Before The Shadow: White Chrysanthemum Flowers

Chapter 15: Run

The next day

The door to the room I'm being held in abruptly swings open and two large men walk over to me. One leans down and cuts the rope around my legs and the other pulls me up to my feet. I wobble slightly, "WALK." The man who had pulled me up demands, and a bag is placed over my head and a gun is pushed against my back. I stumble aimlessly with my numb legs and no sense of direction in the darkness that surrounds my face.

You can still use your ears, Hailey. A voice in the back of my head tells me. Wait for your opportunity to escape. They take me outside and I can feel the light pricks of rain against my hands. I can't enjoy the fresh air for long as one of the men throws me into the back of what I assume is a van. I collide with the floor rather than the seats. Jieun speaks in my ear, "It was nice to meet you, Hailey. You know as Yoongi's girlfriend I got so many offers for you, it was hard to turn them down."

Offers? What the fuck is she talking about? "I sold you, to a brothel to be exact. Oh, don't worry. I'm sure they'll take good care of you!" She says in a shrill tone and her voice moves away from my ear. "Once I've thought of our next fun thing to do together I'll come and pick you up, okay?"

I jump at Jieun and try to bash her skull in with my head, "Son of a bitch!" I scream. Someone throws me harshly back onto the floor of the van and I try to get back up again by flailing my legs around but something hit's me across the face. I can taste blood.

"Oh, don't get too upset. If you want someone to blame it should be Yoongi. Well, bye-bye for now!" She says exuberantly. I hear the doors to the van slam shut and we start moving. I stay on the floor as we move. Shit, shit! This isn't good. I'm going to god knows where and my hands are still tied together. I'm so screwed!

No Hailey you can do this. Just shut off your fear, shut everything off. Only think of fighting, focus only on that. Yes. I can do this. I won't be scared. I won't allow myself to be.

Thirty minutes pass by and the van skids to a halt. I hear the driver jump out of his seat and walk around to the back of the van, he opens the rear doors and pulls me out and onto my feet. He whips the bag off of my head and I look to see we're on a long street of nightclubs and bars and the sky is dark. I shiver slightly from the cold and harden my expression and mind as my eyes scan the area for any opportunity to get away. One of the men places a hoodie over my hands to cover the rope holding them together. They push me forward towards one of the many fine establishments through a back entrance.

The room is dark and booming with music, the floor sticks to the bottom of my shoes. Gross. The place is filled to the brim with drunken dancers and not one of them bats an eyelid at the fact that I'm being escorted by two burly men, one of which is still holding a gun to my back. I grit my teeth together. I need to concentrate and look for any openings, even if there's only a slight chance I can escape I'm going to take it. Anything is better than being sold to a brothel.

Colourful lights flash over us as we make our way to the centre of the room and light up various faces of the dancers around us. That face, I know that face. Yoongi? No, it can't be. I turn my head to look again but the person is gone. Don't get your hopes up Hailey, you're on your own for this.

We stop in front of a tall lanky man whose hair is slicked back, so much so that it looks greasy and so does the small moustache that stretches across his top lip. His eyes rake themselves over me and he licks his lips in a seductive manner. Guess this is my buyer...he looks revolting. The man holding the gun to my back grabs my shoulder and whispers into my ear "No funny business now princess."

"My, my! She's even more gorgeous than I imagined! A bit beat up but most customers enjoy that." I want to throw up in my mouth. The lanky man leans closer to me and cups my cheek in his hand. Don't react Hailey, hold it together. Don't give them the satisfaction. He strokes my cheek and down to my neck and shoulder. I want to bite his fucking hand off. He removes his hand and rubs his hands eagerly together. "Let's not wait then! This way my dear."