Chapter 2 - Slave auction

After getting a little sleep, we were told to wake up again and continue the journey after we changed our clothes. This time there were two wagons available.

"Get in," he said.

We managed to squeeze ourselves inside the tiny wagons and soon, we were moving fast. My thoughts drifted to what we were told by the traders.

We were told that our job was to please our masters in every way, no matter what he asked of us or else we'd end up dead and our bodies wouldn't be buried, as slaves didn't have the right to be buried.

I stayed in my usual position with my head on my knees and slept but I kept hitting my head due to the bumpy roads.

"Give me back my child"

"You're not my child, go back to wherever you came from,you little witch"" Mum's words echoed in my head as I opened my eyes. I noticed we were riding slowly now.

I looked through a small hole in the wagon and I saw we were in a small town. I suddenly felt scared as I knew we'd be arriving soon.

"Hey... " I looked beside me to see a girl, who looked about my age, seventeen.

"Are you alright?" she asked with a smile and I noticed my hands were shaking pretty violently. I just nodded as I couldn't find the right words to use.

Suddenly, the wagon pulled to a stop and we heard footsteps. The padlock clicked open revealing the boss.

"Get out.. " we came out hurriedly and stood facing a tavern.

Shortly, we were led to what looked like a small storage room.

"You're gonna be going into the tavern in ten minutes for the auction," He said.

"Remember if you don't get bought, you'll be left here to starve to death" he said again walking away. I knew he said that so that he wouldn't be short of money, but its true, if we didn't get bought, we would end up dead as no one helped slaves. I looked up for a moment and I observed the uneasy looks on each of their faces. After a while, a door opened from inside the storage room.

"Follow me," the man said. He wasn't among any of the men that brought us here. Well, this is it. I inhaled and followed the others. He led us through a dusty corridor and I felt more heat on my body as I could hear loud laughter and the clashing of drink bottles coming from somewhere ahead.

The man suddenly stopped. "Wait here.. " he opened a curtain and walked past it.

"Hello everyone" I heard the man say in his loudest voice and the laughter slowed down.

"Welcome to the moment you've all been waiting for... Our traders have brought us their finest and youngest slaves,"

"They are of ages sixteen to twenty-five, so now we're going to call them forward for the bidding. You're going to love the package this time, trust me, I'm tempted to buy" I could hear hails and laughter from the audience and the smell of liquor and cigarettes filled the air.

"So, gentlemen, do I hear a thousand silver coins for this one, twenty years?" the stageman asked.

"one thousand... " someone shouted from the audience.

"Okay how about one five hundred...? " he asked.

"One five hundred.. " the voice echoed.

"three five hundred.. "

"Challenging... Can I hear four thousand?" the stage man asked but there was silence.

"Three five hundred... One, two, three and SOLD" his voice echoed and I could hear murmurs of disappointment and excitement from the crowd.

"Sixteen years, now brothers…do I hear two thousand?"

"Five thousand"

"Whoa…that's a leap, do I hear ten?"

"Ten thousand"

The auction went on and on and I felt hot and scared. What if I don't get bought? What if they say I'm a witch because of my eye colour?" I thought. I was brought back to reality when I heard the commotion from the audience.

"Relax man…he got the girl"

"If he want the girl so bad, why don't he pay more for her, eh?" I heard a man with a funny accent and the others burst out laughing.

"Okay…that happened, now we've got two more girls left?"

That's when I realised we were actually two left, me and the girl from the carriage.

"Goodluck," I wished her and she smiled as she walked out.

"Now we have this beauty of eighteen years…can I hear five thousand?"

"Five thousand.."

"How about ten thousand?*

"Ten thousand"

"Fifteen thousand"

"Twenty thousand"

"Fifty thousand"

"Wow…do I hear fifty five? No? Fifty thousand silver, SOLD"

I squeezed my hand tightly knowing I was about to be called and…

"Brilliant…I bet she topped the prices today"

There was silence and for a few seconds, I thought I wasn't going to be called out.

"Ok…one more to go, seventeen years" He said and I stepped out. I looked up for a while and they all gasped, mummuring amongst themselves. I looked down quickly, hoping they didn't all see it.

"This little one's already got everyone talking…I bet she's gonna have herself a competition tonight" the spokesman hailed

I doubt it.

"Ok…do I hear five thousand?" he asked but no one spoke. I worried that I might end up on the streets. I knew I should have kept my eyes hidden.

"What a bummer…and here I thought she.."

"Ten thousand" a man shouted and I felt tempted to look up. He looked like he would be in his early thirties with pale white skin and brown hair and well-shaven beards.

"Whoa…a challenge, can I hear fifteen.."

"Fifteen…"

"Twenty…" another man topped.

"Twenty five" another said.

"Thirty"

"Fifty five thousand" the pale man fired.

"That's a real competition but it seems like we have one last man standing so he'll be getting the gir…"

"Eighty thousand" Someone else from the crowd said calmly but everyone seemed to hear him as they all turned to him at the back of the crowd. He had a black mask over his face, so nobody knew him. Only his hazel eyes were visible.

"Mysterious, I must say that's a huge amount, no one's gonna beat that one"

"Eighty five thousand" the man with the brown hair dropped in.

"Ninety"

"Ninety five"

There was silence and all eyes focused on the mysterious stranger, waiting for his next move.

"I think our mystery prince gives up" the stageman said.

Some part of me wanted him to speak up and he seemed to be looking right at me. I looked away, focusing my gaze on my bare feet.

"Two hundred thousand.." the masked man spoke still as calm as ever.

"No way…two hundred. Man, that's the highest bid we've ever gotten"

"Looks like we've got ourselves a winner, no challenger?... SOLD"

I walked down from the stage, through the crowd and I could feel all eyes on me as I walked towards my owner. He suddenly brought out a bag, a designer bag that only the rich could afford and with the clicking sound, I could tell that was the money. He dropped the money on one of the tables… Who walks around with that kind of money?

"...keep the change" he said, walking away, while I followed behind him.

I followed silently behing him and he came to a halt in front of a classy carriage. He's definitely extremely rich. He got in and I didn't know if I had to get in as well.

"Get in" He said and I immediately got in.

I just had to remember one thing: never disobey my master.