2. Juliet
Chapter 2
Juliet
~5 days later~
Time ceased to exist since my banishment to this desolate room. I literally couldn't tell time—no clock, no calendar, nothing. The only indication was my clockwork meals. Judging by the three meals a day, I guessed it had been about three, four, maybe five days. I couldn't confirm because anyone who entered—bringing food or supplies—ignored my pleas for answers and help.
It was clear that either they didn't care or had orders not to pay me any attention. I still had no idea what the plan was for me—okay, scratch that, I had an inkling of an idea given what the lady, Lady Heral, as I came to learn her name, told me the first night here. It was the fact and thought of being able to work like that which unnerved me to no end.
The lingering scent of rancid bile did nothing to settle my nerves. Even though this dingy prison of mine had an attached bathroom, I was pretty sure the acid from all my vomiting the past few days wore away at the toilet's protective coating and embedded the sour scent of bile into the ceramic. No amount of flushing and scrubbing from the cleaning crew could rid the air of the nauseating scent.
Oh, and the lack of windows didn't help my nonexistent grasp of time. The room had nothing but a small closet, a single bed, and an attached bathroom, all dimly lit with a yellow ceiling light. At least it was better than an actual prison cell, but at least prisoners got yard time and natural light.
But I was no prisoner, so I couldn't accept these conditions, hence why my clothes still sat in my suitcase and strewn about it and not in the closet. If I unpacked and settled, it would mean I accepted the situation, that this place would be my new home. All of which I refuse to do because, like hell, I would let this become my new life. I needed to get out of here, somehow, then go to the cops because this was all highly illegal.
I refused to settle, refused to break.
Question was: how long until I broke? How long could I last until it all becomes too much?
The thought of someone touching me in such violating ways made my skin crawl already.
God, I don't know if I can handle it.
Echoes of the pounding door broke my anxious train of thought to look at the person entering the room. Was it mealtime already? Honestly, maybe it was, couldn't tell because I literally have no way to do so.
Unfortunately, it wasn't some worker to drop off my scheduled meal—though I wished it was. "Good to see you haven't tried to do anything stupid." Lady Heral's cruel voice sent a wave of unease through me. "Get up." The clicks of her obscene heels sounded like nails against a chalkboard. "Get dressed in something good, and put some makeup on. You look dead." Lady Heral barked at me, scowling at the sight of my room.
"No." I hunkered myself down into the bed with my arms crossed. "I'm not going anywhere except out of here." I tried to hide my nerves, which crawled under my skin like spiders. "I'm not going to have my body defiled."
A few long strides were all she needed to close the distance between us with her lanky legs. Scowling deeply, her hand shot out and snatched my face. "Too bad you have no choice in the matter, so you better change your tone and get used to it, or these next few years will be hell for you. So, be good and listen, or we do this the hard way where I have to get some help in here to get you ready."
When I made no indication of complying by glaring back at her and keeping my mouth shut, she slapped me across the face and dragged me off the bed by my hair. "I need some assistance in here!" She shouted towards the door before going over to my suitcase and picking through it with a scowl of disgust. "Ugh, I told them to pack you right. How hard is it to pick the right clothes for a whore house."
"Maybe because I'm not a whore. Therefore, I don't have such clothes. Ever think of that, you bitch?" Wow, I have no idea where the fuck that came from. Honestly, I had no idea that side of me fully existed or was capable of coming out to that extent.
If I ever dared to speak like that to my parents or anyone, I'd be slapped across the face, just like now, by Lady Heral, who darted back to me with a face full of fury. Usually, this would be the point where I apologized profusely and held my head down, but guess I wanted to lie in my grave today. I locked my burning eyes right back at her as she glared at me with anger and disbelief. "You better watch that fucking tongue of yours before I cut it off, and that would be a real shame to lose a part that could make you money while you are here."
Another sharp sting bites my cheek before she stands straight up and throws a white dress at me."You shouldn't talk bad about whores because that's what you're going to be after tonight. You're not even going to be a person. You will be nothing but a set of holes for people to use for their pleasure until your parents' stupid debt is paid, and by that point, you'll be so far gone you won't know what to do with your life besides this. So, better get comfortable and used to it, you fucking brat."
"Get her washed up, dolled up, and into that dress in the next hour. Don't make her look like a complete whore, though, keep it light, keep that innocence for the men to see and break. It'll also get them to bid more." Okay, now the fight in me ebbed upon hearing that last part.
Pooling the blood up in my mouth, I spat it out at Lady Heral, covering her stocking-covered leg with a bloody spitball. "Wait, bid? What do you? Are you seriously going to put me up like some cattle to be sold at an auction?! You can't do that!"
That's so messed up! There 's no way this is happening!
Hissing, Lady Heral grabbed my hair and shoved my face into the ground. "I can do whatever the hell I want. I own this damn place and everyone in it, including you. You're lucky you're a virgin. Otherwise, you would have been put to work the very first night. I have lots of men lined up and eager to bid for your stupid unused cunt tonight. Your only saving grace is all the money it will net me."
"You—!" An angry, strangled cry escaped me as I made a lunge for Lady Heral, only to be held back by the workers.
No! Nonono!
I fought the workers tooth and nail; even if it was pointless, I had to try. Every person's worst nightmare, my own included, was about to happen to me. Call me stupid or a hopeless romantic, but I wanted my first time to be special—not like this. I wasn't asking for Mister Right to have my first time with; I was just asking for someone who I was comfortable and willing with.
Everything was for naught, though, because I still ended up on the dreaded stage down on the main floor in a short, skimpy white dress and heels that I tripped over with every step. My useless pleas were quickly silenced by a few more slaps across the face from Lady Heral, who only used my spunk and tears as a further selling point for higher bids from the deplorable men in the crowd.
Waves of numbered signs rose and fell from the crowd as the amount kept growing and growing—my eyes could barely keep up with it all. Combined with the numbers flying out of Lady Heral's mouth, I became overwhelmed easily to the point where I mentally shut down and became numb to everything around me. Lady Heral's voice muffled out to background noise as the crowd became a blur of spots and dots.
Bang!
"Item X483 sold to lucky number 32! Please go claim your item off stage!" We weren't even human anymore. Reduced to being objects labeled by numbers. Livestock were treated more humanely!
Bang!
Shit. When did another bid go by?! I barely even blinked!
Bang!
No! Stop! Stop banging that stupid hammer!
Bang !
No! Shit! Wait! Why was the girl next to me leaving the stage!? No!
Bang!
My heart exploded with the sound of the gavel banging. I felt like a criminal on trial who just got sentenced—might as well have been the case here. Every fiber of my being fell away from me as the severity of my situation stripped my freedom. Each breath scratched at my throat, burned my lungs, and every inhale and exhale felt shorter than the last.
My mind severed itself from my body as I numbingly watched the guards come up to the stage and retrieve me, and my body reacted instinctively to the touch of the men, instantly kicking into fight mode. Unfortunately, no one twitched an eyebrow in my direction when the men dragged me off, kicking and screaming.
Heartless bastards, every single one of them!
A sharp chill of fear straightened my spine at the sight of the room filled with men when the guards hauling me kicked open some doors and shoved me in. "There she is, boys. Better be sure to get our money's worth tonight." Some middle-aged man with thinning hair and dead gray eyes grinned at me with a dark glint as his lanky form approached my crumpled one on the floor.
Swallowing the nervous lump in my throat, I slowly scanned the rest of the men, instantly regretting it when their presence made me feel pathetic. "What's going on? Why are there so many of you in here?" Why were there so many men in here? And why were they looking at me so wickedly like I was some meal to be torn into?
The man ignored my question as he reached down and grabbed a fistful of my hair. "Look at her, so terrified, fuck , it's going to be so fun breaking you." His alcohol-laced breath burned my face like warm acid when it hit me from how close he lowered his head down to me. "You belong to me for the next three hours to do and use however I want, and I decided to be nice to my men for being loyal to me and share you after I make you bleed."
"No, please, please don't, please, I don't want to, I don't want it, please." I hated how pathetic I sounded and felt with my pointless pleading. Did I want to shed tears and feed that evil burning fire in his eyes more? No, I didn't, but I couldn't control my reactions as the situation fully sank into me.
Sobbing, I tried to lean away from the man when he leaned in close and sniffed the length of my neck, but his grip held me firm. Then, instinctively, my hand lashed across the man's face when he suddenly licked my tears off my cheek with a chuckle. His hand reacted to the impact by returning a slap that rattled my brain in my head. "Go ahead and fight. Makes it more fun." Tightening his grip on my hair, he dragged me over and onto the ratty-looking bed.
Even when my limbs felt like they would pop out of their sockets from my violent struggle, I didn't let up one bit. Pretty sure I dislocated a shoulder from jerking my body against the man who joined and held my arm down.
Fucking cowards, assholes, bastards.
At least the fact that this pathetic man needed four of his helpers to subdue a girl like me gave me some pride.
Unfortunately, it didn't last long. I thought I could remain strong and keep whatever dignity I had left intact, but everything shattered like glass when his disgusting hands touched my bare and exposed body. "No, no, no! Please don't, please! Please!"
Pain. Pure pain and torture for the next. Well, I don't know how long it actually was, but it felt like an eternity in Hell for me with what my body was put through. I thought having my innocence ripped away by the disgusting bastard was bad, but he was the least painful. The other men jerked my broken body around like I was a ragdoll, not caring one bit about leaving marks or hurting me as long as they could get their disgusting dicks in any hole they could.
I honestly thought it would be over the moment they were done, but if only it were just physical.
Psychologically, they broke me as well.
My mind and body didn't feel like my own after they were done and left. I was so disconnected that I barely registered my body moving.
Deep down, I knew trying to run away would be pointless; they would find me sooner rather than later and drag me back to the hell hole until my sentence was served. Yet, the moment the men left and stupidly left the door ajar, the last of my fight spurred my body forward. There wasn't a single thought behind my actions when I grabbed my tattered dress haphazardly, pulled it onto my body, and forced my pained body through the hallways and out some backdoor.
I was alive; the freezing night air hitting my shivering body as I mindlessly dragged myself into the streets was a good indicator of my live body. Yet, I felt empty, void of everything. I felt like a shell.
My wobbly legs threatened to give out any second as my body continued to push itself forward with no certain direction in mind. I needed help. But where?
Where do I go from here? Where can I go?
Like a broken dam, my once-empty mind flooded with endless trains of erratic thoughts. Between trying to figure out what to do and where to go, there was a constant and unconscious thought to keep on moving. No matter how much my shaky legs ached, my body pushed my limbs out of a basal need to survive.
My choppy steps continued until a hard impact threw my body to the ground.
Thankfully, I was so out of it that I barely felt the car.