Red Lace

Chapter 1

NICHUME TSHAWE-MNGUNI

I am not a spiritual person but from the minute I stepped into this house, this hall specifically I felt this overwhelming dark aura. For the first time ever, my spirit is not at peace being in this kind of place. I am not aware yet of what kind of place this is but I think I might have an idea of what it is. If it is not a wh*rehouse or a brothel then chances are it's a place where they keep up before they sell us to the highest bidder or something along those lines.

"When you are told to stand up straight and look ahead, you do as told or else there will be hell to pay!" The old man before him says, I look at the younger guy and then at the old man and nod my head. Like my father, I am soft spoken but I possess my mother's fiery attitude and that always comes into play or works to my advantage. My twin sister calls me dangerous for possessing such qualities. Whatever place this is, I won't survive it because my anxieties skyrocketed when this old man stood before me and made me tell him my name but somehow I found peace in the younger one's eyes. There was something calming about those hazel-brown eyes with this strange sparkle in them. It was just one look but it was enough to draw you in and drive you over the edge. I'd never experienced anything like it before, his look alone erased everything I felt about this place, and yes it was only for a split second but I felt something.

They walk to the end before coming to stand in the middle and facing us all, approximately 20 girls are standing in line. Lord knows how the rest were abducted, we are all terrified, Siso had been holding my hand from the minute we got into this place but they separated us when we had to stand like this. Part of me is angry at her for putting us into this situation but a part of me cannot blame her because this could have happened to anyone, with anyone. My sister must be panicking out of her mind right now.

"You will be taken to rooms to get cleaned up, I want you all back here at," he pauses to look at the timepiece on his wrist "At 2:00 PM sharp, anyone who is late will be punished," The old man says and then he and the young tail walk away.

Some women come and take two of us at a time up the stairs to separate rooms, I am lucky when they put Siso and me in the same room. Siso hugs me tightly.

"Chume I'm so sorry. I had no idea that this would happen."

IYAZINKOSI ADAEGO IBRAHIM

"No! No daughter of mine is going to be taught how to pleasure a man! Over my dead body." Mom argues, this time around raising her voice.

WAIT! What does mom mean when she says 'taught how to pleasure a man'? I have never been with a man before, being my father's daughter didn't make things easy for men to even look in my direction. What are they talking about?

"This is not a request Isabelle, I am telling you!" Daddy says, never raising his voice at mom. Even though they are no longer married and are only co-parenting, I know they love each other dearly. They have great respect for each other. Yes, things didn't turn out as they had hoped but they love each other and will always look out for each other.

"I don't care whether it's a request or you telling me but the answer is NO! Adaego is going to start university this year and that's final. I've already spoken to the dean and she's been accepted." Mom says sternly, dad chuckles, he doesn't laugh much, and right now I know that that chuckle is accompanied by something mom and I won't like.

"Isabelle, my love, when will you learn that you cannot do things without my knowledge? The so-called Dean you spoke to told me you enrolled Adae and I'm sorry but it's not going to happen. She has lessons in the dungeon scheduled for today at 1 pm," Dad says resting back on his chair proudly.

Dungeon? What is dad talking about? We have a dungeon? Where? How do I not know about any of this? What are my parents talking about and why am I innit?