final “dead, mertvyy.” One soldier leaned into the table, “wait Yakov that is not…The Butcher of Bolkhov is it?” The Colonel nodded, “the same, an ultimate disgrace to Stalin and to the motherland...glad he is dead.”
After several more minutes of polite conversation, the Colonel waved his old hand goodbye at everyone and left. Now was my time for action I followed the Colonel through the large dining room as he headed to a large white marble staircase which led up to the many luxurious hotel rooms. “Colonel…” I called out when he reached the top of the stairs. I grabbed the banister as the Colonel replied “oh Nicole what are you doing?” “Vell,” I said batting my eyelashes at him. My charm had turned to seduction as I traced my hand over the banister. “Vell, I vas vondering if vou vould are phor any dezert?” He chuckled, “no my dear I couldn’t possibly have anything else to eat!” I tried not to roll my eyes, “no Colonel I tought vou vould vant sum dezert rought vo vour room.” “Oh Nikki you don’t need to do that, I am afraid the wine has gotten to me. I couldn’t possibly eat anything else.” I gave a little groan of frustration, “et e put it dis vay Colonel…vhy don’t vou ake me upstairz and ve can zpend da vhole ev’ning together.” The Colonel gave a devilish smile and said “but I am so much older than you my dear…it must be the uniform!”
I didn’t think the hour could go by fast enough. The old overweight leather skinned man lay sweating under the white bed sheet. I on the other hand wanted to take a shower but survival had its ugly side. I hated doing stuff like this but revenge was something that I took personally. However this wasn’t revenge for me, this was revenge for my mother and for my family. It took me years to track down this man. I had only discovered it was him when I heard him speak at a conference that I was attending. I was still moving up the social hierarchy. I began to leave the bed, “oh my dear Nikki” the Colonel said still out of breath. “That was absolutely amazing!” “Ya,” I whispered back at him as I made my way over towards my purse, “vas et jood?” He whispered, “It was truly wonderful.” “I am lad vo ear dat,” withdrawing a small knife from my purse I turned to the overweight Colonel.
“Zo Colonel ell e bout de doughter,” “daughter?” “Yez Ztalin’s miztrezz de one dat vas ung…vhat ever appened do de doughter, Vera?” “What about her…I told you everything I know already. She was raised by her grandmother Zenya and died somewhere in Europe.” “Ow id zhe die,” I asked clenching the knife tighter, “How should I know Nikki, now please shut up!” I took a couple steps closer to the bed. “Ar vou zure dat vou on’t know ow Vera vas killed? Ar vou zure dat vou arn’t…lying?” His eyes were closed as he growled, “of course why do you ask such stupid questions?” “O et’s just dat zome of vour ormer zoldiers ave dold me ifferent ztory.” “I’m trying to sleep Nikki if you can’t shut your trap I am going to ask you to leave!”
“O vou know ow long I zat en dat kaben befour a na’bor ame and dook me do de uspital? Vou eft me out der do die and be raized en a filthe orfanage burying my phast. I ad do shange my nam en dat zhitty orfanage. MY OWN NAM! Vou ade me azaimed vhen I shood ave emraced…zcared of vho I reelly am…of my phast! Zcared dat vou and vour men vould unt me don lake vou id vit my mom.” “Excuse me,” he said fi nally opening his eyes staring up at me. His eyes focused as if trying to remember that fateful night “vou beet my moder…and den vou and vour zolderz raped er do deaf.” “Nikki,” he whispered confused “de docdor zaid dat I ad jone dayz vitout phood or vater. I am lukey do be a’live…not deed. Vou know egzactly vhat appened do Vera and er doughter. Vou killed er and eft er doughter do die en de phreezeng vinter.” “Of course she was killed, they both were killed! They were both threats to the motherland.” I shook my head “vhat threat? De druth es my moder and I vere de derdy little zecretz of vour jreat Yoseph Ztalin… gust anoder ztain dat eeded do be roobed out and kleaned up. Dat’s vhy vears befour vou dook Vera’s broder and my unkle, Yakov. Ztalin fourmalle adoptid em…erazeng es phast and kreading a new one phor em!” I came closer to him the knife raised high in the air. He stared at it blankly muttering “There…there is no way you could know all that. I was just following orders! How…how, do you know this?” “Becauze I am Vera’s doughter born in neenteen zevendy nen does it ring any bells! Vit my unkle deed, I’m de lazt leveng dezcendaunt of Yoseph Ztalin!” The knife came down hard into the Colonel cutting right through his hand. He howled in pain as I put my hand over his mouth and began jabbing the knife into his gut. I felt the blood explode like a volcano as his eyes were wide with fear. I removed my hand as I heard his final breaths being taken “Who, who are you?” “I’m Nikki Romanov but my reel nam es Nicole Ann Iosif Dzhugashvili …de Ruzzian Blak Vidow.” I almost could feel his soul leave him as his eyes rolled into the back of his head. My hand shook the entire time the knife left his body.
It took me awhile to adjust to the sight of him. I had finally gotten my revenge for my mother, my uncle, and me. He was my fourth victim but hopefully not my last. Now it was time for me to return to America. I began to dress tossing the knife onto the bed. Gathering up my things I had to make sure that I made it safely out of the party. After all I never thought that far ahead. I always figured getting to the point was necessary, and I’ll deal with the consequences later. I had gotten revenge and that was all that mattered. I was about to head to the door and leave when a thought had occurred to me. I didn’t really have much money anymore, the very reason for my return to America and well after all, the Colonel was dead. I might as well rob him too. I turned and began to search through the drawers and his suit pockets. “There we go,” I said pulling out a wad of rubles. I flicked through it and counted it, I wished I knew how much it converted to in American money. My return to America would now begin and all I had to do was walk out the door.
(Present)
There came a knocking at my cell door and I saw one of the prison guards holding a metal food tray. The slot opened and a tray of food was set. Groaning I made my way to the tray. The only activity I would have all day a simple task of eating dinner. “Great,” I said seeing a stale bologna sandwich, some salad, a carton of milk, and liquid peaches. Grabbing the sandwich, “God, I could really go for some escargot right about now…maybe a nice bottle of Merlot?” I bit down into the bread and instead of the usual softness my teeth hit against something solid. I recoiled the sandwich opening it to find a small folded up note. I dropped the sandwich and began to fumble with it. It trembled in my shaking hands as I kept gazing towards the small glass window that the cell door contained.
Nikki…I bribed the guard to give you this note. Your trial will begin in a week do not speak unless spoken too. Your lawyer will do all the talking. J.M.
I crumbled up the note and flushed it down the toilet. I decided to lie down and just go to sleep hopefully Joseph’s offer was real. Just before I lost my vision, I thought about how stupid it was to return to America. It was in that moment that I found the peace I had been searching for. Joseph thought that he had an upper hand over me, I couldn’t help but smile. At that moment he didn’t know about the deadly virus that brewed deep inside me and now within him. It was the poison from a spider or venom from the snake, and he carried it since the first time we made love. It was beautiful in a way, a beautiful tragedy and I laughed.
Date: 06/20/2005
To: Blackwidow@myemail.com
From: First American Charter Bank
Dear Mrs. Nicole Michael-Romanov,
This email is to inform you that your failure to continue your dues for safety deposit box #837-392 will forfeit the contents of box. If the amount of $500.00 is not paid within 60 days the contents shall become property of First American Charter Bank. Your request for withdrawal of contents requires your signature and the completion of Withdrawal Form T-4201. Please contact me at your earliest convenience to halt this action, wishing you a pleasant day.
Sincerely,
Thomas R. Howell
Vice President First American Charter Bank Branch # 452