Part One
Prologue One
Annistyn
FREEZING.DAMP.LOUD.I’m surrounded by so much chaos I can’t get away from no matter how hard I try to sink into the depths of my mind.My hands are chained above my head, the circulation in my wrists cut off and both of my shoulders are on fire from the pain.There isn’t an inch of my body that hasn’t had some kind of damage inflicted.I’ve got scars on top of scars from everyone that’s ever been in my life with the exception of my parents.My clothing hangs off me in a tattered mess and it’s soaked with blood—fresh and dried from the various beatings I’ve received over the last week since I was sold to these demonic assholes.I can barely see because my eyes are so swollen.The dizziness I feel is from lack of food and water and the pain filling me.If I thought I was in hell when I lived with my aunt and uncle, it’s nothing compared to what I’m going through now.I’ve been dropped in the pits of hell and there’s no one to save me before I’m sold off to the highest bidder and taken to the next cage that will hold me captive.
When my aunt and uncle sold me to these devils, I was blindfolded and a hood was placed over my head.I never got a look at the idiots who took me.All I know is there were at least four of them who beat and dragged me from the only form of hell I’d known at that point in my life.Nineteen years of being locked in a cage and used as a servant.I was thrown in a vehicle, my body landing on top of another person who screamed so loud I’m surprised my ear drum didn’t rupture.They drove for hours until they finally stopped and we were hauled inside a building.I don’t know anything about where I’m being held with the exception of the room I’m currently locked inside.It’s dark as hell in here and I only know what the room looks like because of the split seconds of light when the door is opened as the men come in for our next round of torture.Some of the girls who refuse to comply or choose to fight back are being drugged.I won’t allow that to happen to me.I’m used to being beaten so my body can take the pain.
The walls of the room are cement with only a small window to let light in during the day.Not that it does because of the grime covering it in the places the black spray paint doesn’t cover.Even the floor is cement.There’s a draft coming in through the cracks in the walls along with a steady drip of water that pools on the floor in various locations where it doesn’t run down the uneven surface.One of those puddles is in the cage I’m being held in.Screams fill the room, echoing off the walls of the entire building it seems, and others we can hear when the door has been opened.They’re loud, full of pain and fear, and ones I know well because I used to scream like that.It’s the sound of someone being completely ravaged and a gut wrenching desperation for it all to stop.Those are the individuals being held here who are wishing for the end.I learned long ago wishing for death does absolutely nothing.It never comes and gives a person the reprieve they’re desperate for.In this building, we’re all locked in our own despair and I know there won’t ever be relief from the pain and torment we suffer daily.
I have no concept of time at this point.The only reason I believe I’ve been here a week is because one of the women in the room with me is marking a tally on the wall just outside her cage.She’s still strong and hasn’t been broken through years of abuse and being told she’s completely useless and worthless.I hardly remember the times my life was filled with love and I was consistently told how much I mattered and what wonderful and amazing things I was going to do when I grew up.This woman still has that hope filling her.The smallest part of me wishes I were like her and still knew what hope felt like.Though, the largest part of me knows already the men watching over us will enjoy breaking her completely until she’s nothing more than a shell of her former self.That’s how I’ve lived for eighteen years now.It took my aunt and uncle exactly a year to break me completely.
There are no more tears left to cry as I lay curled in the cage on the cold, wet, rough floor.My body has cuts on it from the floor and have nothing to do with the beatings I receive daily.The cracks serve as one more weapon for these assholes to use against us and they have no clue.I’ve got a metal collar around my neck that has been cutting into my skin since the day they put it on me when I got locked in the cage.Even when I’m in the cage, there’s a shackle wrapped around my ankle and the broken edges have cut into my skin making it bleed.Earlier today I was whipped because I had the audacity to look at one of the captors watching over us.I didn’t make eye contact, but I still got punished.Yesterday, I was beaten with a small baton like cops carry with them.Every single day there’s a new weapon they use to keep us broken and under their control.
Today, things are different.We’ve all been moved to a stage of sorts.There are approximately twenty to thirty of us on the large stage that takes up the center of the room.The room we’re now in is large and has so many chairs set up around us I can’t even begin to count them.Those of us who are able to, have been chained up with our hands above our heads.I’m one of those unlucky people.The second the asshole who chained me up let go, my shoulders dislocated and I had to bite my lip to stop myself from screaming out in pain.I’ve given my aunt and uncle enough enjoyment from hearing my screams and I won’t allow another person to ever enjoy hearing me in pain.If I had tears left to cry, they wouldn’t get those either.Now, I’m essentially mute and have forgotten what my voice even sounds like.There’s a three foot radius around me before more girls are chained up.They don’t want us too close to one another.
As the men walk around with guns in their hands, there’s a level of excitement from them I haven’t seen before.It charges the air around us and only fills me with a level of fear I thought I was incapable of feeling any longer.These monsters took great pleasure in talking about the auction that I’m guessing will take place today in front of us.Of how they wanted the buyers to see us beaten and used up.Personally, more of my skin is exposed than what’s being covered at this point.The bra I was wearing has been ripped from my body and the shirt covering my chest is literally being held together by thin threads in a few places.My pants disappeared the first day I was here and my panties barely cover anything with the rips that have been made while I was in the cage being tortured.I’m definitely on display for the world to see like everyone else around me.
I hang my head as the excitement level continues to build and anticipation fills the room through the open doors where I can hear multiple conversations being held at once.Everything sounds distorted as if I’m hearing it from under water.These must be the buyers waiting to enter the large room we’re in.From what I heard, they’ll be given time to check out each of us to make their decisions about who they want to bid on.If I’ve learned anything over the years of being with my aunt and uncle, it’s to pay attention to everything around me.Watching what the people are doing and how they act so I can determine if they’re going to hurt me or avoid me altogether.Listening to any conversation I might be able to hear so I can figure out what’s going on around me.It didn’t work out so well in the end for me considering I never once realized I was going to be sold off to the highest bidder after being taken by traffickers.
Looking up through my lashes, I find the man I believe is in charge circling us.He’s always the one yelling at us and directing the other men in whatever punishment they try each day we’ve been here.
“Groups of ten men will be entering the room in a minute.You’re all to remain silent, don’t move, and don’t bother trying to stop them from reaching out and touching any part of you they choose,” he growls out, anger filling his voice letting me know we’ll be punished in front of everyone if we disobey his orders.“You’re all heading to new homes today and I can’t wait to be rid of you.”
My eyes land on the floor once more because that’s where I always look.I don’t believe there’s been a time in my life where I’ve actually looked at someone after the death of my parents.As a toddler I was taught to never look at anyone.Especially in the face or eyes.It earned a swift and painful punishment.Looking at my uncle one morning when I was five years old is also the reason I ended up with a broken arm.It hurt so bad and they never took me to the hospital or doctor for it to heal properly.Most days, especially when it’s cold outside, my arm throbs from the damage that’s been inflicted on it over the years.One more reminder of why I have to watch the ground and nothing else if I’m not alone.
The first group of men are led into the room.They immediately walk up on the stage and begin to circle each one of us.One man reaches out and runs his hand up and down the side of my body.I want to cringe and pull away from his rough fingers, but I can’t.My body is locked in place and no matter how many times I internally command myself to move, I don’t.It’s as if I’ve been taken over by someone else and they’re in full control of me.
“Yeah, I think I’ll definitely be bidding on you tonight.You’d make a really good pet,” he sneers, his voice making me shiver in disgust and fear.
Words and a scream get locked in my throat and I know I won’t last long if I end up going home with this monster.His eyes are completely empty as if he doesn’t have a soul.I’ve read in a book that the eyes are the windows to a person’s soul and I’ve always believed in that.That’s why this guy scares me so much.I’ve only ever seen a person with empty eyes once before in my life.My uncle never had any emotion or anything in his eyes when he looked at or was beating on me.When he was yelling, there still wasn’t any emotion and he’s the biggest monster I ever faced until today.
The group that was just circling me moves on to the next girl and repeats the process all over again.A second group of men are led in the room and this time my attention is captured from the very second the man in the lead steps on the stage.He’s taller than I am with a lean build.His light brown hair has streaks of blond in it.The group are all dressed in suits and carry themselves with absolute confidence as they seem to make a beeline for me.When the lead guy steps up in front of me, I can’t take my eyes off of him.Despite hearing footsteps approaching from behind me.I stare into hazel eyes that look almost blue in the bright lights above us.That’s when the guy makes his move and places a finger under my chin as if he’s holding my head up so I’m not staring at the floor at our feet.
“We’ll do our best to get you out of here,” he says, his voice is smooth as the whiskey my uncle drank daily as it washes over me and I shiver with feelings I’ve never experienced before in my life.
