Us Against the World

The Arena

     Isla

     The gate rose and I was blinded by the sun as I walked out into the sandy arena. On the opposite side, facing me, was a girl around my age with flowing brown hair and sharp black eyes. She held up her large sword with one hand and pointed it at me before charging. You must be asking how I got into this mess. This is how.
     Two weeks before ...
     Something nudged me and I rolled over.
     "Two more minutes," I grumbled. It nudged me a few more times and I snapped with a growl.
     "Did I not just say 'two more minutes'?! Have you lost your humanity?!" I screeched. Great. Now I'm awake and someone just pissed in my cornflakes.
     "Humans don't exist," one man said.
     "Get up!" His buddy barked, "you're coming with us."
     "I'm not going anywhere with you until you answer my questions," I said, trying not to go vicious animal on them. It's too early in the day for this shit.
     "Get up! Now!" He growled.
     "Nope," I said stubbornly. His eyes flashed red and I knew he was pissed. The first guy lifted me up from under my arms and I tried to take a swing at him until his partner punched me in the gut.
     "My menstrual cramps hit harder, ya douche," I smirked as I tried to steady myself. Then I kicked him in the face and stepped on my kidnapper's foot.
He yelled as he let go to caress his injury and I ran as fast as I could ... which wasn't really fast apparently. They tackled me and bound my wrists behind me.
     "I feel like a calf that just got roped in a rodeo," I muttered under my breath.
     "Looks like we got ourselves a fighter, Clark! Ha!" The first one said.
     "Fucking bitch!" The one named Clark snarled as he attempted to stop his bloody nose.
     "Maybe we can sell her to the Arena. They'd give us good money for her," the first guy suggested.
     "Are you bloody mad, Lou?! Did you not just see how fast we caught her? She won't stand a chance. They'd eat her alive," Clark said.
     "I can fight one-on-one, dumbass! You guys don't play fair!" I shrieked.
     "The Arena doesn't either," Clark glared down at me.
    "You sick twisted fucktard," I glowered up at him.
     "Come on, guys. Can't you just settle your differences so we can have a relatively peaceful journey?" Lou begged.
     "Like hell! You want to sell me like I'm fucking property! Why the hell would I be okay with that?!" I snapped.
     "Just start walking already!" Clark growled as he pushed me forward.
     "Hey! Easy on the merchandise!" I whined as I begrudgingly trudged forward into the rocky steppes.
     The next day ...
     As we entered the bustling city, filled with people going about their day, I saw others in chains being pushed and shoved around. I clenched my fists in anger and snarled.
     "If it counts for anything, I'm sorry for this. You seem like a nice person but we need money to survive ... no matter how we get it," Lou said. I didn't say anything and was led towards a large stadium and through large doors that looked to have been made for giants. Ahead of me was a tall, lanky man sitting at a table.
     "Whadja bring me today, boys?" He asked with a thick southern drawl.
     "Bonjour, Jeff. We've got a future gladiator," Lou said proudly. Jeff squinted his eyes at me. He stood up and circled around me, looking me over and scrutinizing every detail.
     "Looks like it ain't seen a day of combat," he said.
     "Excuse me? It?! I'm not a thing, shitface! I got a name and it's Isla!" I hissed.
     "It's got some attitude too. I guess we'll have to break it in," he said, ignoring me as he wrote something down on a piece of paper and showed it to Lou and Clark, "that should be an agreeable price."
     "It's a bit low," Clark pointed out.
     "Take it or leave it," Jeff said stubbornly. After a moment of hesitation, Clark shook his hand to seal the agreement. Lou followed Jeff to get their payment and Clark watched them leave the room before quickly grabbing my shoulder and looking me in the eye.
     "I need you to deliver a message to a friend of mine. Her name is Tai," he said.
     "She your girlfriend?" I asked nonchalantly.
     "Just tell her we've found Jun and Ling," he snapped, ignoring my snide remark. Then he left and two burly men escorted me into the facility.
     It was dark in the room except for a furnace. The men led me there and held me down as another man waved a red-hot iron near my face before pressing it onto my left shoulder. I tasted blood as I bit down on my lip to keep me from screaming. I won't give these shits the satisfaction of that. Unfortunately, now I was nauseous. After I was branded, the men threw me into a cell and locked it. On each side of my cell were male slaves who kept catcalling and trying to flirt with me.
     "Oh please. There's not a single person here who's good enough for me. But, out of curiosity, who's the strongest guy here?" I asked. The men went silent and looked to a far cell and someone moved in the shadows.
     "That would be me," a woman's voice said gruffly. And that, friends, is the same woman I am fighting today, two weeks later.
Video: The Arena - Lindsey Stirling