CHAPTER 2: AT THAT MOMENT...

Estelle stumbled tiredly over a stone but her quick reflexes held her on else she'd have fallen flat to the ground. She glanced up at the huge hospital building a few meters away from her and sighed.

She'd be going to check on Sunny tommorow and at the same time, try to emotionally blackmail Doctor Luke so she could have enough time to raise the money.

When she remembered what brought her out of her warm apartment and into the cold night, she turned towards the store but the "closed" sign on the door made her bit her tongue in frustration.

" Gosh. What exactly am I supposed to do now? Isn't this getting too unfair now?" Estelle hissed to herself, pouting like she would burst out crying anytime soon.

She walked towards the door dejectedly, staring at it like it owed her something. Well, it did owe her something. Her. phone was right behind it's strong bars.

Pushing and trying to open the door without any success, she finally gave up. She would just have to come back the next day to get it. Staring at the door again with a reluctant look, she gave one last hard push and to Estelle's surprise, the door opened.

All of a sudden.

" Whoa! But I've been pushing more harder than this before so why and how did this move and open now?" She mumbled to herself.

Walking into the dark store, she paused and stretched out her hand to reach for the sockets but before she was able to do so, a large hand suddenly palmed her mouth, muffling the terrified scream in her throat.

Estelle was terrified. Where was that from? Having no time to think, she immediately bit the hand over her mouth and started to flee but another hand grabbed her. A warmer hand that was completely different from the one that had grabbed her earlier.

She was getting terrified by the passing seconds. What sort of trap had she ran into by herself and why were they not saying anything? She couldn't even see anything.

Just then, a light, probably the flashlight of a passing car flashed towards their direction and Estelle could see the masked faces of three people, she knew they were men by their builds.

" Hey, let me go. I don't know you so why–"

" Shut up!" Came a sharp and annoyed hiss. Before she could realize anything, she felt the hard butt of a gun on her head and the next thing was the world spinning before her very eyes.

★★

When Naina arrived at the hospital, breathing heavily, the familiar ominous feeling returned and she dashed off to the counter immediately. She was directed to Doctor Luke's office but the doctor wasn't there and neither did the nurse who directed her to his office knew where he was.

" Please, I really need to see him. It's urgent." She told the nurse, still panting heavily.

" He'll be here in a few minutes. Please hold on, miss." The nurse politely responded before walking away.

Naina sighed. Her heart was beating so fast and loud. Sunny was also like a sister to her, the innocent girl didn't deserve whatever was happening to her at all.

" Miss...." Doctor luke's warm voice brought her out of her reverie.

" Naina. Naina Clare." She swiped her sweaty hands over her skirt.

" Can I help you?"

" Oh yes. Actually, I'm a very close friend to Estelle. She has a sister here who's a patient, Sunny Brown." Naina said but Doctor Luke still looked like he needed to hear more.

" Erm....I actually came here on her behalf. Estelle isn't around and you called earlier this evening about her sister so I came. Estelle would come around soon but for now, is everything okay? Can I see Sunny?" Naina asked.

She had held her breath for a second when she saw Doctor Luke suck in breath when she mentioned that he called.

" That's right, I did call. I just need you to be rest assured that everything would be fine by his grace, Miss. As they say, there's a purpose for everything..." He was saying but the impatient lady cut him off.

Naina didn't like where her mind was going, she just wanted a straight answer from this doctor but what was he saying now?

" I'm sorry but can you just go straight to the point? What purpose are you talking about?"

Doctor Luke stood up. " Please follow me, Miss."

" I don't want to." Naina replied, her eyes turning stubborn. It was true when they said birds of the same feathers flock together, she and Estelle almost had no difference in their characters.

" Miss Naina, please take heart. We lost miss Sunny earlier in the evening today. I promise I tried all my possible best to save her but I couldn't. We've moved her to the mortuary...."

Doctor Luke was saying but Naina wasn't hearing anything any longer. The only word that was continuously ringing in her ears, her head and every part of her body was " We lost miss Sunny earlier in the evening today. " It was ringing in her head over and over again.

" Doctor," she finally turned to him. " You're joking, right? You can't joke with stuff like this. You literally know Estelle would run mad if this expensive joke of yours really comes true. You know Estelle would lose her mind, right?" She was already sniffing.

Doctor Luke sighed as he tore his glasses of his face. " I really wish it was a joke too, miss Naina. Please, kindly inform Miss Estelle or any other close relatives so the corpse would be taken from the mortuary for proper burial."

★★

The only thing Estelle could remember was her entering that dark store to being gagged by a strange, unknown person and being hit on the head with a gun. After that, she could remember seeing several gloom faces of ladies of her age, blinding party lights and so many other different things.

She was still staring around mouth agape when a kick on her spine had her wincing in pain. " Dress her up. There's no much time." Was what she heard and two ladies gripped her up.

She was even too taken aback and shocked to fight back or kick them off her.

" Take. Wear it," one of the ladies said, throwing a piece of a very exposing dress on her. " And stop looking like you're seeing a ghost or something, I'm sure you'd still have a lot to look when your fate is decided." The lady added with a disgusting smirk.

" You have two minutes. Join the others outside immediately you're done. You really wouldn't like us waiting for you, blondie." The other lady said and exited the room.

Slowly, Estelle raised the dress in her hand to stare at it. A surprised gasp left her lips when she saw the handkerchief the ladies were calling a dress.

Never! She'd never wear such–

" Ahhh!" A loud, terrifying scream of a female was heard and Estelle gasped inwardly. Her thoughts had furiously erased from her mind.

When she wore the dress, she bit her lips angrily for minutes until she tasted blood on them. What exactly was the use of the dress when they could have just gone naked? A few part of her chest were the only thing covered. The rest of her body was completely open for the whole world to see. Her curves were proudly showing off, almost her whole boobs were open, her enticing fair, long legs were proudly showing off too. She didn't even know if she was to cry or laugh at her situation.

She had a great body that always got her in trouble with highschool bullies and that was why she was always covering her body with those huge baggy clothes that filled her wardrobe.

" Out now!" The first lady hissed. She didn't even wait for Estelle to walk before pushing her out, she bit her lips painfully when she shoulder got scraped against the old walls.

" Lead them out. The auction started already, we don't have time. New batches are coming in today so we have to get rid of these ones." A voice Estelle recognized said. That was the voice she heard before she was hit on the head back in the store.

And... auction? Get rid? What were they talking about?

Estelle was frozen as they were being put in a line after given numbers tag on their necks, each girl going out as she was being called by their various numbers.

She wondered what was happening, what was going to happening and mostly, she was surprised of herself. Her behavior was so unlikely of her.

" Number 321." Was called and Estelle gasped. That was the girl before her, the girl's reluctance could be seen on her face but she didn't have a choice. There were gathered by huge men that had guns with them, and since Estelle was the next to go, she could clearly hear what was going on outside there.

" Two hundred thousand dollars." A excited voice called and she heard a voice repeat the double of that price. Another and another price was called until the girl was finally bought with a very high price that Estelle couldn't believe.

So, someone had that much money? To buy a human being? She had heard how much dark the world was but she really wasn't expecting this. Of course she knew what kind of fate awaits them, some would be sex slave, servants and different kind of inhumanly things to their buyer.

" Number 322." She finally heard and her heart skipped. She could feel her intestines jumping uncomfortably in her stomach.

" Move. What are you waiting for?" The girl behind her whispered harshly into her ears. Estelle slowly looked around and the glare she was receiving was enough to send her into coma.

" If you don't move those damn legs in two, I'm gonna blow those damn brains of yours off." A stern looking goon hissed at her.

The second lady she had seen in the dressing room immediately came forward and pushed her towards the curtains that separated them from the auction event.

Estelle swallowed for the nth time that night when she felt the thousands of eyes on her. She hadn't even glanced at the audience but it was obvious everyone was now staring at her. She could feel the eyes boring into her exposed skin and she hated it, so very much. It reminded her of things she didn't want to get reminded of but she had no choice.

At that moment, she regretted running out that evening, she could have just gotten a new phone.

" Seven..." The announcer was saying but just then, the stage light turned off all of a sudden. Estelle didn't get the time to think when a hand snaked itself around her neck and the other, over her mouth. Still struggling in the person's grip, she could feel herself been dragged off the stage. Before she was finally dragged away, she saw the stage light turn on again and a girl wearing the same clothe as hers on the stage.

She knew they were outside and under the clouds when the soft, night breeze tickled her skin. What was happening?