Incandescent

Chapter 9

Waiting.

That's all I have been doing.

I'm reciting the different herbs you can use to combat a headache in my head.

I could really use some of those right now.

I don't know how long I've been waiting.

Greens come and go, purchasing people next to me or in the same stable as mine.

Women come and go into here. Mostly Purples, I saw two Reds which I obviously stayed away from.

They seemed a type of dirty I could not even reach if I rolled around in a puddle of mud for two days.

This can't be real.

There's a mistake.

Sorter couldn't have just looked at me that way just for me to end up being bought and sold like this.

More time passes. 

I am thirsty. I want coconut milk more than I have wanted anything in my entire life right now.

I look at my tattoo.

The gold ring around the dot is so thin, I can't even really tell it's there unless I move my wrist, and it flashes in the light. The blue dot is so small, I think maybe I'm imagining it.

Suddenly my wrists are snatched up by the shackles and the chain is being held up by an Official.

THE Official.

The young one from before. The one who attacked me and then beat me and Father.

He smiles.

"Well look where you ended up." He sneered. Pulling the chain bit by bit, closer to him.

I struggle to pull away. 

"Stop fighting!" An Official barks.

I freeze. Fighting is in offense for death, so I stop.

They unlink the chain from the tether they had in the stable and suddenly THE Official is placing coins in the other's hands and I am being dragged away.

"Wait, no! Please help, he's going to do awful things to me please!" I beg.

I dig my heels into the ground, the dirt and little rocks giving way just a bit.

But I am practically being dragged.

The others in the stables are looking at my with pity. The other Officials around look unfazed. I'm sure they've seen this so many times with others.

I pull my chain the whole way, wherever this Official is taking me.

Suddenly we are at the front of a nicer house than mine and he flings me inside and closes the door.

I fall inside.

It is dark.

He grabs my arm and yanks me to my feet.

Then he pushes me to the wall. I get up immediately. 

There is no way he is going to catch me lying down on the floor. I won't give up.

"Okay. There is going to be rules, and I am going to make them very simple for you." He says.

I stand still, not taking my eyes off him as he walks over to a chair and sits down.

"First rule, you cannot leave this house. Anyone with a black dot seen outside is immediately killed. No questions asked."

He kicks off his shoes. He puts a weird stick in his mouth, and pulls out a little square.

What is that?

"Second rule, you listen to me now. Everything I say to do, is to be done, IMMEDIATELY."

The square somehow makes fire, and he brings it to his face.

I am almost alarmed that he's going to set fire to his face until I see the stick glow. 

He takes the stick out of his mouth. Smoke comes out of his mouth.

The smell chokes me. It is the worst smell I have ever known.

"That means, we can continue where we left off that day in the alley." He puts the stick back into his mouth.

My throat seizes up. I want to breath but I can't seem to.

I don't know what to do. I don't want to cry in front of this man. I just start to breathe quickly. I cannot stop.

He laughs.

"What did you think happens to girls like you who walk around town with their hair loose, all alone?" He keeps his eyes fixed on my body.

I yelp and cover myself with my arms. It doesn't really do much but I do not like the way he looks at me.

What he did that day, in the alley, was so confusing. I had never seen it or heard of anyone doing that before. We do not touch each other. Nobody other than family. 

What was he doing to me? And why did it feel so awful and disgusting?

Mother said there was something that came after love and after marriage. 

But I couldn't know yet. Not until after marriage. She said no one should touch me. I could be killed.

But here was this Official who touched me that day and wanted to keep going?

I was confused and scared. 

He walked over.

My knees gave in and I sat on the floor, sliding down the wall.

He squatted down and blew smoke in my face.

Grabbing my chin, he smiled. "Tea, you're beautiful. We are going to have so much fun."