A Droplet of Blood

Chapter 3 Eyes Of A Beast

The audience was a group of elites and nobles, prancing about in bright colors. All different body sizes and shapes. Though from a distance they didn't seem very threatening, I knew what they were. The strength, the speed, the power could radiate from them in waves.

They walked to each cell in a timely fashion, a quick process of bickering over the worth of the 'willing' donor, judging every imperfection. Then they tasted a sample of their blood, served in small plastic cups. The unlucky people were those that didn't have a sample on file. They got their blood drained directly from their bodies in a system that involved a thick needle and a tube. I found myself silently thanking the woman from earlier, saving me from that was a blessing in and of itself.

I was now looking at the bars, the metal giving me hope. If the metal cage kept me in without so much as a dent, surely it could also keep out a few leeches. Okay - more than a few, I'd counted about eighteen of them. Suddenly, my feelings of security vanished, and a horrible clawing of anxiety set in.

"They can't get in, they can't get in, they can't get in!"

I was chanting, screaming, fear and anxiety driving me to the brink of insanity. I must've been loud, because the girl on the right side of my cage - tagged with the name Alexia - spun around and glared at me.

"They can get in. If those things want to, they can break these bars and snap your neck. And no one will do anything, because they are at the top of our little food chain, and we're at the bottom."

I stared at her. She hadn't said much to me since the leeches showed up earlier. I opened my mouth to retort, but snapped it shut. I knew she was right, that was the very reason I hid for so long. These vile monsters wanted to  work us into the ground, and eat us into nothingness.

Frustration ticked off inside of me. They have all the power and yet they still lie, still pretend that we give consent. That we want this. That we actually sign that moronic form giving away our rights. Realization flooded through me; We never had any.

"Sold to Lord Timothy!"

A small cheer went up, and Alexia seemed to quiver. It was her turn next.

"I pray Lord Timothy chooses y'all," the man on the other side of me called.

"I've hear of his kindness and generosity. Some say he even frees his slaves to the Above. Man, I would just about kill for that opportunity."

His eyes closed, as though he was dreaming of freedom, of happiness. I imagined that for myself, something like what I had before, better maybe. A room - house- with big windows, set so the star's light could poor in all around me, lighting up my above ground home in it's heavenly glow. Safety, away from the underground and the bunker and the blood. Away from this world. Living alone, or maybe, with a partner.

The slam of a door and the thud of boots jarred me back to reality.
Fear once again coursed through my veins. The audience was walking towards Alexia's cell. I cowered back into mine, curling in on myself as I heard them stalk closer and closer.

"This is a favorite among Nobles," another red-eyed worker purred in a smug tone, "It's name is Alexia." Alexia shook violently. "The starting price for this one is forty five coins of nickel."

The crowd let out a collected gasp. Nickel was a rare and valuable thing, I myself had never even seen such a metal. For a blood slave to sold at that price- wow.

I moved closer to the other cell to watch as this played out. I tried to listen in on how my cell mate's fate would be decided.

But, all I could make out were rushed murmurs as the group decided upon different issues regarding Alexia's previous usage and how high they should jump the bid to own her. She was worth less then a never before fed upon slave, but those were very young and hard to come by, so it probably shouldn't affect her price, they decided.