The dress bag feels heavy in my hand as I weave in and out of the women to find a space in the back to get changed. We’ve all seen each other in our rawest form but I like to have some kind of privacy where I can find it. Placing myself in the corner of the small room, I hang the dress bag on one of the hooks on the wall then begin to untie the grimy, white robe. Keeping my back facing the other women, I unzip the bag to reveal a short, skin tight black dress. The fabric is itchy and cheap as I run my fingers over the material. There’s a low, scooping neck line that will no doubt have my scarred breasts on show. Exactly what those disgusting buyers want to see.
Lifting the dress from the bag, I step my bare feet into it beforetugging it up my body. It’s far too small for me, even with the weight I’ve lost. Yanking at the material, I manage to get it past my hips and over my breasts before slipping the robe off and hanging it over the dress bag, then I slip my arms through the thin spaghetti straps before attempting, and failing at zipping it up. It’s just out of reach and I fumble, trying to grip it between my trembling hands.
“Do you need some help?” A woman’s voice startles me from behind and I spin on my bare feet to face her, still gripping the dress tightly. The woman looks to be about my age but I can’t be sure with the layer of makeup that’s plastered onto her face. Her black hair sits just below her chin in a blunt bob and a glittery blue dress hangs off her frail body.
“I uh.. yeah, please if you don’t mind.” I mumble, keeping my gaze low. The woman gives me a small smile before taking the zip in her slim hands, the other bunches the cheap material together to help her glide the zip up. Once she’s done, she taps me on the shoulder and I turn again to face her.
“Thank you.”
“It’s no worries. Us girls have gotta stick together. I’m Tina.” Tina extends her hand to me and I slip mine into hers. “Ana. It’s nice to meet you. Well, as nice as it can get in this place.” A soft laugh slips past Tina’s painted red lips and my own lips tip up into a small smile, something that I haven’t done in a while.
“Well, Ana. I hope we see each other again.”
My features quickly fall flat again at the realisation of where we are, knowing that in reality, I might actually not see Tina again. Her eyes glow with unshed tears before she turns and walks away, collecting a pair of heels from the shoe rack before exiting the room. I watch her leave and my hands fumble with the hem of my dress, attempting to yank it down to cover more of mythighs but it’s no use.
Immediately the door frame into the room is blocked by a large, stocky guard with a bald head and a dark beard who has us squirming in fear like lab rats.
“Alright ladies! Line up!”
His voice bellows through the room and we quickly scramble into a line against one of the walls, facing chest to back, chest to back. I squeeze myself in between two other women and begin to walk in short steps out of the room.
“If you haven’t got shoes, make sure there’s some on your feet! I don’t wanna have to drag your asses back in here for some!”
I drop my head down to my feet, noticing they’re still bare. Shit. I’ll have to grab some from the shoe rack before we leave, I just hope there’s some left. We step, inch by inch until I can see the rusted metal rack come into view. There’s still a couple of pairs left and I jump out of the line to grab a black pair.
“What do you think you’re doing?” The guard’s sharp voice slams into my ear the moment I try to step back in line. The other women stop in fear but they don’t turn, they daren’t. I’m not worth their life.
“Well?” He pushes.
“I just.. I just need some shoes.” I mumble, keeping my head low to avoid his deathly stare. A sharp crack splits the air as the guard’s hand lands heavily on my cheek. The vicious hit sends my face whipping to the side and I fall backwards onto my ass, the pain ricocheting up my back. The women gasp and whimper in fear but remain standing, keeping their bodies locked in place as I try to clamber to my feet. I only make it half way before I’m hoisted up by my hair and thrown back into the line. With rough hands, the guard pulls my face to his and my whole body shakes in fear. Globs of spittle fly onto my cheeks from between hisyellowing teeth as he speaks. “Know your fucking place whore. Stay the fuck in line.”
Gritting my teeth until they ache, I nod my head before taking my place back in line. The other women huddle around me whilst I slip my feet into the black heels, then we move on again as if it never happened. The more these guards push, and poke and prod me, the more hollow I become and that hollowness will slowly create a dangerous monster. A monster that isn’t afraid to take the lives of others, of those that deserve it.
A bright strobe light burns into my already sensitive eyes as it scans across us, showcasing the goods to the buyers in the crowd. We’re sent up onto a makeshift stage in groups of five with a paper number attached to the front of our dresses. The number ten sits heavily on the front of my dress as my fingers tangle and pull at a loose piece of cotton on the hem of my dress.
“Good evening gentlemen, and welcome to our next lot of jewels, for your buying pleasure.” An older man in a gray suit stands proud in front of us, his voice loud and sharp as he speaks into the microphone. The audience claps and whistles before allowing him to speak again.
“We had a sold out group last time, let’s see if we can do it again. Who wants one of ‘em!” The man shouts towards the audience, riling the disgusting men up to spend money on women. I wince at the deafening sound as the strobe light lands on the first woman in line.
“Up first we have Lexy. Who wants her? I’ll start the bidding at two thousand dollars.” The woman named Lexy steps forward on shaky legs, the bright strobe light burning onto her caked up face, and she winces at the intrusion of light. The men in the audience lift their numbered plaques, the bidding getting higher and higher each time.
“Can I get five thousand, whose got five thousand?”
I spot a man at the back, his face shrouded in shadow, the moment five thousand is offered, he raises his number.
“Going once.”
“Going twice.”
No one else offers any more money and the auctioneer slams his gavel onto a wooden bench. “Sold! For five thousand dollars.”
Immediately the sound of applause echoes around the room and Lexy is taken backstage, her heels scraping across the floor as she tries to keep her balance.
Over the course of an hour maybe, the next three women sell like hot cakes, none of them selling under ten grand though, but I doubt my husband will care. Money is money to him, no matter how much it is or how he came to obtain it. The room falls silent again after the woman before me is sold, leaving me standing alone in a room full of hungry vultures. I can feel my skin breaking out in a cold sweat as the strobe light lands on my face, completely blocking my vision. I’m desperate to raise my hand to shield my eyes but I daren’t move, frozen in fear. I’ve never been bid on before, and I hope to God that this time it’s the same outcome. I don’t think I would ever survive if I was shipped off to someone’s home, to be used and abused and turned into a glorified sex doll.
“Lastly from this group we have, Annabelle.” The room stays silent before the auctioneer speaks again. “We’ll start thebidding at ten thousand dollars.”
My eyes bug wide at the amount and I wait for someone to lift their plaques.
