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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 1

__________

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐡 

I stepped out of the carriage, my body trembling from the cold wind, no sun to be seen at all in the dark skies.

Where am I?

I thought as I stared upon the building. They placed my hands in cuffs and forced me to the door pushing and prodding at me and the other unfortunate girls toward the ominous .

I felt tears in my eyes as soon as we stepped inside and I saw all the women kept in cages. I wanted to turn around and run as I saw the filthy floor where poor girls were being beaten and raped and some even lying dead.

I shook my head, in disbelief as I tried to run, but before I could take a single step a jolt of electricity shot through my wrist making me screaming with pain.

"No" I screamed as I saw the other girls also on the floor. The pain stopped as the guards stood over us with malicious smirks.

"Try to run again, any of you, and you will cause the rest to suffer as well." The guard said before leading us to another door.

"You will be stripped and bathed before the auctioning. I suggest you behave yourselves" he said again before removing our handcuffs and pushing us into the room, closing the door.

I turned to see an older woman standing waiting for us, a bored expression adorning her face.

"Please strip and go through the doors to shower. You have 10 minutes. " the woman said her lips wrapping around the end of her cigarette as she inhaled.

I turned and saw a few of the girls were already naked and walking to the door while the rest were slowly taking off there clothes as well. I followed suite grabbing the ends of my dress and pulling it over my head.

I tired my best to cover my breast as I walked to the door pushing it open to see a small shower and toilet, I got into the shower and turned the tap on, allowing a cold stream of water to flow from the shower head.

The cold water didn't soothe my body the way  shower should. Instead it made me feel uneasy, unsure about what lie a head of me. The shower was definitely not for my enjoyment.

The water cut off and I heard the sound of doors opening and closing. Suddenly my door was also thrown open and a guard walked in, grabbing my arm and dragging me out. i fought back, hating the fact that I knew nothing of what was to come.

My hands were cuffed again and we were all lined up and walking out of the room, my clothes nowhere in sight.

I whimpered as I heard the sound of whip meeting skin and looked up at what seemed to be a stage. The girls in my line walked onto the stage, and i stared out at a room full of people, rich people.

" Now starting at 5,000 we have Abigail. She was found on the streets, her blood type is B negative. She is obedient and listens well. She is not pure. " The man at the podium said as one girl was forced to stand in front of the line.

Suddenly people began raising paddles with number engraved in them.

"7,000!" one said

"7,500" said another.

"10,000"  one said above all the others. No one said anything for a second.

"Do we have an offer for 11, 000?" the man at the podium asked, but no one replied. " Then shes sold to the lovely gentleman at the back."

My whole body froze as I finally came to terms with what was happening. I was going to be sold.

Fresh tears fell from my eyes as I realized there were only 2 more girls until it was my turn. My heart lurched inside my chest and I felt myself begin to sob. The other girls all looked at me pitifully and I thought it was because I was crying, I thought they felt sorry for me. But not even a second later I felt the fierce force of the whip against my back, leaving a red hot mark in its wake.

I screamed in pain as the whip descended on my bare skin and I swear I heard some of the men in the audience laugh at my misfortune. I try to calm down, to stop crying but how could I when they kept whipping me over and over again.

They never broke the skin, but I could feel the formation of welts against my back, my skin tender and blistered from the impact. Even after I willed myself to stop crying the whipping kept coming.

In those moments as a young 17 year old girl all I could do to justify what was happening was to place the blame on someone else... anyone else. And at the time, through all the pain I was feeling and all the suffering i was going through, the only person I could think to blame was my father.

Not the guards who were hitting me, not the auctioneer for selling me, not the other girls for not warning me before hand.

The only person I could find myself to blame was my father. I blamed him for not being able to support the family he made. I didn't ask to be on this earth nor did I ask to be born. It was him. I didn't tell him to have children beyond his mean, I didn't tell him to keep fucking my mother knowing she would probably get pregnant. That was all him. I didn't tell him to have 4 children when  he could barely afford to have one. I didn't tell him to become old and weak nor did I tell him to sell me so they could eat while I suffer.

It was all him

And now I had to pay the price for him, as a good daughter, as a thank you to him for giving me life. I had to suffer.

I didn't even notice when the lashes stopped, nor did I notice when I was picked up and placed at the centre of the stage.

"Now this one is real special. Her name is Mariah and she was sold by her father, she is still a virgin with the blood type of AB positive. Her blood is pure, she is untouched. " the auctioneer said, there was a slight pause as everyone gazed down at me. I laid still on the floor and curled into a ball.

"We'll start the bidding at 20, 000" the auctioneer said. And just like that there was an uproar from the audience.

"25, 000"

"No, 30,000"

"50, 000"

I began to tremble as the price continued to rise. What would they do to me?

Why was my price going so high? Why did they want me so bad?

I began crying again, but no one took note. They were all watching as the price just went higher and higher.

"100, 000" someone said and just like that the chatter ceased. The auctioneer waited for someone to object, for someone to say a higher price.

"Going once, going twice, SOLD! To the man here in front. I lifted my head to take a look at the man and my heart stopped as I gazed upon a old man, he was smiling at me, a cruel long smile, his teeth out for me to see, stained yellow from tobacco. I started sobbing again unable to contain it as I saw the man I now belonged to. "Please. " I begged as the guards dragged me to the back and placed me in a simple white dress.

They carried me to the front where I saw the man waiting for me. As soon as he saw me he smiled viciously."Hello, my slave" he said as he out a chain around my neck like a leash. The guards uncuffed me before turning around and walking back inside. I could only state after them, wishing they would take me back."Come now, I have a few meetings today and I don't want to be late" he said as he dragged me toward the carriage.

I walked my feet screaming in pain as I stepped on the hard dirt floor. The man pulled me into his carriage and gave the horsemen his destination. As I sat there on the carriage floor, staring at the feet of my new master, I knew my life would never be the same. Not after this.