Mom, I sigh inside of myself,how did I end up here?
A throat clears behind me, dragging me away from the glistening water.It yanks me back to the dark room with musty air and a bucket for a toilet.Tears prick my eyes as I lift the long t-shirt and squat over the plastic pail.I won’t let the tears fall, not while he’s watching me.I won’t let them drip from my eyes while his gaze burns against my bare legs.I won’t let him see me break, even as the sound of my bladder releasing bounces off of the concrete walls of my cage.
My cheeks burn as I wiggle my ass over the bucket, trying to dispel any remaining droplets of urine from my skin.I walk back to the chair with my eyes on the man, trying to keep my legs steady and my back straight.He nods toward the uncomfortable surface, telling me to sit back down.My fists clench at my sides and my steps falter.
I stare at the chair like it’s the thing that kidnapped me and locked me in this room.My thighs and bum throb from lack of movement.As my eyes flick between the chair and the man, his eyes change.There’s something within their depths that frightens me more than any of the men I’ve seen so far, something cold.Gingerly, I sit back down.The man looks down at me and grins.A shiver creeps through my shoulders at the sight of his smile.It looks wrong on his face, like it isn’t meant to be there.
He shoves a small plastic water bottle into my hands.I crack it open and guzzle it down with one word repeating in my mind.Survive, survive, survive.
“Aren’t you a lovely little creature?”he purrs, eyes roaming over my face and body.The look in his eyes makes the water in my stomach feel like sand, heavy and sickening.My jaw clenches as he peruses my form.Goosebumps rise on my skin, but it isn’t from the cold air that drifts through the room.Every hair follicle on my body stands at attention, sensing the wrongness within this man.My legs quiver, receiving the signal from my brain that tells them to run, but they can’t move.I’m frozen in place under the weight of his gaze.
He grabs my face, his fingers digging into my cheeks until my teeth scrape against the inside of my mouth.“You’re going to be my birthday present,” he growls.“Did you know that?”
Unable to move or speak with his grip bruising my face, I remain silent and motionless.
“You should be thanking me.Mother wanted to sell you, but I convinced her to let me keep you.”His lips tilt into a proud smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.
Mother, the word rings through my head, demolishing any question about who this man is.This is Bianca’s son.This is the one they said I’m promised to.My eyes blur, fat tears falling down my cheeks before I can stop them.
His palm whips across my face, agony blooming in its wake.Liquid dribbles down my upper lip, salt and copper splashing over my tongue.A gag lodges in my throat as I taste my blood.
“Thank me, you ungrateful whore!”he screams, peppering my face with spittle.
“T-thank you,” I sob.
He shoves me further into the chair, roughly tying my wrists behind my back.The wood grinds into my shoulder blades, making me yelp.His hands trail over my hips and stomach before stopping on my breasts.Nausea swirls in my belly as he gropes my chest.His fingers clamp around my nipples and I scream in pain and disgust.
He lets out a scoff and withdraws his hands from my body.“I can’t touch you like this,” he complains, wiping his palms down his suit pants.“You’re dirty and you stink.I’ll have the men clean you up before my birthday party tomorrow night.”His fingers grip my chin, forcing me to look at his face.“And you will be fucking grateful.”
He stomps out of the room, leaving me to sob into the empty space.
