Locked Away [10k Z Nation]

13

I struggled my way into a very tight white tank top and jet black leather pants. I nearly broke out in a sweat trying to get it over my head. I didn't even want to think about the other outfits that had been planned for me. This was the daily expected uniform here. The pants and shirts were all too tight. I didn't know if they just weren't my size, or if they were designed to fit that way. Probably the latter.

It had been about a week since my arrival here. I had met some of the other girls. There were about 10 of us. Almost all of them were nice, but there was just one thing that struck me as odd.

Almost all of them appreciated being here. They thought it was some heaven on earth, some second chance given to them by God.
I remember talking to the first girl I met here- besides Katie- her name was Meg. She had long red hair down to her butt, and blue eyes. She was just so happy to be rescued from the apocalypse, and into the arms of some dashing, caring, and no doubt rich, guy.

What she didn't know is that the guy would probably be some slimy businessman, who no doubt just wanted her for sex.

Each of us shared a room with about three other girls, two of you were lucky, but I guess none of us were particularly lucky.

Anyways, after Katie had told me my chilling fate, she causally showed  me to my new room. I didn't get a word in before she was up and across the living room.

It hadn't quite processed in my mind that if I wasn't deemed attractive enough, I would die. My looks had never really been anything special. People had told me I was pretty on social media outlets and such, but I was never really appreciated for my frizzy hair or wide shoulders.
I do like my collarbones... But we're getting off topic.

"Where is everybody?" I asked.
If there were so many girls to compete with, where were they?

"Most of them are already settled. The boys try not to bring back more than 10 a month. Usually they don't even find that many, this was an especially good month." She chirped happily, leading me down a hallways. The way she talked about us like we were cattle sent a chill up my spine.

She must have saw the disgusted look on my face because she added,

"That's how we keep our lifestyle here. There's a certain price that a gentlemen should pay for a lady, and we make sure that they pay it. It's almost never real money you know," she sounded like she had rehearsed this speech may times, "We get payed in food rations, water gallons, sometimes we even get fuel, we have exactly one car at this camp, and it's very useful to us when it can run."

My head shut up at this new news. Car? I knew how to drive, I could take it! I could-

"Don't get your hopes up. It's been out of gas for almost six months now."

"What about the car I was picked up in?" I asked, remembering the way Murphy and I had been forced away from our group and into a van filled with moldy, moth-eaten seats and no air conditioner. I wondered if they were looking for Murphy and I yet... If 10k was worried at all, or if he had just gotten closer to Cassandra.

"That's the private car, only used for the transportation of girls to the camp."

"Wait," I remembered something, "How did you find me? Was the house I was staying at really your property?" The more I though about it, the more unrealistic that fact seemed.

"The boys have a set of houses they control, or look after, they search those areas a few times a month, and if someone worthy of The Pageant, is currently residing there, then they take her, and whatever else they might need."