"I'm looking for someone permanent, preferably someone that no one will miss or go looking for."
"You're in luck sir, this one here, we have tracked for several days and based on our research there is no one of importance in her life. Undoubtedly, no one will put efforts into finding her."
"That's perfect, and she's cute too."
I hear fuzzy voices in my still half drugged state, and I try to interpret their conversation, not entirely sure of what is happening. I groan while trying to understand my surroundings. The floor is cold and hard, I crack my eyes open to get a better idea. Through the bars of a cell I see two men looking down at me with intrigue like I'm a caged animal. I begin to process how much trouble I'm really in.
Was this some sort of slave trade I had gotten dragged into? My confidence in escaping unraveled. I shot up from the ground and cowered into the furthest corner of the cell as the two men continue to discuss me as if I wasn't standing directly in front of them.
One of the men was tall and lanky. He wore circular glasses and had straight white hair parted down the middle. He had on a white coat, looking like he was a doctor or scientist or something. The other man was stouter and dirtier. He looked uber scummy, I felt unsafe.
"How much? I'll take her." The doctor looking guy said and I gasped quietly. What the fuck had I just woken up to??
I tune out my apparent cost as I immediately start thinking of escape routes. As soon as those fuckers opened this cell, I was running until I collapsed. I approached the bars, ready to run, when I see the slovenly man soaking a rag with liquid from an unlabeled bottle. I'm sure it's the same shit that they used to get me here, and I take a few steps back, noting that my escape plan now included avoiding getting knocked out again.
The doctor guy held up his hand, "Oh no, that won't be necessary. I can handle her transport."
I looked at him uneasily, taking another couple steps backwards.
Apparently I didn't move far back enough as he stepped forward and reached his arm through the bars grabbing hold of my wrist. I was highly uncomfortable and was about to shake his grasp off of me when he muttered something under his breath and my vision blurred.
I blinked hard trying to comprehend what had just happened, when I opened my eyes back up my location had changed.
Did he..? Did we just teleport? I knew there were different races in Britannia, not that I had been exposed to any of them besides humans, but this man must have been some sort of mage. It had hurt my head moving from one location to another just like that, and it took me a few moments to adjust to the new, new surroundings. Everything was happening so quickly.
"Alright darling, let's get acquainted." I spin around and see the doctor standing next to a metal looking bed and a wall lined with tools and devices. The wall next to him is filled with what appears to be cages meant for large dogs. The wall opposite of that has a couple of uncomfortable looking chairs. The whole room screams danger to me.
My eyes flicker back to the doctor and he gestures towards the chairs as if I was just going to obey him. This man essentially just kidnapped me... or second hand kidnapped me, but still, I wasn't just going to sit down and chat with him.
The door must have been behind me, as the other three walls were in my vision and I didn't see an exit. In an instant I spin around locating the door. I grab the handle, and my heart drops realizing it was locked.
I'm such an idiot, of course he'd lock the stupid door. He just paid for me, he wasn't just going to let me leave.
He tsked behind me.
"I like a bit of spunk, but you will learn quickly to comply with me. Now are you going to sit down like a civilized adult, or will I have to restrain you this early on?" His calm demeanor pissed me off royally.
I tried to quickly evaluate the situation in my head. He had some kind of magic power, the door was locked, there didn't appear to be any windows in the room. I could kick and scream, but as he said he would just restrain me, making any escape efforts essentially, impossible. If I played along for now, a better opportunity would present itself.
I begrudgingly sat down, and he followed my lead.
"Good," he stated, as if I was some stupid dog learning a new trick. I affixed a scowl to my face as he began to speak again.
"I am Othello. I am a scientist studying the various races of Britannia, current and past. My line of study requires a lot of experimentation, and therefore requires a fair number of subjects to test theories and observations on."
So, not a doctor, a crazy fucking scientist using humans as lab rats. I am so screwed.
"I must admit, I have been a bit careless in the past with previous subjects, but don't fret, I have intentions of keeping you around for a while. I'm working on something big, and I think you will prove very helpful in my research," he finishes off his spiel.
My knee bounced up and down, my fingers twitching as I tried to hold in the tears. I always complained about my life, but I'd be hit by my father everyday for the rest of my life if it meant I weren't here.
How many other people had been in this room? How many innocent people had he killed? And really, did I want to be kept around for a while? I feel as if I'd much rather die than be experimented on for the rest of my sad, pathetic life. Surely whatever tests this lunatic had in mind had killed people in the past.
He coughed lightly, I looked up and he looked at me expectantly as if it was my turn to introduce myself. Guess he liked to know his lab rats names.
"Um I-- I'm.." I begin stuttering, which had never been an issue for me in the past, but I was truly mortified of what was happening here.
I looked down at my lap, "I'm Julie," was all I could muster.
"Ok!" He exclaimed clapping his hand and standing up. "So should we get started today, or would you like to just settle in today and start fresh tomorrow?"
A sad laugh left my mouth. How incredibly kind of this crazy scientist who BOUGHT me, to consider my opinion on whether he should start experimenting on me today or tomorrow. What a KIND GESTURE, I practically screamed in my head.
"Um, tomorrow..?" I croaked, hoping in that small window of time I could somehow slip out of the place.
He smiled, "Very well! Unfortunately for now, I only have housing available for short term subjects, but in time I will grant you better accommodations."
I wasn't entirely sure what he meant, but the puzzle pieces were slowly put together when he approached the wall lined with cages. I put my face in my hands trying not to freak out, have I mentioned how HORRIBLY claustrophobic I was?
"Now now Julie, it's only temporary. If you don't give me problems here, I will bring you dinner, okay?" Othello told me, sensing my distress.
Can I tell you how horrifically demeaning it is to have to crawl into a dog cage?
