What the fuck happened to my clothes?
Gasping, I pull my knees up to my chest, trying to cover my birthday suit.
Focus!
What’s the last thing I remember?
I rackmy brain, but all I remember is getting in a cab. With that cute man that I swiped right on Tinder. We met at a bar near my house.
We spoke for hours in between drinks. I didn’t expect to connect with a guy from Tinder like that.Why can’t I remember what he looked like?
I know it was my address that was given to the cab driver. We should be there, not here in this…
My mind drifts as I drag myself to the front of my cage. I need to figure out where hereis. Now that my brain is focused on the now, I notice my cage isn’t the only one in the room.
Across from me are five cages lined up on the wall, with a small walkway dividing us. I flickmy gaze left and right to see that my side has the same setup.
I’m in the third cell from the front, the front being closest to the door that my rattled brain now notices. As I scan the rest of the brightly lit room, I notice the line of single hanging lights strung between the cells. Cells that I now realize are not empty.
Each cage holds another equally naked and scared woman. I note that they range in size, age, hair and skin colour.
God, is that blonde even legal?
I lose the fight with my stomach as I hurl on the floor. It sprays up my legs as the smell blends with the rest of the room.
Damp, moldy, shit covered vomit with the undertones of sweat and fear fills the room. I fight back more gags as I try to hold and gather as many details as I can. I’m the only redhead here in this room of terror.
Some girls are crying silently. While others, like the one with the hair as black as coal, lookcatatonic. My eyes focus on the brunette at the end on the other side.
She looks familiar.
Where have I seen her before?
I rake my distorted brain before I remember. I saw her on the news. She was kidnapped 2 weeks ago. The last lead the cops had was when her picture was found on the dark web. On the seller’s page where she was being auctioned off.
I blanch and gasp as I come to the realization that the others must have already come to. Taken, kidnapped, and thrown in cells naked. The brunette, why the fuck can’t I remember her name?If I had to guess all our fates, we are going to be sold to the highest bidder. A sob breaks free as tears pour down my face. My body starts to shake.
Was it the cute guy?
The taxi driver?
Is this a horrible dream that I’ll wake from any minute?
I roughly pinch the skin on my upper arm, the pain sharp and throbbing like my skull.
Nope, not a dream.
None of the other girls are making a peep. Just soft whimpers that if I didn’t listen closely, I wouldn’t have noticed.
Judging by the black eyethe girl across from me is sporting, it’s probably best that I don’t make a sound. I lock eyes with the blond, almost pleading with her to tell me something.
Surely theywouldn’t want to mark up the merchandise?
Who would buy something that’s broken?
What if they plan to break their purchases even more than we already are?
Why the fuck did I refer to myself as merchandise?
