-

-

It seemed like the whole world was sleeping but me. The silence, sinister. I felt the weight of the darkness pushing on me. My mind darted from one nightmare scenario to the next, the fear of the unknown overwhelmed me and I was paranoid about vicious intrusions.

My eyes darted around the room, hunting for anything different, any dark silhouettes lurking in the darkness. I failed to find anything out of the ordinary. This only increased my paranoia even more. I felt as though I was fighting a war with the darkness, darting from one trench to the next, fleeing for my life.

Four concrete walls, a linoleum floor, a toilet with no paper and a bare mattress. A thin white gown falls to my knee, fabric distressed by so much wear yet still rough. There is nothing to hold my mind or attention. Outside this room could be anything, anyone. There is nothing even to mark time. Would someone come in five minutes or five hours? Would I know the difference? The panic is no less than with the straps, trapped is trapped.

Disembodied eyes peep through the only window, a mean rectangle of glass in the flat iron door. The anxiety that was being kept at bay begins to win. I swallow the rising bile and sit on the mattress, feeling the cold floor right through it. No noise. Time to bury my screams in my bones, shut my eyes, empty my head. The only way out is inhuman levels of self control and a "calm" demeanor.

I tuned out the shuffling, and mumbles from
outside the door. Hoping that this was all some sick dream, that I can't seem to wake from. The loud metal door creaked open slowly, and in my peripheral stood two overly large figures making their way towards me swiftly.

In an instant I was picked up on either side of my arms, and was dragged out of the four walled room.

My heart rate picked up, and my head began to spin. Tears threatened to fall from my eyes, but I held them back. This was always to come of me.

My body trembled, and my blood ran cold. I wasn't the only one taken.

Boys and girls of all sizes and ages were being dragged into a large concrete area at the same time as me.

The concrete area had entryways lined throughout the walls, which is where we all came from.

Oh god. Is this some sort of sex trafficking?

Stay calm.

Before I got the chance to register my surroundings, a strong shock was sent to my neck and a slight pain trickled through my body.

Everyone audibly groaned at the sudden shock, and began to glance around at each other. Some looking at nothing at all.

"Welcome Everyone! We've been waiting for your arrival for quite some time now." An older guy strutting to the center of the room spoke, adjusting the tie on his tux.

The man was far not young. It was hard to determine his age as the life left a deep imprint on his face. He was pensively looking into the distance, and his eyes reflected either deep sadness or cool tranquility.

The man's forehead was totally covered with deep wrinkles, His pointy face was framed with short thinning hair, and one could notice a small bald spot on the top of his head. His side whiskers that began on the temples were coming down to an accurate small beard, which he stroked every now and then.

It was possible to see a little mole on the outer side of the eye. The mole was creating an optical illusion that made one think that the man was screwing up his eyes.

"I am Calix. I'm sure you're all probably very confused on where you are and what you're doing here. All of that will be explained very soon." Calix explains, gesturing around the room.

"Please I just want to go home. I didn't do anything," A young girl whispered. Her blonde hair stained a crimson red.

Ignoring her remark, Calix continued to speak although this time in a foreign language. "Prepáralos. tráelos aquí antes de las 9:00 p. m," his tongue rolled harshly.

[translation: Get them prepared. Have them back here no later than 9:00 pm]

Immediately all of his "soliders" grabbed us and took us through one large entryway simultaneously.

They lined each of us up on the chipped wall, and continued to speak in native tongue. Almost instantly a loud battle cry, echoed throughout the walls as a boy in his mid-twenties bolted towards a soldier. I watched as he struggled to snatch the gun from the rather large man.

Unfortunately for him, he twisted and turned the wrong way at the wrong time. A bullet. Faster than the blink of an eye, pierced his skull effectively and his corpse fell to the ground with a thud.

I drew a sharp breath as all my senses became more vigilant. My heart hammered against the inside of my chest, and dread twisted in my gut. I stood still as my eyes became wide, and my skin cold to the touch.

The younger boys and girls began shrieking and screaming in fear.

As if the previous events hadn't transpired, the soldiers began barking orders at us all simultaneously.

"Everyone strip! From head to toe, unless you want to end up like my friend down here," the pale guard motioned towards the lifeless corpse.

Although, my mind compelled me to disobey.. I knew better. Sucking in a deep breath, I crossed my arms over each other and gripped the ends of my thin dress harshly. I threw the stained cloth onto the ground, and covered myself as best as I could.

"I said strip from head to toe. Unless I have to do it for you, I advise you to take those off too," A darker skinned guard gestured towards my plain black undergarments.

My muscles stiffened, and panic bloomed in my chest. Suddenly, my breath caught in my throat and there was a strong churning in my gut.

-

I sat next to my father on his side of the bed he and my mother shared, beside the mahogany bureau where the checkbooks were located.

As I stared at the scratched gold-colored handle of the closed drawer, my father bent forward, leaning his tanned arms across his thighs and folding his hands between his knees.

I could smell the buzz on his breath, and visibly grimaced at the nauseating smell.

"What is it sweetheart? Hm? Is it the liquor? Doesn't matter, I suppose," He rambled as I fiddled with the peeling skin on my slender fingers.

My father began to rub his calloused hands onto the smalls of my thighs.  I glanced up through my eyelashes, while tears brimmed my eyes.

"Oh honey, I just love when you look at me like that," He purred. "Open those pretty legs for me, hm? I'd love to give you a try."

Where does the mind go in these moments, while the body trembles? For me it is a white-hot slipstream blank-out, the nothingness of no time and nowhere and no one.

I'd like to tell you that I spat in his face or kneed him in the balls or staked him through the heart, but I can't.

I can vividly remember the way his hot tongue licked its way from my ear to my chest. Followed by him snatching my hands away as I tried to push him off.

The way he grunted curses under his breath, and forced my clothes off of my body. I cried silently throughout that entire experience.

Unaware of what route to take. I knew the difference in weight, and strength. This was a battle I couldn't win.

So there I laid motionless, praying to god for someone to help me.

"What the fuck are you doing to my daughter, Frank?" The smooth dove like voice, I grew all to
familiar with yelled.

My father froze, and threw his hands up in surrender with a smug look on his face. "Oh just playing around, baby. That's all," he lied through his teeth.

I balled up the bed spread, and shielded my body with it. More tears threatened to fall, but I wiped them away as my head ached in pain.

"How fucking dare you? I'm calling the goddamn poli-"

Bang.

Fear is a dark presence on the edge of my vision. It is like a spot of blackness that hides in the corner of my eye. I turn to look at it, but when I look at it directly, it disappears.

Sweat dripped from my brow as I watched the bullet pierce my mothers chest. My heart pounded, my head spun and my eyes saw nothing but darkness.

I rushed towards my mother as quickly as my body allowed. The hot tears I held back moments before, fell down my cheek's relentlessly.

The blood left the artery it belonged in surges, beat out by a slowing heart. The blood didn't gush in a constant flow, but in time with the beating of my mommy's heart. At first it came thick and strong, flowing through my fingers as they clasped the torn flesh.

I felt the blood move over my hand, the thick fluid no warmer or cooler than my own skin. After a few moments more the blood was still leaving her rapidly paling flesh, but the pulses were slower, weaker.

-

"Are you deaf? I said fucking strip, bitch," The soldier poked me with the tip of his gun. Shaking off the memories that unwillingly played in my mind, I reached toward my back and unclipped my bra in a swift motion. Concomitantly, I covered my breasts and used my free hand to pull my underwear down.

The guard watched me with a sinister smirk, and continued on patrolling the rest of the individuals.

I covered my figure with my hands, and twisted my leg over the other in attempts to cover my unclothed vagina.

I picked and pulled at the skin on my thigh, mumbling sweet nothings like my mom once did when I couldn't sleep.

"Alright! Let's began, eh?" The guard whom I assumed to be leader spoke loudly.

Promptly, cold water was sprayed on all of us from head to toe. The substance cooling the rushing blood of my body. The trajectory of the hose was strong, and it hurt as it pierced my already bruised skin.

This went on for a minute or so, and after it was over Calix walked into the center of the room once again.

"Now that all of that is over, let's formally begin shall we?"

Calix pulled a chair towards the center, and took a seat with folded legs.

"Me and my team have been watching you specific individuals for quite some time. Each of you struck us to be strong young men and women, with exceptional potential. We believe that you all can be made into great leaders," He began.

"So with that, we gathered all of you here to ensure just that. You will be put through a sequence of challenges, and tests for us to get a good understanding of your abilities, flaws, and strengths," Calix played with the spotted stubble on his jaw.

"But before that, we need all of your appearances to align with your personalities. So get ready for a much needed make over."

"You know," I began unintentionally.

If I hadn't mentioned it before, my mouth has a mind of its own and my mouth does as well.

"You're one sick son of a bitch," I giggle. "God must've made you by accident," I spoke coolly.

Whispers began among everyone, soldiers included. Calix raised a brow at my sudden outburst, and trotted his way towards my shivering figure.

"Ah, you were one of the ones at the top of my list. You brushed me as the type. Even after you watched someone lose their life, you still managed to have some smart remark," Calix praised.

"Welcome to Avernus, Faye."