Chapter 1
Cotton. That’s the first thought that crosses my fuzzy brain as I groggily awaken. Smacking my lips together to conjure some spit for my dry throat, I try to piece together what happened.
I’ve never had a hangover like this before. None of my thoughts make sense. My mind races as events and memories fly through, but nothing sticks. Each one simply switches to a different train before I can grasp it.
Why do I not feel my bed under me?
Why am I so cold?
Where are my blankets?
Am I laying on the floor?
I pry my dry, crusty eyes open, blinking rapidly to get my vision to focus. God, how much did I drink? My hand comes up to rub at the throbbing in my head.
I let out a whine as my attempt to sit up fails. My body splayed out on the hard cold stone under me. The contents of my stomach churn as I breathe deeply.
Why does my room smell damp and moldy?
Taking another deep breath, I noticed the smell of stale sweat and body waste.
Fuck, did I shit myself in my drunken state?
My vision clears enough that I notice bars above my head. Puzzled, I look to my left, seeing the same bars. My chest tightens as I drag myself to a sitting position and survey my surroundings.
Prison bars? No, the space is too small for a prison cell. My body chills as I scoot back until I smack into the wall behind me.
Vomit threatens to come up as I realize I’m in a cage. I cover my hand over my mouth to stop it from coming out.
Why the fuck am I in a cage?
How did I end up here?
Where is here?
I look down and finally notice that I’m naked!
What the fuck happened to my clothes?
Gasping, I pull my knees up to my chest, trying to cover my birthday suit.
Focus!
What’s the last thing I remember ?
I rack my brain, but all I remember is getting in a cab. With that cute man that I swiped right on Tinder. We met at a bar near my house.
We spoke for hours in between drinks. I didn’t expect to connect with a guy from Tinder like that. Why can’t I remember what he looked like?
I know it was my address that was given to the cab driver. We should be there, not here in this…
My mind drifts as I drag myself to the front of my cage. I need to figure out where here is. Now that my brain is focused on the now, I notice my cage isn’t the only one in the room.
Across from me are five cages lined up on the wall, with a small walkway dividing us. I flick my gaze left and right to see that my side has the same setup.
I’m in the third cell from the front, the front being closest to the door that my rattled brain now notices. As I scan the rest of the brightly lit room, I notice the line of single hanging lights strung between the cells. Cells that I now realize are not empty.
Each cage holds another equally naked and scared woman. I note that they range in size, age, hair and skin colour.
God, is that blonde even legal?
I lose the fight with my stomach as I hurl on the floor. It sprays up my legs as the smell blends with the rest of the room.
Damp, moldy, shit covered vomit with the undertones of sweat and fear fills the room. I fight back more gags as I try to hold and gather as many details as I can. I’m the only redhead here in this room of terror.
Some girls are crying silently. While others, like the one with the hair as black as coal, look catatonic. My eyes focus on the brunette at the end on the other side.
She looks familiar.
Where have I seen her before?
I rake my distorted brain before I remember. I saw her on the news. She was kidnapped 2 weeks ago. The last lead the cops had was when her picture was found on the dark web. On the seller’s page where she was being auctioned off.
I blanch and gasp as I come to the realization that the others must have already come to.
Taken, kidnapped, and thrown in cells naked.
The brunette, why the fuck can’t I remember her name ?
If I had to guess all our fates, we are going to be sold to the highest bidder.
A sob breaks free as tears pour down my face. My body starts to shake.
Was it the cute guy?
The taxi driver?
Is this a horrible dream that I’ll wake from any minute?
I roughly pinch the skin on my upper arm, the pain sharp and throbbing like my skull.
Nope, not a dream.
None of the other girls are making a peep. Just soft whimpers that if I didn’t listen closely, I wouldn’t have noticed.
Judging by the black eye the girl across from me is sporting, it’s probably best that I don’t make a sound. I lock eyes with the blond, almost pleading with her to tell me something.
Surely t hey wouldn’t want to mark up the merchandise?
Who would buy something that’s broken?
What if they plan to break their purchases even more than we already are?
Why the fuck did I refer to myself as merchandise?
When did I decide I was already broken?
My eyes snap down to inspect my body. Checking for any bruises or marks. I notice that I’m panting, my chest feeling like a brick is pressing down on it as rope wraps around me. Getting tighter and tighter every second.
Calm.
The.
Fuck.
Down!
I cannot pass out now.
In two, three.
Hold two, three.
Out two, three.
I do this three more times before my chest loosens.
As I get control over my breathing, my body tingles, the stench penetrates me to my core.
Looking around, I see that the room is all cement and steel.
A hose hangs on the wall by the door, with buckets lined up under it. I bet I know what they are for.
Being lost in my thoughts, I don’t notice the girls whimpering, biting back sobs and curling back in their cells as far as they can. Until the door slams open, my head snaps to the door just as two men walk into the room.
The first man is only a few inches taller than me. A beer gut protrudes from him. He has on a dirty muscle shirt and ratty old jeans, with his greasy dark brown hair slicked back. The second is taller but looks similar. Both men have darker tanned skin. They must be related .
Or at least from the same origin.
The first man leers at all the cells, intimidating us before his gaze lands on mine, his lips curling in a sinister grin. “Ladies! Who is ready to get all pretty?” He sings as he walks between the cages. “We’re having a party tonight, and you lovely ladies are the guests of honour!”
He covers his mouth to suppress his laugh as he stops in front of my cage before adding. “Also the entertainment.” His gaze travels over my body. Eye fucking me as he blows me a kiss before clapping his hands and spinning to look at everyone. “It’s going to be a good night for all. I can tell.”
As his words hit me like a lead pipe, my body trembles again. Puke flies from my mouth as the ‘items on the menu’ sob and tremble. The men laugh as they head towards the door. My mind blanks as only two words come to it.
Oh fuck!
Dickhead number two moves towards the buckets, while number one leaves and shuts the door behind him. As if we could run away while being locked in these small prisons.
My eyes track him as he brings two buckets towards us. Fumbling with a set of keys that are attached to his belt, he unlocks the first cage on my side of the room. He throws the bucket in and shuts the door.
“Hurry up, you know the drill.” I watch as he gives the first cage across the room the same treatment. The girls must be used to this routine because they waste no time and scramble towards it and squat.
Averting my eyes, I try to zone out, wanting to give the girls at least a bit of privacy. I’m not stupid. I figured out what is going to happen with those buckets.
At least that explains some of the smell. I must have zoned out for a while because my steel door opening snaps me out of it.
“Come on, new girl, or do you need an explanation?” Dickhead two laughs before he moves across the room. Thank God I’ve got rid of everything my stomach had.
The sight in the bucket would have done the job. Stumbling to my feet, I feel my dignity slipping. I really have to pee, but I can’t bring myself to flow.
I’m staring down at it when the dickhead reaches through the bars, grabbing me by the back of my hair. A yelp leaves me as he pushes my head towards the bucket.
“You’re better off losing the small scrap of dignity that you’re trying to hold on to. Either use the bucket or I make you lick it.” He holds my head there for a moment as I struggle. “Ain't that right blondie?” He looks over his shoulder to the girl across from me.
“L-l-let me go! I’ll fu-f-fucking use it,” I growl out. He laughs, holding my head there for an extra moment before letting go.
I straighten myself and glare daggers at him, but he doesn’t move. This sick fuck is going to watch me. I force myself to squat over the bucket, keeping my eyes down so he can’t see the hatred that burns behind them. As I start to pee, I hear a low grunt come from deep in his chest.
“I’ll be brushing my teeth with that later, so make sure you give me enough.” Rage takes over me at his disgusting comment.
Keep it together.
This is nothing.
Just think about camping; it’s no different.
My mind repeats until I’m done. He keeps his eyes on me, and when I’m finished, I can’t look at him. My eyes shimmer with unshed tears. Moving back towards the wall of my cell, he removes it and continues down the rows.
It’s not giving up.
It’s smart,
I tell myself as my mind screams at my lack of action. The door is most likely locked, and I’m not sure what’s behind it. I’ll wait and b ide my time if I have a chance of escaping.
Just as dickhead two finishes with the last girl’s potty break, the door swings open again. Dick one saunters back in, his smug smile in place as he picks up the hose.
“Shower time, girls. You’re fucking filthy and that just won’t do.” He laughs before spraying through the first set of bars. The poor woman splutters as the water slams her in the face.
I can tell the water is cold by the goosebumps that cover her body. She's hunched over and moves around in the icy spray, making sure she washes as best as she can. Scrubbing down and trying to clean without soap like she knows this is all she will get.
The dickheads chuckle and talk to each other casually as they move to the next cell. How fucked up do they have to be that this doesn’t bother them?
Giving them death glares, I watch as they repeat the process with the girls before me on each side. When they get to my cage, my face must display my displeasure.
“This one came in last night. Still got some life in her,” Dickhead two remarks . He eyes me up and down, smirking as his gaze lingers on my breasts. “She has a nice body and isn’t too broken.”
“Yet. She won’t last long at auction and will move quickly.
” Dickhead one laughs. Then I don’t hear anything as the water almost drowns me.
Coughing and teeth chattering, I move my face away.
The water smashes into my back as I try to shield my face.
My mind holds on to every bit of information I can.
1. It’s only been a day for me.
2. They plan to sell us.
If they take us upstairs for this party, then I’ll bolt the first chance I get.
But what if they don’t take us out of this room?
What if they bring the buyers down to us?
Will I be conscious when taken from here?
Lost in thought, I don’t notice until the water stops and they move on. I’ve been quiet so far because mouthing off isn’t going to get me anywhere.
True crime shows and movies always preach that information is key. I’m better off remembering everything I can than pissing them off with a smart mouth.
After we are all washed, they leave us alone , and I hear the faint click as the door locks behind them, confirming we are trapped in here. The damp air chills me to the bones. My teeth chatter and I rub my hands over my wet arms.
Nobody says anything, and when I go to speak, the girl to my right shakes her head. Holding a finger to her lips then points to the corner of the room.
My eyes track the movement until I see the camera. I figured we were being watched, but I wasn’t sure. Speaking won’t work well for me right now.
I draw my knees back to my chest, committing everything to memory and wait.