Traffic

Ch 19: Smile

For two years she was with the teenager and his father, and for two years, she put up with the childish and spoiled behavior of her Master.

He enjoyed showing her off to his friends and introducing her as his girlfriend which always gained a glare from Kelly which simply made him giddier about the whole thing. He'd bring home other girls, but mostly it was Kelly who got his attention, the others didn't last long. Whether her designated outfit was a tight dress, a nurse's costume, or sweats and a t-shirt, he always looked on with a smile on his face. He was snobby and rude, and enjoyed making love to her along to his favorite album.

Two years Kelly put up with this. He acted like he owned the world, which he practically did, and that he could do or say anything he wanted. Multiple times, he insulted Kelly directly, causing her to lash out verbally until he hit her, then she ran from the room and hid from him. Minutes later, she'd hear him calling for her, opening and closing doors and searching for her. The times he didn't find her, Kelly felt badly, so she met him back in his bedroom. The times that he DID find her, though, he held her for a long time and took things slowly. It made her confused and hurt each time this happened.

She hated to admit it to herself, but after about a year and a half of being with him, he seemed to be treating her much differently than the first time they met. He was nearing twenty-three, and maybe that had something to do with it, but Kelly wasn't sure if she liked what was happening.

Dear Diary,

He's changing. He's not treating me like his other servants or like he did for the first year or so. He's treating me like...like a human being. He's slowly realizing I have FEELINGS and that I don't WANT to be here with him. Maybe its the fact that he actually lets me get a word in edgewise, unlike my other masters, so I can tell him how much I hate my situation, or maybe he's just growing up and maturing...Whatever it is, though, I don't trust it. I don't trust him.

She thought of--and almost did--end her life a few times whether it was in the pool, the shower, or when she was cooking dinner and had full range of all the knives in the kitchen, but she couldn't bring herself to actually complete the task. Her thoughts always nagged at her, telling her she had to DO something about trafficking. She had to DO something about the way she and other girls were being treated. She had to live so she could save them from the fate she suffered.

She sat, thinking about this as she held a knife to her wrist as she cooked dinner one night, when her Master came in and saw her.

"Kelly, what are you doing?"

Tears in her eyes, she made eye contact with him and saw he was genuinly scared. She lifted the knife off her wrist and dried her eyes, "Nothing..." she mumbled.

"It didn't look like nothing," he replied, walking closer very slowly until finally he took the knife from her hand, "Watch it with these, Kelly. They're really sharp."

She nodded and continued cooking dinner, ignoring the stares he gave her.

After this ordeal, He really began treating Kelly better. He allowed her to sit with him at dinner and eat with him. He allowed her to read books from his immense library, and he even allowed her to watch television with him some nights. 

The reason for all this was easily explained he either was scared of the fact she was about to take her life, or he was coming to his senses about the whole situation. Whatever the reason, Kelly didn't know why he treated her so, but she soon found out as she was preparing his bed for him to sleep in one night.

"Kelly, stop that a second."

"Don't you want to sleep, Master? You've had a long day."

"Sleep can wait. I want to talk to you. Will you come on the balcony with me?"