Game of the Vampires

Chapter 1:

I nervously stepped forth to take my turn at the only dirty, fragmented glass that once belonged to a mirror in the slave cabin. Since it was auction day, we slaves were required to look our best for our display. The better we looked, the more likely we were to be sold. And the more likely we were going to be sold, the greater the chance that our lives were about to go from bad to ugly. Because with a new owner, everything changes. New setting, new labor, and a new you.

I took in the horrid sight before me. My curly hair that was more black than brown was tangled and messy. It almost seemed dead as it frizzily fell over my shoulders. It had seen better and worse days. My skin was ghastly pale. My greenish/ blue eyes had lost their light, making them look boring.

As I run my shaky fingers through my hair and examined myself in the mirror, I try to pretend that I am a student preparing for my first day of school. I had seen my mother's old books that talked of the old days when girls my age would go to high school. Unfortunately, I had never had a chance to go to school, besides the education my mother gave me when I was younger. Only the high-ranking slaves were allowed to go to school.

I snap back to reality when the snotty girl behind me nudged me to move on. My eyes shot down to the floor as I moved back to my temporary mat. Since I was a level five, I had no choice but to sleep on the floor with only a mat as my bed and blanket.

The girl slaves that were level three and four were allowed to sleep in the bunks. The girls that were level fives and six, however, had to sleep on the floors.

I glanced down at the clothes I had on. The hem at the bottom of my deep red, gypsy skirt was stained with dirt. Some of the floor-length material was ripped from where it had gotten snagged in the fields. My white peasant shirt, which had once clung to me, was now baggy. One of the long sleeves hung off my shoulder, revealing the pale skin of some of my shoulder and collar bone. My sandals were on their last leg. I can't remember how many times I've had to tie the leather ties together so that I could get a few more wears out of them.

I felt someone flick my wavy, ebony hair pulled into a loose braid. When I turned around, I saw my friend, Mai.

She smiled at me. "Good morning, Airlia," she said in a cheerful mood.

"What are you so cheerful about?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She cocked her head to the side, thoughtfully. "Well, if these are my last before I am possibly chosen, I want them to be happy memories."

I wrapped my arms around her as I rolled my eyes. "There's no possible way that you will go. I, however, just have that awful, bad luck to be picked."

"If you go, I go. We're a two-package-deal."

I giggled. "I could never let you do that." I shrugged my shoulders. "Besides, being in their clutches might be better than the treatment here," I said, half-heartedly.

She shook her head. "Don't say things like that..."

The rest of her statement was cut short when our heavy-set overseer, Fran, walked in. Fran was an overseer. In reality, however, she took her job to mean drill sergeant.

Her deep voice boomed through the cabin when she spoke in her rough accent. "Halt."

All of the girls that had been talking and moving about froze in place as their attention turned to Fran.

Fran's judging, beady eyes scanned all of us in the room. Some of us would receive a sneer. Others received a scowl.

Her eyes finally landed on three girls beside the make-shift mirror. Fran trudged over to them before taking the ripped sleeve of one girl between her index finger and thumb. The other two girls took a step back, for they were unsure what Fran would do next. The poor girl swallowed nervously as she anticipated what Fran would do.

Fran finally huffed. "Not good enough, but I suppose it will have to do."

Fran turned around to face everyone. "Now," she announced, catching our attention again. "You are about to be escorted to the auction house. You will not speak; you will not fidget around. You will stand at attention until you are collected or led back here to the slave house. Remember, if you are collected, we are no longer responsible for you," she hissed the last part as she looked around the room.

"I have made myself perfectly clear. No questions... good. Let's move!"

Fran walked out of the cabin where the guards were awaiting to escort us.

Mai and I exchanged a nervous glance. Mai offered a small smile before taking my hand in hers as we walked with the others towards the dreaded event.