Sold to the Devil's Empire

hina

nothing, only who cried first.

um

am tore throu

fr

finger as blood welled from a neat crescent bite. He

ding!" sh

e anyway. The wardrobe door had no lock. The bat

proaching, and my he

happ

hand from the kitchen. Oil glistened on its surface. Her eye

t my finger,"

outh, but not

she were examining a crystal in her shop. She cooed

atula struck my shoulder b

u hurt her?"

, I di

ed across my arm. Th

e it connected with my skin. She was holding my

crying

le my attempt to free myself p

my voice di

he finally stopped, I was shaking. My skin marked with red patch

d neve

stay locked in the basement,

ly six y

narrow staircase. The basement door

oved me insi

at the top

er tongue o

the lock clicked bef

down slowly. My arms burned. My legs stung

ow it had

is my

and warm brown eyes that made people smile. I had b

n, she had been the mira

at one word was forbidd

iven it to me. He said it was his favourite a

a wan

" I

it. She bit h

eaten and locked

te, and slept. Mum owned a boutique where rich

et I delivered news

ubbed floors that were already clean. In the afternoons, I cooked

ing for the family

s and provide me with cooking books. That started when t

t, you do not ea

ia slept on the queen-sized

n Ceilia needs somethi

space was taken from me. The servants who cleaned the

enough to ear

storage room. It smelle

you wake ear

e understan

af

only soft thin

chool. Algebra frightened me. History fascinated me.

had now taken over from his grandfather to

cheap plastic ring into my palm. B

hen I'm older," he said w

d him t

e last time

around my neck for years. I wore high-neck to

, but it was the only th

I will

aged myself wit

be like th

had turned into

ou

tly. I kept my thoughts in a diary hidden und

e I would go, but I

, I woke at

ree," I whispered as I

elt before. Washed dishes carefully. Pol

they wou

a to her friends, who never visited our ho

bag, walk out that d

kfast table, hummi

lph

ach tig

to the sit

twice, I wou

called?" I b

a. Ceilia lounged beside him,

u are twenty,

. They re

d it is time yo

tilted

down?" I

terrupt,"

or

," Father continued. "In return, he req

g crawled ov

d me," I sa

nt!" Mum's hand

ing bl

me. "I will not be silent. What have I d

her

m hissed. "A man of his stat

" I said. "If he is so weal

slap sent

ia?" Mum barked. "Our angel already ha

a smi

er Th

. Untouchable. Hates women. A man whose n

e the price of

allo

i

d me here when the

ounded at

it is," M

cony corridor and descen

d outside. Their expression

es

re home?"

es

eps approach

eady," Fa

d turne

he

move, the men

led, but their

rds tore out of me, though I k

m the staircase, b

ng a

ly held it up

dia

fingers. And on her pinkie was the plastic ring K

plans. And she

d, lookin

ar waited at the gate. One of the men op

d at th

d pressed aga

nt filled my lungs,

arkness swallowed me was

tried

ad never been