The Auction

Chapter Three: The First Assembly.

The next morning was a rush. Sven and father rushed to shove my few belongings into a reusable shopping bag but it broke so mother spent twenty minutes tightly sewing a patch onto it. I tried to make breakfast for everybody but we had run out of butter and the toast came out slightly burned. None of us were really hungry, though, except father who shovelled a piece into his mouth before going back to packing. I swept the rest of my failed attempt at breakfast into the bin before carefully folding my auction dress and wrapping it in the waterproof cover of my umbrella to avoid any disasters. I put this at the top of my bag of belongings once the rest was packed away.

Mother and father waited with me at the bus stop. Sven had to stay home where he would be collected by the mayor and taken to the livestream auction room where he would buy Vera.

He had said 'goodbye' and 'love you' multiple times that morning but I knew it wasn't the goodbye that I'd remember until the day I died. That had happened the night before. He knew that too. One last hug was shared before father dragged me out of the house whilst I called out 'I love you' to him. If he returned it, I didn't hear him. Mother trailed behind us with a sad look on her face. She knew it was highly likely the last time we would ever be in the same room all at the same time.

They sat at the bus stop with me with miserable expressions and a defeated silence.

"We love you very much, Scarlett. Please never forget that." Mother whispered to me as she pulled me into yet another bone-crushing hug. I returned it, feeling like a lost child who'd just found her parent again. Like I never wanted to let go again because I couldn't fathom having to leave her behind again.

"I love you too." I kissed her cheek. Father patted my back, going to his usual unaffectionate self. I gave him a small smile.

The van pulled up to the bus stop moments later. Mother let go of me with a dazed and far-off look in her eyes. I bet she was thinking of her own experience in the auction. Two men climbed out of the back of the van, slamming the doors behind them.

"There is no need gentlemen. We will give her to you. One minute while we say our goodbyes." Father held his hands up in a surrendering fashion to them. They nodded, tucking their hands behind their back in a slightly less intimidating way. I had no doubt in my mind that they would tackle me into the van if we went past our minute together. I hugged my father who stiffened up at first but eventually relaxed into it.

"Before you go, Scarlett. I need you to have these. Only open them on the days listed on them. Don't forget us. We love you very much. Sven does too. Good luck." He pushed a brown paper parcel into my hands which was tied rather haphazardly in white string in a flimsy bow. I nodded.

The men stepped towards me. I kissed my mother's and father's hands before they grabbed me and pulled me towards the van. I went with them willingly, knowing that I had no other choice and I was finally ready to accept my fate- whatever that was.

Four other girls were in the van. They all had dirt on their faces and bruises on their arms and legs. They had rolled up their sleeves due to the warm weather and their dresses had ridden up from being sat down. I smiled at them when I had been pushed into a seat. They all turned around and ignored me- except for one plain looking girl who returned the smile and put her dirty hand out to shake mine. She was, without a doubt, the filthiest out of all of us. I supposed then that she was a servant. Probably a groundkeeper's daughter.

"I'm Agnes, how do you do?" She piped up, her voice croaky. She'd been crying. I don't know how I missed the streaks of dried tears on her face or the tremble in her shoulders before but I did now.

"Scarlett. It's nice to meet you, Agnes." I said, shaking her hand.

"Scarlett? That's not a Swedish name." She pointed out.