Sold…my mom sold me? The words howled inside my head. But everything else was distant…faded, the sound of tortured cries from the naked woman in front of me reverberated like an empty drum.
“Now, get in line.” The sadistic white-haired guard shoved me forward.
I stumbled toward the others, but caught my fall, moving closer to Viv. She said nothing, didn’t look my way, didn’t appear to even see me at all. But the moment I fixed my sight on the naked woman, I felt the slightest brush of a finger on the back of my hand.
She saw me…comforting me in the only way she dared. I swallowed hard, my heart thundering as I watched the terrifying display.
Slap!
The leather switch lashed the woman’s belly, leaving bright red welts behind.
“Have you learned your lesson, Olivia?” The Principal walked behind the guard dealing out the punishment. “Or do you wish to take this further?”
She closed her eyes. Sweat ran in rivulets down the sides of her face. “No.”
“Who do you belong to?”
My breath caught with the words. That fire in my belly grew, seething from the ember my stepbrothers had ignited. No. I wanted to say the words for her, Fuck you! That urgency was a roar inside me. I wanted to turn away, wanted to look at anything else but this most vulnerable moment.
This shouldn’t be happening to her…
And especially not here in front of an audience.
I risked a glance at the others, who stood separated by the color of the skimpy underwear they were wearing, red, black, and white. I fixed my gaze on those who wore red. There was a hardness in their eyes. A coldness, the same coldness I saw in the hard eyes of the man torturing her. Not the man wielding the whip, but the man controlling the narrative. The man really torturing her.
“Who do you belong to?” The Principal demanded an answer.
Slap!
I flinched at the sound of the lash. But those dressed in red didn’t even seem like they heard. There were no winces, no breaths caught. One of them even smiled, the corner of her lips curling as she watched. There was no spark of anger at the brutality of what we were forced to witness. This sick show of dominance was disgusting…but they…they seemed to enjoy it.
My stomach clenched as I forced myself to look away.
“Please.” Olivia whimpered. “I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Whatever…I…want.” The Principal repeated as he stalked closer.
He reached out and grasped her chin in a cruel grip. She resisted, fighting against his hold for a second at least. But then she gave in, turning that tearstained gaze to his.
“You’re beautiful when you cry,” he said, staring into her eyes like they were the only ones in the room. “You think I enjoy this?”
“Yes,” she croaked, meeting his piercing gaze with hate. “I do.”
The smile on his lips grew wider. Viv stiffened, as did the other girls around me as the white-haired guard neared.
“Take her,” The Principal muttered, never once looking away. “She eats in her room tonight. As for the rest of them, have Derek escort them to the hall.”
“No,” Olivia’s eyes widened. She shook her head. “No…no.”
Her panicked look toward the rest of us went unacknowledged as the brutal guard stepped forward and released her arms, while the other guard, who, I was guessing, was Derek, bent to her feet. Her knees buckled when the chains were removed. But the savage bastard was there, gripping her by the arm in a hold that would no doubt leave bruises.
“Move,” he snapped, shoving her forward.
They left with the thud of boots and soft, wounded whimpers. Derek moved closer, glancing at each of us. “You want to eat?” he snapped, then gave a jerk of his head. “So fucking move.”
Viv brushed her fingers against my hand. “Follow me,” she whispered. “And don’t make a sound.”
The pounding in my chest didn’t ease. Viv’s grip wound through my fingers. She clung tight, pulling me after her as she slipped between the others. I suppressed a shiver, fear making my knees quiver as we walked through the parted curtain and toward another set of locked doors.
I tried to take note of where we were headed, but the hallways all looked the same and there were too many locked doors to count. We passed through three, making our way toward what felt like the rear of the building, then stopped at another set of double doors.
The only doors that weren’t locked.
Still we waited, like a line of terrified soldiers on their first day of training. Only we weren’t here to fight…no, we were here to be sold.
Derek pushed past us, then through the doors. Those who wore red followed, then those in black, leaving those of us wearing white to step inside last. The scent of food hit me, making my belly howl with hunger. I realized I hadn’t eaten all day. I lined up with the others and moved toward the serving counter as plates were handed over one at a time.
But this wasn’t any prison cafeteria. Seared steak, chicken, seasoned vegetables, and fruit were available. We each took a plate, depending on what we wanted. Viv took the steak, motioning for me to take the chicken. I did, and followed her to a table along the wall. The others moved without a sound, taking seats, eating in silence.
I stabbed my chicken and cut slowly, watching the guard from the corner of my eye as he neared our table. The moment he passed and moved on toward the others, Viv murmured, “They’ll come for you. It’s better if you don’t fight back. Don’t give them a reason to hurt you.”
“Who?” I whispered, glancing up at her. “The Principal?”
She shook her head. “No. The men from the club.”
A pang of fear cut across my chest.
She lifted her head, risking the connection. “They want someone to play with.”
Warmth flew from my face. “Is that…is that what happened to you?”
‘No,” she whispered as the color drained from her face. “I’m already owned.”
Owned.
My throat closed up tight.
“But hang on. We’re going to get you out, okay?” she whispered, jabbing carrots on her plate. “Just be ready when I come.”
“When?”
She glanced around at the others. “Tomorrow. I’ll come tomorrow.”
