“Adryn. I’m over here,” Luna whispers.
I hiss as the lights hurt my eyes. Why is it so bright in here? I push myself to sitting, holding my temple as the throbbing gets worse. My body feels even heavier and off. “Where are we?” I whimper, looking in her direction, trying to find out where she is.
“Venkoria. It must be the name of this planet.”I meet her gaze and gasp when I see her in a cage that’s hanging in the air, an odd-looking collar around her neck. “I’m scared.”
That’s when I realize I’m also in a cage. Why are we in cages? Are we going to be kept in here for the rest of our lives? Is that what Headmistress Helena knew and wanted from us?
I grip one of the bars and look around, trying to find an escape route but I don’t see any. I’m stuck in here.
“I know. Be brave,” she says. “Listen. Don’t fight against the collar. It won’t do you any good, and it allows you to understand what the aliens are saying.”
I look at her, confused.What is she talking about? The collar is the translator, but Headmistress Helena didn’t have that on at the space station.
The door opens, and I watch as three men walk in and head straight toward Luna. He says something I can’t understand before the cage is unlocked and Luna is in his arms. Where are they taking her?
I try to push myself to the front of the cage to see past the door, but their wide figures block everything. The door shuts behind them, leaving me alone in this cold and dark room.
After pulling my knees up to my chest, I wrap my arms around to try and keep my body warm as I wait. What’s going to happen to Luna?
My teeth start chattering as I look at all the other empty cages. There is no way to inform the other girls what’s waiting for them here. They are doomed just like Luna and me.
I don’t know how much time has passed, but the increased pressure in my bladder tells me I’ve been here for a while. My eyes scan the small cage, not finding anything to use to go to the bathroom. What am I going to do? I’m not going to be able to hold this in much longer, and I don’t want to make a mess of myself.
But as the time passes and the pressure increases, I have a harder time holding it in. Are they going to come in before I pee myself? Will I be able to communicate with them to let them know I have to go, or will they watch me pee myself and laugh at me?
Tears pool in my eyes as I clench my thighs together, holding my legs harder as the pressure becomes painful, my bladder begging me to let go, but I can’t. I can’t pee myself. How humiliating would that be? I would be sitting in it until they came and got me… Whenever that will be.
I try to distract myself by looking at my old and worn dress, colorless after so many washes. None of us on the ship had clothing with color on them. It’s made me almost forget what colors they were to begin with. I like to believe mine was a light pastel, but after years of seeing the faded material, I can’t imagine or remember what it was before.
I whimper, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, trying to calm myself down, but it’s no use. Tears spill down my face as I start peeing, not able to hold it in any longer. The wetness surrounds me, soaking into my dress around my thighs. Burying my face in my knees, I hug my legs tighter, trying not to think about what just happened.
I continue to cry as time passes, completely embarrassed that I’m still sitting in a puddle of my own pee.The door opens and three men walk into the room, heading straight toward me. Two of them I recognize from when they came for Luna. They are both wearing all black and have weapons, one has red hair, and the other is blond.
They stop in front of my cage, their feet the only things I can see. They start talking and I don’t understand them. Nerves run through me as their voices get louder. I didn’t have time to look at the third person, but I didn’t recognize him at all. It wasn’t the same person who came for Luna.
“Pl-please,” I stutter, the cold affecting me along with the nerves.
Hands are the first thing I see as they unlock the cage, and before I know it, he’s grabbing my arm and hauling me out of the cage. My head hangs heavily as he holds me in the air and says several words. From the corner of my eye, I can see the third person looking over my body, analyzing everything, before turning, nodding, and saying some words.
The blond man holding me starts walking and places me on a table. I’m on my hands and knees like a dog would be. My hairgets moved to the side, and before I know it, I feel the coldness of a collar being fastened around my neck.
“Maybe this girl will be as intelligent as the other one,” the man holding my head in place says.
I jerk back, not expecting to understand them. Are they speaking English?
“P-please,” I whimper, my dress sticking to my bottom and legs.
“Maybe not. She wet herself before we got here. Maybe she is the unintelligent one,” the red-haired man said.
“I’m intelligent!” I yell, twitching. The man holding my head lets go, and I fall to the side, hitting the edge of the table and tumbling.
I scream, my eyes going wide as I stare at the ceiling, waiting for my back to hit the ground, but before I can, arms wrap around me, pulling me tight against a chest.
“I’ve got you, Little companion,” a deep voice rumbles.
As I look up, I realize it’s the third man who came into the room. His blue eyes stare directly into mine. I open and close my mouth as I take in his features. Striking blue eyes, dark brown hair, and a little stubble across his face.
Handsome.
