Despair

She opened her eyes, confused and disoriented, the grim realization of her situation flooding back to her. Her hands were bound tightly behind her back, and she struggled against her restraints. The air felt stifling and heavy, the light dim and shadowy. 

As the details of the room swam into focus, she remembered the fateful words of her captors: her own parents had sold her into slavery. A wave of anguish and despair washed over her, and she let out a choked sob as the full weight of her predicament bore down upon her.

She tried to make sense of the situation but couldn't, how could her parents do that to her? She knew they never loved her but to sell her out on her birthday after acting all nice and sweet was absolute cruelty.

“Don't waste anymore of your tears, you will need the strength tonight when they start moving us” someone said in the dark. Allison searches for the voice, but all she can see is darkness.

“Don't be frightened, I am like you too, my name is number 10” the voice said with a smile.

“ Where are you?” Allison asked as she turned around.

“ I am behind you, the other girls are in the next room, they kept me here to ensure you don't die, since you passed out” number 10 answered her.

“ my name is Alli…” Allison was cut off by number 10

“ please use only the identity given to you by Mr Tristian, he will punish you if you decide to do otherwise”.

“ So that means I should go by number 15?” Allison asked in disbelief.

“Yes, that's your new identity”. Number 10 answered. Allison ignored her as she kept biting her lips to stop herself from crying. 

This had to be a very bad dream, she Just needed to wake up. Her thoughts were interrupted by number 10.

“My family betrayed me too,” she said with a safe smile.

“What happened?” Allison asked While looking behind her, so intrigued in Number Ten’s story.

“We have always been poor countryside people, we hardly ate to our satisfaction, at least we were happy or at least I was. Mama told me that someone wants to see me at home one random day. I went only to be captured, my mom apologized in her defense we needed the money. I was my family's sacrifice”. Number 10 said sadly looking defeated.

Allison felt tears rush to her eyes but at least she knew she wasn't the only one betrayed by her family,it gave her some kind of satisfaction.

“What about you, what's your story?” Number 10 asked Allison.

“Today is my birthday and my family finally got rid of me as they have always dreamt of ''. Allison told her while sighing.

“I am sorry 15, I wish you a happy birthday”. Number 10 said with a small smile. Allison could only nod her head,she felt suffocated.

They heard voices that made them quiet and very cautious to know what was going on.

“All of you get out, it's moving time”. Mr Tristian instructed all of them.

Allison and the other girls were dragged into the bus, they were blindfolded. Allison panicked as she tried to kick the men off her.

“Please stop, you're going to earn yourself a beating”. Some other girl pleaded. Allison couldn't see her because of the blindfold, she hated the dark.

There was eerily silent as the bus moved, every girl was wondering what will become of them now. Suddenly the bus stopped, seeming like they had arrived at their final doom, Allison thought as she bit her lips.

“Line them into the ship, put them in the dungeon. It's going to be a long trip, girls,brace yourselves”. Tristan said with a sinister smile.

The men dragged all the girls into the ship,they kept crashing into things because of the blindfold but these men didn't care about them and just kept dragging them.

They put all of them in the dungeon and loosen their blindfolds as they leave. Allison could only see the dark again, she kept thinking about the doom that awaits them the moment this ship stopped in South Italy.

The thought brought shivers down her spine,she could hear silent sobbing of other girls. She sighed as she tried to sleep,she moved to the wall side of the dungeon as she leaned her head,she needed all the energy she could get. She fell asleep.

Allison was shaken awake,dazed and confused, she tried to make sense of her surroundings. She remembered they were on a ship, in a small, cramped room with several other people. 

She looked at each of them in turn, hoping to find some semblance of comfort or hope in their eyes, but she saw only a reflection of her own fear and desolation. She wondered how long she had been asleep and how long it would be before they reached their destination, and what awaited them when they arrived. 

The thought filled her with a sickening dread.

“Stop staring number 15, you have been asleep for a whole day,I thought you were dead, take Master brought it”. Number 10 said to Allison as she offered her a piece of old and disgusting looking bread.

Allison wanted to reject it, but she was so hungry and every girl ate the bread with speed.

“Thank you 10”. Allison smiled as she collected the bread, it tasted as disgusting as it looked. She still ate it as she squeezed her face.

Suddenly the ship came to halt.

“Do you think we have arrived?” A girl

Asked in a frightened voice.

“Everybody listen up, do whatever the master tells you to avoid punishment, I wish us all luck”. Another girl said she was the only one not looking frightened. Allison didn't know if the girl was actually brave or it was all an act.

The sound of clicking shoes filled them all with dread as it came closer to the dungeon.

“We are home now girls, I would have loved to keep you guys longer with me to teach you manners, but we are late on delivery and the auction is today so hopefully you all get sold”. Tristan said with a happy smile.

“Get them moving men,we are late” he instructed as they left the dungeon.

“Let's go, don't make us use force” one of the men instructed and everyone got on their feet as they started moving.

“Line up and strip” Tristian commanded with no room for negotiation.

Allison and the girls trembled with fear and despair as they were forced to remove their clothes, each garment bearing the weight of their diminishing dignity. 

Their hands quivered as they divested themselves of the final symbols of their humanity, surrendering to the will of their captors. 

Tristian descended upon the girls like a creature from the depths of hell. He held a branding iron forged in the fiery inferno, glowing red with embers of cruelty.

 As the girls cowered in fear, he branded their flesh with an iron reminder of their slavery: a searing mark that would burn into their skin, and forever scar their souls. 

The pain was unbearable, the screams piercing, and the horror unparalleled. In an instant, their very essence was reduced to nothing but a symbol of ownership.

“This mark on each of you will make it easily for me to locate you no matter what you do or where you go”. Tristan said with a smile.

Allison and the girls were given rags to wear and they were all lined up backstage. As time went by the line became shorter which means the girls were being sold out.

“Open her up more,let me see what I am purchasing” a gravelly and menacing voice said. The girl's legs were spread open as she cried her heart out. Allison felt fear.

“Next”,Mr Tristian said as he looked at the girl sharply. Allison immediately recognised her,that was number 10.

“This girl is so youthful and can bear you more kids”. The announcer said as old hairy looking men cheered in the crowd.

“Open her up” 

“Can I finger her to ensure she is intact”

“She has a nice ass”

These were the only voices that could be heard in the crowd, number 10 panicked looking at Allison with sadness.

“I will pay 8 million dollars for her” is a voice that sends shivers down your spine, and warns you of the darkness and danger that lurks just beneath the surface.

“Going, going, going sold. Please go backstage to collect your package” The announcer said to the mean looking man as number 10 got blindfolded and led to the backstage.

“Next,” Mr Tristian said, looking at her. Allison couldn't bring her let's to move, Mr Tristian pushed her to the stage.

In the unforgiving glare of the stage lights, Allison squeezed her eyes shut, desperately seeking to shield herself from the harsh scrutiny of the crowd.

 As the auctioneer's hammer rang out, Allison's eyes fluttered open, revealing a world of cruel hope and desperate despair.

Around her, bidders circling like vultures, hungry for fresh prey. And then, she spotted him—the man with the face of a thousand stories. His body was a tapestry of ink, every scar and tattoo a badge of his twisted existence. 

He was mysterious, his intense stare made her stomach feel weird tingles and she averted her sight immediately.

“Stop” she heard the mysterious man say.