My arms raised in an instinctive reaction to protect myself, and I backed away with unsteady steps as he advanced toward me with that same lust-filled expression on his face.
“I-I believe there has been a misunderstanding,” I mumbled quietly as I kept retreating. “My stepmother has given you the money.”
“Money?” he bit out, sounding bored.
“Ten...Ten thousand dollars,” I mumbled in disbelief.
The man howled with laughter. “There was never any money involved. The debt will be repaid in nature...by you...starting today.”
“N-No,” I yelped, panic-stricken, and darted for the door. The giant caught up with me and backed me into a wall.
His fat body pressed against mine, pushing the air out of my lungs. I struggled to get out of his grasp, but was no match for his strength. Then, he wrapped his meaty hand around my neck and choked me. If he squeezed just a little harder, my bones would snap and I would be dead. I couldn't swallow, breathe or speak. I was completely immobilized and drowning in terror; a sensation which multiplied by a hundred when the giant pulled out a knife and pressed it against my face.
“You have two options,” he spat out, brushing the cold blade along the edge of my lips. “You can make this as easy or as difficult as you want, but the outcome will still be the same. You’re not getting out of here until I get my money back. Understand?”
I swallowed and nodded, agreeing with the madman just so he would remove the knife and let me breathe again. He took a step back, releasing my throat. I inhaled a series of deep breaths. The pressure of his tight grip around my neck left my throat burning and itching.
I stared in sheer horror while he snickered as though he got a high out of my misery. Without saying another word, he spun me around and made me face the wall. Then, he stood behind me, and ran his swollen hand down my back. Nervous gasps puffed from my mouth. I was too weak to fight him.
He sneered and leaned closer to whisper in my ear. “Don't worry. I won't sample the goods just yet. You have something that sells very well on the market.”
Then, he pulled something out of his jacket, and suddenly, I was being blindfolded and dragged out of the room and into a cold hallway. Blinded, I had no other choice but to follow the man's lead. As we were walking, I focused on the echo of our steps to get a sense of orientation, and memorize the turns we took. With nothing but darkness before my eyes, those echoing sounds provided very little information about the location where I was trapped. After a few minutes, we descended a set of stairs, and the man grabbed my elbow to halt me. The blindfold came off, and it took a few moments for my vision to adjust to the semi-darkness ruling the space around us. We stood in front of a wide door. The man punched in a code on a shiny device on the wall, and the door opened. Already from the entrance was a large room filled with girls that must have been around my age or slightly older.
“Meet your new friends,” the giant behind me taunted and pushed me inside. “You'll be stuck with them for a while, so it's in your best interest not to cause any trouble.”
The door behind me closed shut. About a dozen pairs of eyes fixated on my presence, but nobody spoke a single word. The room wasn’t nearly big enough for so many people, and mattresses and dirty linens covered the floor. Again, there were no windows, and only one extra door I assumed was the bathroom or a toilet. My gaze focused on the girls scattered around the tight space. Though dressed like prostitutes, their faces held traces of stolen innocence. Every single one of them looked sad and broken. Their eyes were utterly frightened and filled with hopelessness.
Reality sank in, and I slumped onto an empty mattress in the corner of the room. No point in holding back the surge of despair that rattled inside me. I bawled my eyes out. Nobody came to my side. Nobody paid attention to my emotional outburst. I was on my own; lonelier than ever before. It was clear Trisha didn't give them the money, but kept it for herself. The conversation I'd overheard that night