I opened my eyes only to see a group of men discussing how they would market me. They were talking like I was some kind of product to be sold. Their greed could not be hidden in their whispers.
My head throbbed as I pushed myself up, realizing it was all a dream. I knew it wasn't just a normal dream; everything that happened must have been true. I couldn't explain why or how I knew, but it felt too real to be a dream.
The pain in my head grew sharper; it felt like I was being hit by a hammer. Unknowingly, I let out a sound of discomfort. The men suddenly turned in my direction in unison, wicked grins on their faces.
I froze in place, realizing that all eyes were now on me.
Could things get any worse? A lot of information had just been dumped on me—information I was still trying to process—and now this?
"Oh, hello pretty," one of them said, stepping closer. Closer than I wanted. "How are you doing?"
I shivered, shrinking away as his rough, bruised fingers traced my cheek and neck.
"Don't worry," he whispered, his foul breath hot against my skin. "We'll treat you well—just make sure you get us a good price."
I cringed; the disgust was probably evident on my face.
I tried to retreat, but the others blocked my path, their eyes cold and emotionless. It was obviously not going to be easy to escape. It's not like they would just let me walk out.
"So, out of the five of us, which do you want first?" another yelled.
My breath stopped, like the air was caught in my throat. I felt a shiver in my spine as fear and confusion clouded my mind.
"That's not fair," a third man mocked. "She should at least get time to process the situation."
They burst into laughter. Their laughter echoed off the cave walls, cruel and loud. I still remembered their hideous smiles. In my mind, it was as clear as day.
"Don't worry," someone else sneered. "You'll be so satisfied, you'll never think about it again."
They gathered round me, screaming strip, dance, and other vile words. I panicked, unsure of what to do. I then did what anybody else in my situation would do—I shouted for help.
"Help, help! Don't come any closer, stay away from me!" I screamed.
Remember when I started the story? Well, this was how I got into this life-threatening situation. I backed away until my back hit the stone wall. I screamed at the top of my lungs, but no one ever came. I slid to the ground, sobbing, tears running down my face.
"Aunt! Aunt!" I cried, coughing as my voice broke.The men only laughed harder. They seemed to be enjoying my helplessness. It finally dawned on me—I was helpless and alone, with nowhere to go. I was used to being alone; after all, my father was barely home. But I could always fend for myself. This feeling of helplessness was new and unpleasant.
I silently prayed for a miracle. Anything would be better than nothing at this point.
It was as if my prayer had been heard, because I suddenly heard a voice. A voice I knew all too well.
It was my neighbor's voice—or should I rather say, my aunt's voice.
"Alphi, order with control." Those were the words that came from the voice, and I was the only one who could hear it.
I clutched my necklace, which was, by right, the only thing left behind for me that I could truly call my own. Tears dropped onto the necklace as I held it tight. In that moment, I felt like the heroines I had read about while staying at my aunt's.
"Here goes nothing," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I order you all to stop!"
As fate would have it, nothing happened.
The men laughed louder, mocking what I thought was an act of bravery.
"She thinks she's some kind of god!" one of them said, laughing like he was having the time of his life.
The air suddenly changed, and the mood shifted as the one who appeared to be in charge shouted, "Joke's over. Time for business."
A surge of fury rose in my chest. All my fear was instantly replaced with a boiling rage—a rage I had never felt before. I screamed, this time with anger, "STOP!"
As if commanding time itself to stand still.
A bright glow emitted from my necklace, followed by a loud banging sound.
"What is happening?" I asked, as if expecting the walls to answer my question.
Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my head—it was like a thousand needles were being pushed into my brain.
And then—everything went dark as I felt myself crashing to the ground.
My head ached. Not as bad as before, but it still hurt pretty badly. I tried to make sense of the scene, pushing myself up—then I let out a loud scream.
I was covered in blood, and so was the entire cave. All my eyes could see was red—blood everywhere. The scent of blood, which I was only used to perceiving on my own skin, filled the air. My mouth carried a metallic taste, one that I didn't like. It was as if someone had blended iron and forced me to drink it. And through it all, the lingering, uncomfortable silence remained.
I felt the urge to throw up, but I didn't. The last thing I remembered was the loud banging sound. I got up and tried to walk, my leg trembling—I wasn't sure if it was due to fear or fatigue.
I tripped on something—something that scared me so badly I almost fainted. It was a leg. I recognized the bandana tied on it. One of the men had worn a similar one. I screamed in horror, realizing that the leg belonged to one of the men.
As I walked further, other body parts were scattered around—parts that I recognized.
I panicked, trying to remember what had happened, but it was of no use. My memories were blurry.
"I must've passed out... but then… who… who killed them?" I asked, knowing fully that no one would answer.
Tears spilled down my cheeks.
"Wait… did I kill them?" I whispered, trembling.