5. Property of Damon

Iris

“Three hundred million gold coins.” I heard a deep voice say. People in the hall started whispering and gasping, looking back. I was shocked too,my eyes scanned the area following the direction of the voice.

I didn't see the person clearly.But from the figure I saw,it was a man. He stood in the shadows with someone beside him so I couldn't see him clearly,but I could see his eyes. His piercing silver grey eyes stared directly at me, I shuddered in fear.

I heard the auctioneer finalised the bidding, I had been sold yet again. I sniffed and wiped my eyes, when I looked again the man was gone.

Some huge men in black came up to the stage and pulled me up. They must have been sent by the one who bought me.

“Move.” One of them ordered.

I stood up weakly and tried to walk but I fell. I was exhausted, my whole body was in pain and my head ached badly. The men looked at each other unsure of what to do.

“Miss, please try to walk.” I heard one say coldly.

I couldn't help but give him the side eye despite my condition. Miss, I thought.

I thought they would push or drag me like the guards from the slave home, but these ones let me walk and even called me “Miss.”

I forced myself to stand and follow them. As we walked, one of them suddenly paused and the others followed suit. He gave a hand signal to one who bowed and left.

“Wait for a moment, Miss.” He said with his gruff voice.

I looked at him,he must be their leader. He was quite taller and bulkier than the rest,he had short black hair and a scar ran through his left cheek.

The one who left came back with a big, old faded polo. He took it and gave it to me. I had momentarily forgotten that I was naked, so I collected it and put it on.

“Thanks.” I muttered.

He seemed to remember something and walked towards me, he was with a key. He unlocked the chain from my neck.

My neck felt free, I rubbed it in delight.I no longer felt the choking feeling.

They started walking, and I followed them. As we walked, I saw other sold slaves being handed to their masters. We reached outside, and for a long time I breathed fresh air.

Outside, a black SUV was parked. The men walked towards the car and opened the rear door.

“Get in.” The leader of the guards ordered.

My buyer must be inside, I thought. I entered the car and looked around and saw no one. I wondered where he was and most importantly I wondered where I was being taken to.

What if they wanted to kill me? What if they were taking me to do much worse things than what I had experienced in the slave home? What if my buyer was much worse than the guards? These thoughts ran in my head as my heart raced.

The men were still outside. From the car window, I saw the leader talking with a bald man. I recognised him, he was the man conducting the auctions. I looked at him with disgust, remembering the words he had shamelessly uttered.

As I sat in the car, I thought about my life. I thought about how my life had changed in a span of a few months. My thoughts went to my parents, I wondered if they were alright. It hurts, but I still loved them and hoped to see them one day.

Thoughts of the church filled my head, how godmother had sold me and the words she said to me. I remembered the look of disgust on her face as she said “ Sinful bitch!” I wondered how sister Agnes was faring. I'm sure she must have been fed lies about my disappearance by sister Martha.

Though I knew it seemed impossible, I hoped to see her again. Tears welled up in my eyes but I sniffed them back. I was scared but I couldn't cry now, I had to be strong. I don't know what I was going to face.

I looked at the men again, they were still talking to the bald man. I furrowed my brows, wondering what they were talking about for so long.

I heard a scream.

“Ahhhh!”  It was coming from the other side. I leaned on the other car window and looked in the direction of the scream. I was shocked and disheartened by the scene I saw.

It was a slave girl, on all fours like an animal.  A young girl of not more than fifteen years dressed in a gown made of fine linen,sat on her back like one would sit on a horse. She had a horse whip on her hands, she whipped the slave girl who screamed in pain.

A crooked looking man stood at their front while dragging the chain on the slave girl’s neck like a dog. The slave girl’s face was bleeding, the whip had hit her on her face.

I saw the young girl cackling, she was enjoying this.

“Mum, this is soooo much fun. Thank you for this.” She said, facing a middle aged woman who was also dressed richly like the girl.

“Anything for you darling.” I heard the woman say.

I couldn’t watch any longer and looked away. Fear ran through my spine as I knew I might face something like this or probably worse.

The car door opened as two of the men sat by my side, the leader sat at the front while another man drove the car.

My heart jumped as the car started moving, the windows closing as the two sat by my side saying nothing.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked, my voice trembling.

“Are you going to kill me?"

That's when one of them turned.

“You're now a property of Don Damon Vyon. If we so much as touch you, we'll be dead.