Chapter 1: The dungeon

A groan left my mouth as I stumbled forward due to a force on my back and the plate in my hand shattered into pieces as it collided with the floor, the sound echoed through the hall.

“ bitch, you're so clumsy” I heard her curse behind me before stepping over me, acting as if she wasn’t the one who just pushed me.

I remained on the cold dark floor, gaze fixed on the pieces of the broken plate that can’t be fixed.

Tears welled in my eyes. I tried to fight them back but here isn’t a place to try and be strong or weak. I’ve been here for a month now and it’s been hell on earth. I know better than anyone what my fate

will be in this dinner hall.

I gulped hard and placed my left hand over my famished tummy and my intestines didn’t disappoint. They churned.

Dinner time is what everyone looks up to with each passing day. It’s the only time you can fill your stomach with food.

“ hey,” I look up to see a familiar face staring at me. I may not know her name but I’ve seen her around a couple of times.

“ take this plate and join the cue,” she stretches a plate toward me but I can’t bring myself to accept it. Her face. Her face is stern and her voice is cold.

I reach my hand forward slowly and with a blink of an eye, the plate is snatched away.

“ No special treatment is allowed here, Tara.” My body trembles as terror runs through me. It’s the madam’s voice. She is too terrific for one not to recognize her voice without looking at her makeup-filled ugly face.

“ Her plate got broken and she looks pathetic,” Tara, the woman who was handing me a plate earlier said.

“ you’ve been here for almost a year now. Don’t you?” Madam Terrific asked in her usual cold voice and silence fell on us. Tara didn’t say anything and it makes me feel scared to my bones. She must be scared of the madam as well but she doesn't look like it.

“ I’m sure you know the rules governing the dinner hall already. Whoever breaks their plates will go to bed hungry and will remain hungry till the next dinner.”

My heart sank into my stomach at her words. The little hope I had disappeared into thin air. The only thing I can taste is the salty taste of my tears.

“ No special treatment is allowed.”

I feel a tight grip on my arm and I am pulled up to my feet which can barely hold me.

“ You are so thin like a stick. Seems like you’ve been breaking a lot of plates.” I look away from her stern gaze and fix my eyes on my feet.

Who wouldn’t be thin after finding themselves in a slave dungeon where atrocities happen? A completely different world that no one would believe existed in this modern world.

“ My eyes are on you.” She says menacingly and lets go of my arm before storming away like the storm she is.

I wipe the tears in my eyes with the back of my arm and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.

Everyone is now seated and having their meals except me. Thanks to that blondie for putting me in this dilemma tonight.

I feel their gaze on me and I can see the pity in their eyes. If only they know their pitiful looks are making things difficult for me.

I fix my gaze to the floor and walk out of the hall in shame. While life is rosy to some people, it is cruel to some of us. Isn’t it?

I exhale heavily and place my palms over my mouth to lessen my scream. My heart is heavy. I am hurt and broken to my core.

I swallow my next scream and make my way quickly to our room. A small room which is occupied by twelve girls.

I lay on my mat and let my tears flow as they wish. If crying is my only form of solace, I’m ready to cry all night till nature takes its course on me. Tears don’t run dry. I must always remember that.

I close my eyes and wait for sleep to engulf me but sleep seems to be far away from me tonight. I sniff and wipe mucus away from my nose with the back of my hand which has now become slippery. My eyes travel to the lamp at the far end of the room. Its flame is as weak as my body, barely illuminating the room.

Out of my hundreds of wonders about this place, I still wonder how the cops haven’t found this place yet. I wonder how far we are from home and if anyone misses me back at home. Are they still searching for me? What about Zane? He must be very sad no doubt. I did not show up at our wedding. My heart squeezed at the thought of Leah. How is she coping? Poor girl.

I sniff and clean my face with the sheets and act like I wasn’t crying some seconds ago.

“ Are you alright?”

I remain silent and force the lump in my throat down.

“ No one would be here and be alright.” Came the voice again and I can sense the empathy in her tone.

“ I couldn’t finish my meal so I brought it to you.”

My eyes lit up at her words and I immediately sat up. I look at the redhead before me and she turns out to be the girl who has been snoring next to me for the past twenty-eight days.

She nudges her head at me and I accept the polythene pouch from her. I looked inside and my heart warmed at the sight of the food. It’s not much but it will be enough for the night. Two bites are better than none.

“ I’m Jennifer,” she introduced herself and sat on her mat which is a few feet from mine.

“ Thank you, Jennifer,” I thanked her and she flashed me a smile. One of the realest and warmest smiles I’ve seen in this place.

“ I’m Ava,” I tell her my name and she just nods her head while I munch on the meal.

I glimpse at her and catch her gazing at me and I immediately feel uncomfortable.

“ you.. are not sleeping yet?” I managed to initiate a conversation and she shook her head.

Silence looms between us except for the mumbling of the other girls who seem to be engrossed in whatever they are talking about which I know that I’m the subject of discussion.

“ How long have you been here?” I ask her. She is the only girl I've spoken to ever since I arrived in this dungeon.

“ Four months.” She replied casually and I gulped.

“ I’m guessing you’ve been here for a month now,” Jennifer says and I nod my head in confirmation. The past 28 days have been my worst days on earth.

I adjust myself on the mattress and push my knees upward just like hers.

“ Do you remember how you got here?” I ask her one of the questions that has been bothering me and get disappointed by her response.

“ I don’t remember. None of the girls in this room remember how they got here.” She replied and I looked across the room at the girls, some were already sleeping and some still weeping like me.

“ Do you remember how you got here?” She asked and I went silent.

“ No,” I answered then continued speaking.

“ the last thing I remembered was retiring to my bedroom after my bachelorette party as the next day was supposed to be my wedding,” I tell her and I can’t help the crack in my voice. I still can’t believe the wedding I’d envisioned and planned for months never happened.

“ Was anyone with you?” Jennifer asked like an interrogator and it made me wonder why but I had no choice but to answer her question.

“ My fiancé was with me,” I answered her. Everything is still fresh in my memory as if my bridal shower was just last night.

“ Do you think he was abducted too?” I panicked, my heart racing in my heart and she shook her head.

“ None of us here were abducted,” she began, a hint of sadness in her voice, and my brows furrowed with curiosity and confusion. If none of us here were abducted, then how did we get here?

“We were sold to these people.” She revealed and my heart leaped into my mouth, earning a loud gasp from me.