6 months to live

Finding hope, part 2

"This isn't Sterling," my heartbeat slowed down. "Sir? This isn't even New Jersey!"

The man parked his car onto the curb of a sketchy building.

"Are much are you going to pay me for these girls?" The woman slid her window down so she could spit.

"I was about to get there," his voice got really low.

Bianca and I looked at each other. The doors were locked and it had to have been somewhere around midnight. We would be repeating the day all over again.

"How old are they?" He asked.

"My guess is somewhere from around nineteen to twenty-five."

     The man lit a cigarette. "You did good, Terresa, you did good."

     "I'm glad you think so, Ashton."

   It felt like oxygen was no longer running through me. I felt sick to my stomach and faint headed. I couldn't believe what I had just heard.

    It happened all too fast for me to understand what was going on. First it was the high-pitched scream that cracked through the atmosphere then it was the sound of metal clashing with an object.
   I looked over to the passenger seat to see that the man had a gun just mere inches from the woman's head. It was too late for her. The bullet had soared through her temple and broken through the glass.

     His eyes moved from the lady to me. The dagger shone in his eyes when his lip lifted in a cocky smirk.

         He remembers me

       I shut my eyes tight hoping that it wouldn't be me next. I couldn't bear to think about the brutal experiments, the grotesque thoughts that were storming in his head. Ashton was back...and he was badder, hungrier for more things.

       "Sweetie, did your captor ever do this?" He pointed the gun at the middle of Bianca's forehead. "If you guys cooperate, everything will go swell. If you dare try to run away or refuse my orders," he sneered, "hopefully we won't get to that point."

       Pools of tears started to flow out of Bianca's eyes. "P-please don't kill me. I'll do everything you say, I promise."

        His eyes averted from her to me. "She's on board, but how about you?"

          "I don't have a problem, sir."

    He held two guns at our backside as we walked into the old, and definitely abandoned building.

           Inside were five guys, all lined up.

    Bianca was crying so loudly that I was afraid that he would kill her.

         "Please stop crying, " I gritted my teeth. This is not where I imagined being. My birthday was the next day.

         I can't give much details about what happened that day, mostly because it was a memory that I was more than happy was fading. We were dragged around like rag dolls and we were beat like wild animals. The requests were horrible but if we date spoke against what he forced us to do, he would kill us for sure.

     Bianca stopped talking to me after the first day. She was given the worst of it because of her background. I watched as they abused her, beat her, and then took advantage of her with no remorse.

     Most of the men were married...with children. When I asked them how they thought their wives would feel if she knew, they threatened me.

     My misery was shut down in the second week of being held captured. They had failed to acknowledge my medical needs because they feared of getting arrested.

      It hurt to go because Bianca had no one left in this world. I was her small piece of hope for a couple of hours.

   Although dying was unexpected, it was for the best. I didn't want to experience being a slave. It was finally time for me to revisit my father...but in a better place.

        I lived a prosperous life. I truly enjoyed the dream that most people chased for the thrill of it.

    I loved...for a short while. Although I never truly felt what it was like to be deeply in love and have someone feel the same way back, it was fun for a short while.

     I laughed.

    If only...if only I had enjoyed my life a little but more. I wish that I had learned things for myself, I wish I had been more gracious for what I had. I wish I helped people more. I knew though...I knew that I had made a difference. I helped feed the homeless, I helped provide shelter for those who weren't fortunate enough to do it themselves. I even gave animals new forever homes.

     I lived my life the best I could, and that's all that mattered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

           Originally Maya was supposed to die three chapter ago from being run over but I decided that I should do it another way.

     I watched a video in school that really opened up my eyes about human trafficking. I decided to make awareness for it by putting it in my story. I really hope this didn't upset you because you liked Santiago.

     Although I liked Santiago, he didn't seem like a perfect match for Maya. I see him more as a father to her than a lover.