Among Wolves (Number 117)

Chapter 2: Lacey: Stone Cold Girl

If I were to ever get out of here, I wanted to give my dad the biggest hug in the world. He was after all, my dad. Someone I took for granted. I wondered how many sleepless nights he went, saddened by my sudden disappearance. The last thing I had said to him was that I hated him.

And now, here I was bounded by chains, teary eyed and unable to show my hearts deepest desires.
~~

"Where do you think they took Jenni, Lara?" A mousy voice spoke from the corner.  I sat on my bed, up against the wall staring into the darkness, unable to sleep. None of us ever did. My eyes searched in the dim for the owner of the voice and came eye to eye with a girl about my age. She was brown eyed and thin with blonde ragged hair. Two other girls had been brought in after the first tiny one. They seemed to be related for they resembled each other so much, I could bet they were twins.  They both stayed together, embracing each other on the bed next to mine. Their eyes full of terror and desperation.

"We should ask her. Maybe she knows, Zara." The other girl replied meeting my stare as well.

"You think so, Lara?"

"It's worth the try, Zara."

The one named Zara directed her full attention at me as she untangled herself from Lara and leaned closer to the edge in my direction.

"My name is Zara." she spoke softly," My sisters and I  were brought here in hopes of finding a job." She moved her thin body to the edge of the bed and sat down. "As soon as we turned eighteen  we were kicked out of the orphanage. But we brought our younger sister-well she's like a sister to us-Jenni. She's eight. And we couldn't really find any jobs, with the economy and all. I mean, we knew the world was full of crime and that only the nobles live the good life, but we didn't think it'd be this harsh. Anyways, we were walking down small town looking at all the small shops for work and then a woman-dressed in the craziest outfit I've ever seen- randomly came up to me and offered  my sisters and I a job.  She told us to meet her at this special shop out on the outskirts of town and as soon as we stepped foot in the place, we were robbed out of our sight and knocked out unconscious. Next thing we knew we woke up in van and dragged here. Our younger sister, Jenni gone. Do you have any idea what's going on? And where could we find our sister? Why did they bring us here? What are they going to do to us?!" Her questions became shakier and shakier with every second until she was spilling tears and her lips curled back in fear and anger.

I felt sorrow for these girls, but couldn't bring myself to tell them the truth. I looked away, and allowed my hair to fall down on the side of my face creating a wall between us so that I wouldn't have to be the bearer of bad news.

"Are we in danger?! Is Jenni in danger?! Please, answer me!"

"She's being taken to another shop. The organ shop."

Time stood still.

A knew voice cut in. It was stone cold and to the point.  I whipped my head in front of me to the knew girl, the  one who had been  brought first. The one with the attitude.  She leaned against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest. Even in the darkness you could see the furrow in her eyebrow, knitted with something I could only describe as anger. She wore a set of black cargo pants which to think of it, was very unusual. Only men wore pants. She also wore a black tank top that hugged her skin tight, revealing a very curvaceous figure and chest. How daring. Instead of wearing flats or sandals like the rest of us she wore a pair of black heavy boots that went up to her ankles. Now that I thought of it, she hadn't been wearing any of that earlier. She had came in a very dirty white, worn out cape that had covered her very small body. Now the cape laid on the bed. My eyes then wondered back to the girl who was facing the ceiling now with her eyes closed and her teeth gritted. I could hear the crisp sound of leather stretching and realized the girl had been wearing leather gloves. I could feel the anger flow through her blood even from where I stood.

"Where is the justice in this world? Has humanity really succumbed to greed and hate?" She said more to herself than anyone in particular. Her black short hair was slicked back away from her face and I could now tell that she wasn't as young as I thought. She had a pixie face with sharp features, but had a small frame and small face which had tricked me before.

"Wait-what did you say?! What do you mean organ  shop?" The other twin, Lara spoke this time, as she stood up front he bed and marched up to girl against the wall.

The girl in cargo pants opened her eyes and looked at Lara straight on, her eyes full of empathy and sadness. A sadness so deep and blue, you could drown in it.

"They can't use the young ones for sex so they instead sell their organs..."Her voice cracked in the end,"I'm sorry."

Lara fell to her knees as tearful sobs escaped her trembling lips,"No, this can't be. This isn't real! This is a joke! She wanted to come with us! She wanted a family! We were her family! We promised we would take care of her! Why is this happening to me? To us? She didn't do anything wrong. She deserves better-"

In a split of a second the cargo girl slashed the distance between Lara and her and had bent down next to her, taking her in her arms. Her chin resting in Lara's shoulder. Her eyes twinkling with crystals.
Her mouth biting back anger.

She hugged Lara to her chest and whispered in a guilty voice,"I'm sorry. I'm sorry that this world has failed you! That justice doesn't exist. I'm sorry we've failed you!" Her words slowly stopped being whispers and then it wasn't like she was apologizing to just Lara but to every girl in that room.

Lara continued to sob and besides me Zara was also a mess of tears and broken promises.

"Who-who are you...?"  I finally dared address the girl in cargo pants.

She looked up front the floor at me and opened her eyes. They were brown and determined. The eyes of a hawk.

"I'm Lacey, and I'm going to get you out of here. All of you."

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