I kept my eyes pinned to the floor, arm slack, and hoping I gave off the vibe that I wasn’t going to fight these men.
The flooring changed as I was led from the garage and up two steps. The wooden floor reflected off lights that hung from the ceiling.
I didn’t dare look around. There was no point in seeing what type of house my newest owner had because surely I wasn’t staying inside of it. Some of the people I’d lived to serve had very nice houses, but I was chained to a post in the barn or in a shed in the backyard.
Slaves didn’t get nice things.
The man stopped in front of a heavy metal door, pausing long enough to pull it open before all but shoving me into the room beyond. My feet caught on a rug, causing me to fall to the floor at the same time the door slammed shut, locking me into my fate.
I stayed on my hands and knees, a mix of trying to gather my breath and my guts. The carpet was soft, much softer than I would expect for the likes of me. The gray fibers may be on the thinner side, but still full of fluff all the same.
“You okay?”
The soft voice came from feet in front of me. It was so soft, I was sure I had to be hearing things. When it came again, I slowly lifted my head up, finding another boy standing not all that far away with his hands clasped in front of him.
I nodded, trying and failing to stand on my own two feet.
Leaning against a wall, letting it hold most of my weight as I attempted to get my bearings, I looked around the room. It was bigger than I expected. Four sets of metal bunk beds, each with a white blanket and simple pillow. The boys sat on some of the beds, looking at me like I was a ghost.
Maybe I was.
Along one wall was a long shelf and cupboard, bottles of water and snacks laid out. Under it, drawers with numbers were labeled in big bold writing.
“Are you hungry? Thirsty?”
I couldn’t answer. My voice was lost, my eyes bouncing everywhere.
Why were there so many boys here? How old were they? Was there more? How long would I be here?
So many questions that wouldn’t be answered any time, if at all.
“Okay, well,” the same boy drew my attention back to him, his hands twisting in front of him. “You’re bed number eight.”
When I simply nodded, he went on. “You are free to have as much to drink and eat as you’d like. The...Mr. S likes us to stay healthy, which means eating. Unless you did something to have it taken away. Oh, and the drawer number eight,” he pointed towards it, “is yours, too. Some clients will give you special things they will want to see you wear.”
I didn’t want to ask. I didn’t want to think about it either. So, I nodded once.
“Are you mute?” I jerked at the almost too-loud voice.
I shook my head, eyes flashing towards where the voice came from.
On one of the bunks, sat a boy who couldn’t possibly be much older than I was. The bold black letter painted on the side, right underneath where he sat, was a number three. His hair was shaved, or maybe he was one of those people who lost hair super young because of that one disease that I couldn’t ever pronounce. Either way, his dark eyes looked at me like I was in trouble; like I had just walked into a room I didn’t belong to.
“Will.” The name was sighed like it was a normal occurrence. I turned my eyes back to the one that was standing, doing a pretty good job at ignoring the other blinking eyes at me. “Don’t worry about Will. He’s...Will. Anyhow, you must be tired. Someone will be in to collect you in a few hours, so plenty of time to take a nap.”
“What he means,” the one called Will said, pulling his body from the top bunk. His bare feet slapped on the floor. “Rest while you can, newbie. Your life won’t be anything like what you came from. You’ll be showered, shaved, and who knows what else. Just because Erik likes to sugarcoat crap-“
“Enough.” This time, the word wasn’t as soft-spoken. But it got the point across, and Will slinked back to his bed, huffing like he had just been told to go do a chore. “It’s not all that bad here,” he gave me a shrug. “We get food, a bed, and clothes. And I am the oldest, so I’m in charge, kind of. If I don’t keep everyone in line, then I’m the one in trouble. So, rest. Follow orders, and you’ll do well.”
After another long moment, I slowly shuffled towards the last bed. Not all of them were taken, and I briefly wondered what this place was, or if there were more. But I knew I’d find my answers in time to those certain topics.
“What’s your name anyhow?” Erik asked, bringing me a protein bar and a bottle of water.
“A-asher.”
“Well, Asher. Welcome to your new quarters.”
Chapter 3
