The Darkness

The Darkness.

 

The darkness hid everything she knew, where it was, what it looked like. The only thing she could see within that everlasting darkness was the small flickering light of her baby blue candle. Burning with the last of the oxygen, she knew it was a stupid idea to have it lit, to let it take the last bit of her oxygen, but the idea that she could get out of here quicker made her happier. She could finally leave.

 

The light slowly got smaller, the thin air diminishing the little light she had. According to her sense of time, after four long years in this small, dusty, pathetic room, she has

another two hours before daylight would peek in through the small gap under her door. It was never much, but because she never saw much more light than that, it allowed her to see everything in her room. But the daylight had no way to get into the room today as the pillow she had been given was stuffed into the gap, blocking the airway and giving her a way out.

 

Her small iron bed, with a ratty mattress and pathetic pillow, the small pot she had to use for her toilet, the broken wooden shelf that held her plastic bracelet, the soap they allowed her to use, the toothbrush and paste she has used one of her three requests for. She only had one of those requests left.

 

She was going to get a visitor in the next ten minutes. They would give her the day’s

food, a few clean sheets, empty and clean her pot, and then leave again. Sometimes

they would even cut her hair for her. Since the day she arrived, they had been cutting her hair just above her shoulders, so it was easier to maintain.

 

Just as the flame was about to die out, the door opened letting a large whoosh of fresh air in, killing the goal she was about to achieve. The flame came back full bore lighting up her face, her bed, the room. It was half gone, the candle, it had only lasted her two weeks, the last one had lasted four months. But she can’t sleep anymore, the nightmares are plaguing her mind, unsure whether they are memories, or just horrible horrible nightmares.

 

She raised her eyes slowly to the man standing before her. He glared at her, the last girl he saw had raised his anger and he needed to extinguish that anger before he talked to the men who were interested in his stock. Normally he would not beat this girl, normally he would look after this girl, but these men were important. So important that he would hurt his best item in stock.

 

The first time he struck, she yelped. The first sound that had been made in years, but

with the following strikes she kept her mouth closed, her voice silent, her eyes tried to hold back the tears of pain and grief.

 

“You useless piece of crap! Staying silent all the time, wasting energy and food. If you don’t get picked this time I’ll have to put you under” His voice growled out, the anger resonated through the room.

 

The sound of his footsteps normally didn’t make herfeel anything, but today she was

filled with relief. The beating, the first she had ever had by his hand, was over. It was

harsh, full of pain, leaving her broken and bruised on the dirty ground. This beating was going to limit her chance of leaving more than it normally does. People want her to speak, to cry, to submit to their harsh and sometimes strange orders. She ignored them, looked at the ground and prayed that the sales would soon end.

 

At the start of each month there would be a sale, giving the rich men a chance to find a new servant, or whatever they wanted to have, for a price. Many of the girls ended up in the ground, some ended up happy, some free, and some just ended up loyal to their master and betray their own people.

 

“This one. She won’t be sold you know. Is it worth wasting supplies on her?” A loud

voice echoed down the stairs to where she lay, she knew that the women hated making her pretty. She thought maybe it would be different. Now that the old lady passed away. The one that pinched and slapped her when she would move an inch.

 

“Matilda. She will be made pretty, she will be put into a dress and out onto the stage.

She will take centre where all the men will see her last” His voice was quiet but strong, demanding and full of authority.

 

Closing her eyes, she let the men carry her into the room where she was made ‘pretty’. She never looked into the mirror, not since the first day she got here. When she had her long hair, when it was light and pretty, when it was innocent. Before she was exposed to the dark and dirty secrets of the world.

 

She kept her eyes closed even once she was placed on the comfortable chairs that she had to sit in once a month. When the women made her pretty, but used ugly language to describe her, just around her. The old woman really hated her, which in turn made the other woman hate her also.

 

Brushes were tugged through her hair, slightly longer than was acceptable but they didn’t have time to cut it today. Her bruises and cuts were covered as much as possible with the wonders of make-up. She was transformed, in the words of the man. The guy.

 

“Open your eyes brat. It’s time for you to get changed. We can’t have you going out

there in rags” She was yanked out of the dark grey chair and marched towards the

massive closet, with various clothes her size.

 

That was one of things. The girls got to choose what they wear, normally she would just choose to wear a lazy top and sweatpants because she didn’t want to have to move, to get reacquainted with another dark basement room. But because this was her last round, she needed to impress, she needed to get someone to choose her. She had to be chosen.

 

She hurriedly grabbed a dark red dress, floor length with lace arms. Forgetting she had massive amounts of makeup on her face and her hair done fancily, she yanked it on, clothes flying around from her hurried actions. The looks on the faces of the women scared her, they had angry eyes, but also slightly terrified. They were kept here against their will also, to make all the girls look pretty enough to sell. They also didn’t get a choice about this place, although they were fed better and given better accommodation.

 

Because she was wearing her dress, the women had to treat her nicely and couldn’t just yank her around, although they could grip her face tightly as the added some finishing touches, and touched up what she messed up. Her hair was ripped out from it’s up-do and as the women has finished removing pins, and were about to start again, he came in the door.

 

“She is finished. Leave her be” He walked around her and smiled at her choice of

clothing. She had grown up. This was her time. He looked doubtful at her hair, but didn’t say a word.

 

She looked like a woman. No longer that little girl she was when he bought her. Her lips were a dark maroon to match her dress, and her eyes dark and smoky. She looked alluring, the men would raise and raise the bar until the time limit ran out. She was going to raise money like no other girl ever had.

 

“I don’t want you to say a word. It’ll make the men think you are even more mysterious, and put on some shoes, we have 1 minute. Go!” He stood by the door and let his guards take the makeup girls to a backroom where they were able to see their girls get attention and get bought.

 

She lingered near a worn pair of combat boots, what she normally wore, but she

remembered his words, the words he muttered, shouted and snarled as he hit her time after time. ‘Worthless, useless, never going to succeed’. Snarling a little herself she slipped her pale feet into a dark pair of heels. They made her his height. They made her 6 feet tall.

 

A buzzer sounded and the doors opened. Men led other girls out into the room, onto the stage. They were presented, their names, their ages, and their descent. Lila, Emma, Georgia, Tilly, Hannah, and Astrid. Those were the girls for tonight.

 

Lila went first. 15. Originally from Australia. Emma next. 17. Canada, Georgia stumbled on. 16. Australian. Tilly. 19. American. Hannah strode on. 18. British. Then there was silence, as was the usual. Save the best till last and all. Normally she was first, to get her out of the way, but tonight... tonight she was last.

 

Her name was called. She walked on slowly, her face emotionless, her back straight, her head up. She was going to be the chosen one tonight.

 

“This is Astrid. 17. And all the way from New Zealand” People starting murmuring which slowly increased as people looked at the 6 girls onstage.

 

Lila, whose hair was still blonde from the outdoors, she was new. She was dressed in a green dress, a ball gown. All the girls were wearing similar dresses, long gowns, each with a different colour. Emma, a dark purple gown, strapless. Georgia, a baby blue gown, with thick white jewel encrusted straps. Tilly, orange gown with long sleeves, with black lace covering the bodice of the dress. Hannah in a white gown with pink ribbons, and black lace also on the bodice.

Astrid looked the sultriest, in her dark red gown, dark hair messily hanging half hiding

her dark eyes from the crowd. Her pale skin added to this feature, many of the couples in the crowd had agreed, she was the one they wanted. She looked nothing like she had the years before, and no-one recognized her as she

was called out by her first name, not by the name she had been given second. Her middle name.

 

Drinks went round the room, food went round the room, comments went round the room and still the girls stood there, rapidly growing tired. The lights were blinding, the worry was wearing them down, their confidence growing thin. Georgia had tears slipping down her face, making the makeup run, but somehow it didn’t mar her beauty. It just made her look all the more innocent which had the dark eyes,

in the room, light up like Christmas lights.

 

Eventually, after what felt like hours, the lights dimmed, the drinks and food stopped

circling the room. It was time. Time to start the auction. Astrid was last, so the other girls could take some money, to see how many people really wanted the mysterious girl.

 

Astrid’s attention was wavering, she normally didn’t pay attention to how much the other girls sold for, but today. Today she was going to respect them.

 

“Lila. Starting at $100,000. Anyone for $150,000?” A few sticks kept going up, until the final price was set at $450,000. A decent price, for a new girl. Emma, $620,000.

Georgia, $830,000. Tilly, not sold. Hannah $270,000.

 

“Astrid. Starting at $500,000. Any higher?” Paddles were raised, the price going higher and higher, surpassing Georgia, surpassing the highest price of the year, of the total sales, until a price that made the room silent, was called.

 

“7 million. Or 9 million. I don’t mind” Her breath quickened. Too much. That was way too higher a price for someone that doesn’t talk. The final bang of the hammer made her heart sink. She was sold. For good.

 

Her time of relaxing was over. She was no longer going to be able to sit and dream, sit and cry, her life was going to be miserable. In short, her life was over.

The hallways got darker, they changed from warm and inviting to haunted, to dead, full of terror and pain. Where she lived. Her humble abode. Her little room.

 

Cries filled the air, girls shrieked, some just sobbed, as they realised their fate. They

weren’t sold for good purposes. This is what the end looked like. Miserable and gloomy.

 

Her heart got heavier and heavier, the closer that door at the end of the hall got, the

more she died. She wished this were a movie. She wished for the second time she had been in this place. She wished she could have some control.

 

Contrary to how it felt on stage, the wind howled outside, the windows rattled and shook with the pounding rain. The moon was right there, emitting boundless amounts of light, showing her how far she had to go till her life was over. Till she was dead. Till the little control she had was diminished for good. This was it. The end. Her end.

 

The tears slipped down her face, she’d begun to struggle. A little fight is what always happened, from those who knew what was coming. This was her fight. Her fight against the end. Breathing got heavier, tears fell harder, struggling increased, this got harder and harder. Harder to accept. What happened to the girl that accepted all she was given? Where did she go?

 

Dragging her bare feet against the ground, her guard began to yank her forward. Into the moonlit corridor, the musty corridor, the corridor that belongs in that horror movie you hate.

 

“No, no, no, No!” Her cries got louder, her voice raspy from the years of silence, her

voice raspy and full of fear. Fear from what was on the other side of that door. Fear for what was waiting for her.

 

Stopping at that last door, her cries chilled the blood running through his veins, the blood running through the guard. He felt sorry for her. She was always a favourite of the men, quiet, innocent, calm. Now fearful, hurting, restless, and crying for her life.

 

The last emotions she would feel. With one last calming breath, he threw her in and locked the door behind her.

 

The darkness hid everything she didn’t know, where things could be, where the voids

were. There was no comfort in this room, nothing to calm her rapid breathing, her unruly tears, and her wild thoughts. This was it. The end.

 

Her end. Like a candle it grew slowly, till it was there, right in front of your vision. T

he thing you fear the most. A scream split the fear, the tears, and the odd silent room. It echoed through the dark haunted corridors, it floated under the doors of the other girls. It chilled the blood running through their veins. Heads bowed, prayers sent out, that poor girl. The crying stopped, the fear increased, but silence was instilled in the dark end of that building. That was it.

 

That was the end. That was her end.

 

Reviews

[Lyssa]

I really enjoyed this, it is really powerful and well written. I like the end but I can understand why some people find it confusing, why pay so much for someone you are going to kill? All in all I enjoyed this story as well as the mystery at the ending.

[J. Justice Mendez]

I'm really stoned right now, so I'm not sure if maybe it's just me. But, I don't really understand the ending too much.
Believe me, I love the story. I really do. It's actually probably one of my favorites.
I just don't get what exactly is the end for her? She dies, I understand that, but what causes her death?

[WillaDanvers]

that is up to the interpretation of the reader. Whether it is supernatural, simple murder, Something from her past, even I myself havent determined what it is that kills her. That is something if my style, leaving it open

[Ellie Luck]

I just wanted you to know that I wanted to cast you as a finalist for your creativity, but I'm afraid that I was looking for a happier ending story and it was my fault I did not mention my feelings about the positive sides of life and happy endings!

[WillaDanvers]

Im glad you enoyed the creativity - and we writers all have pur preferences :) Hope you enjoyed the story anyhow :)