Caged

Rena’s POV.

Fear fueled my flight. I pumped my arms, racing toward. I didn't know how to pray, but I prayed anyway, begging to be saved, and my savior’s face flashed in my mind. If by luck I saw him, would he save me?

As my thoughts consumed me, I stumbled on the sand, but sheer determination kept me upright.

Tears blurred my vision as I wailed, overcome by anguish. Roland's betrayal cut me deep. Who would have thought that entering a relationship with Roland, from the very beginning, was a scheme to auction me off like a commodity?

As I reached the boat, I saw it was tied. I cursed, frustrated and desperate. I frantically tried to loosen the rope, but my trembling hands failed me multiple times.

The men closed in, their footsteps pounding the sand. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, urging me to move faster. I yanked the rope, my muscles straining with effort.

"Please," I whispered desperately, "untie yourself for me, please." The rope finally came loose as if it heard me, but it was too late. They had already surrounded me.

One step, two steps… and then they were upon me. A rough hand grasped my hair, yanking me backward. I whimpered as my scalp burned, the pain shooting through my entire body.

I stumbled, dragged along the sand as they pulled me away from the boat, away from freedom. My hands flailed, trying to grasp anything to break the grip.

But they were too strong, too many. I was trapped, caught in a nightmare from which I couldn't awaken. Tears streamed down my face as I kicked and struggled desperately to break free.

Suddenly, the person shoved me away, dropping me in front of Roland, on my knees. His enraged face hovered above me, his eyes blazing with fury. "You bitch, where did you think you were going?"

Accompanying his question, was a thunderous slap on my cheek.

The slap sent shockwaves through my skull, and I saw stars dancing before my eyes. My vision dimmed, and my mind went blank for a few terrifying seconds.

As my senses returned, Soni's voice cut through the haze. "Don't hurt her, otherwise our clients will be upset. But to avoid her killing herself like the last one, just make her fall asleep."

Soni sauntered over, her gaze cold and detached, as if I was nothing more than an insect beneath her feet. She gazed down at me with indifference.

"Pl– please, Soni, leave my mother out of this," I begged, desperation clawing at my throat. "Please, spare my mother."

I couldn't beg for my own life now. It would be useless. If they could spare my mom, I'd be grateful.

But my words fell on deaf ears. Soni ignored me. Instead, she leaned in and kissed Roland on the lips.

"The auction will be starting soon. Get this over with.". With that, she turned and walked away, leaving me at the mercy of my captors. Roland's cruel smile lingered on his lips as he watched her with admiration in his eyes.

"Roland, please…leave my mother out of this," I begged, my voice cracking beneath the weight of desperation. "I'll cooperate, please, spare her."

My throat was parched, dry from fear and anguish. The knots in my stomach twisted tighter, threatening to consume me whole.

Roland raised an eyebrow, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Cooperate?" Roland repeated, "Do you still think we're standing on equal ground to make a deal with me? Whether you cooperate or not, there's only one outcome."

“The auction is set, and our clients are eager to bid for you. You should be grateful that high profile men want you. If you play your cards well, you may last over a month before you're killed or used as a drug pusher. So, don't be distracted if you want to live a little longer,” he paused, pulling his phone out.

“As for your mother...She's already dead," he stated, his voice devoid of emotion. He showed me a video on his phone, and my world crashed around me.

My mom lay on a hospital bed, struggling weakly before her body stilled.

A scream tore through my soul, but my voice was frozen in my throat. I went limp, sinking. I wished to become one with the sand.

My mom was my everything. She may not have been my biological mother, but I called her mother, and she called me daughter.

She was the pillar that held my world, and now, my world has crashed around me, leaving me powerless.

"You'll pay for this." I said slowly, quietly, like a whisper.

Suddenly, I bolted up and dashed to Roland. "I'll kill you, Roland, I'll kill you!!" I raved like a mad person, lurching at him with every ounce of strength I possessed. I wanted to kill him, or be killed.

But before I could reach him, Roland's men pinned me down by the back of my neck. Their grip on me was like a vice, forcing me to bow my head in front of the monster.

Roland laughed, his laughter echoing through the air, a cold, mirthless sound.

"I'd like to see you try," he taunted. "Make her fall asleep," he ordered.

And then, I felt a sharp pain at the base of my neck. A stinging sensation spread through my body, and my vision began to blur.

No! I thought, desperation clawing at my mind. I can't fall asleep, I must kill Roland...

But it was too late. The darkness closed in, and I succumbed to its silence, not before the last drop of tear rolled down my cheek.

…

"... She's a goddess, a gem, certainly everything you need in a woman. Behold, the crowning jewel of our collection.”

Those words sounded distant to me, like I was in a dream. Slowly, my eyelid quivered, and when I opened my eyes, I was in a dark place.

But I knew I was standing, with my hands hands up against steels or metal.

My mind jolted, and my senses heightened, as the horrifying truth dawned on me: I was in a cage!