The Party Invitation (Hiatus)

Chapter 5

"Mnmn.." Jamie groaned at the pounding in her head. She was groggy from the black out and still sore from running and whacking men upside the head with branches.

"Is she awake?" A silky voice reached her ears.

"Hey guys she's waking up!"

"You okay?"

"I've....been better." Jamie answered slowly as she began to sit up. A sharp sting ran from her head to the rest of her body. She groaned.

"Don't move! You took a pretty bad blow to the head. You need to rest."

She felt a small hand gently push her shoulder, pushing her back down.

"W-where am I?"

"You're in a cart right now, we'll be reaching the main city in a while."

"The main city?!"

She shot her eyes open and immediately sat up, ignoring the splitting headache. She looked around. A large blanket like cloth covered the large caged cart, making it hard to see. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light that poked through holes in the cloth, she gasped.

"What is this?!"

Other young women, around her age sat along side her. Some wore dirty rags, others wore pretty hand sewn dresses.

"We've all been kidnapped by those thugs that knocked you out." One of the girls spoke. She wore a pretty pink dress and shoes. Her ocean blue eyes were slightly red from recent crying.

"I've overheard them talking about selling us at a slave auction!" Another spoke.

"The one question I want answered is why are they kidnapping girls?" Another asked.

Jamie already knew a possible answer for that question but kept her mouth shut. Telling them would only get them hurt.

"Anyway, how about we not talk about this?" The pink dress girl spoke. "It's doing nothing but making us upset." She looked to Jamie. "So what is your name?"

"I'm Jamie Henderson. You?"

"Mary Hubored." She said with a smile, holding out her hand.

Jamie took it.

Suddenly, the cart came to a stop. Inaudible conversations reached the girls ears. The cloth slipped from on top of the cart, exposing the young women to the afternoon sun. The sun blinded Jamie and it took a second for her eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness.

"Hurry up girls. Your future awaits you." One man sneered unlatching the door.

One by one,the girls were yanked from the cart. Some put up more of a fight than others did. Jamie was one of them.

"Get your hands off me!!" She said angrily as she was yanked to the side of a stage.

"You should shu' tha' pretty little mouth of yours before somethin' bad happens." The man said with a sly smile.

Jamie silently gagged at the foulness of his breath and decided to look around. From where she was standing, it looked like hundreds of rich folk had gathered. And by the looks of it... mostly men.

"Why am I not surprised?" She thought to herself, rolling her eyes.

She could hear the auctioner calling out to the crowd, calling the prices.

"And sold to number 134!" He called.

One by one the girls were yanked onto the stage and sold.

"It's almost you're turn Jamie!" Mary whispered from in front of her.

"I know..."

"Next woman!" The auctioner called.

"Good luck Mary." She said gently.

".....thank you...." Mary said as she was yanked onto the stage.
Jamie listened to the prices being called, and watched the bidder numbers rise into the air with each bid.

"And sold to bidder 209!" The auctioner called.

As Mary was pulled from the stage, Jamie's arm was yanked forward.

"Hurry up gurlie, your turn."

"Oh really? I thought it was the air in front me's turn!" Jamie said sarcastically, walking up the splintered stairway.

"Seems like we got ourselves a feisty one!" The auctioner said into his microphone. "I'll start the bid off at 1--"

"I have a proposition to make!" Jamie said loudly.

The yard went silent, all eyes turned to her. She began to slightly tremble.

The auctioner turned to her.

"Go on."

She breathed in deeply and opened her mouth.

"All I request....is payment!"

The yard erupted. Angry shouts and harsh words shot at Jamie.

"Insolent girl!"

"How dare you!?"

"Who do you think you are?!"

"Wretched little thing!!"

Jamie stood straight and unwavering.

"That is all I request!" She called over the comments.

The man who had held her in line grabbed her arm, yanking her so that she faced him.

"What is wrong wi' you?!" He hollered angrily.

"Why does it matter to you exactly?" She said smoothly.

He growled and grabbed the front of her dress, raising his free hand into the air.

"Why don't I slap that smug attitude out of you?!"

"Do it!" Jamie snapped.

Suddenly, a loud bang echoed through the yard, the crowd fell to the ground in horror as fearful gasps and screams from the few women who had attended filled the air. Finally, all was quiet.

Jamie and the man looked to the back of the crowd, where a tall woman in black business suit stood. By her side was a man, his gray hair shimmering in the morning sun, along side the woman's black tight bun. Her hand was raised and inside it, was a silver pistol, it's barrel facing the sky.

"Now that I have your attention..." The woman said calmly, placing the gun into the man's open hand. She turned to the auctioner. "I'll take the girl off your shoulders."