Chapter 16: The Auction

Sarah

The burning spotlight and the threatening faces glaring at me only adds to my unease as I stand at the centre, like a trapped prey. The luminescence exaggerating my nakedness with my head drooped. I can't bear to look up. Timid. Scared. Or broken. I can't define what I feel.

Several warnings, No, threats have been made if I fail. The only way to escape this is to win the highest bid and hope that whoever buys me is less of a beast compared to the rest of the predators hunting me. If my father were still alive, I'm certain my life can't be as bad as its turning out to be. I could have ignored our differences and requested for his help. But now, I'm all I have.

The prices don't stop skyrocketing, and it's seem more like a competition, than a bidding. Just as planned. The speaker blares as the announcer exclaims at every raise.

“a thousand dollar,” a thick voice booms from the far end of the room. I'm tempted to look up. For the first time, I hear such a voice commands both respe