CHAPTER 2: Auctioned to the highest bidder
Lia's mind reeled as the two men dragged her from her home, her mother's desperate cries echoing through the deserted streets. She kicked and struggled, but they were too strong, their grip like a vice.
The world around her blurred, a chaotic jumble of sounds and images. Lia's thoughts fragmented, her fear and panic coalescing into a single, overwhelming impulse: escape.
But it was too late. The men tossed her into the back of a waiting van, the door slamming shut behind her. Lia landed hard on the metal floor, her head spinning.
As the van sped away, Lia scrambled to her feet, pounding on the walls and screaming for help. But her cries were muffled, lost in the din of the city.
The van eventually stopped, and Lia was dragged out into a dimly lit alleyway. The air reeked of garbage and decay, the walls looming above her like sentinels.
A figure emerged from the shadows, tall and imposing, with eyes that seemed to bore into Lia's very soul.
"Welcome, Lia," he said, his voice low and gravelly. "You're just in time for the auction."
Lia's heart sank, a cold dread spreading through her veins. Auction? What did he mean?
The figure gestured, and Lia was dragged deeper into the alleyway, the sounds of the city growing fainter with each step.
They eventually arrived at a nondescript warehouse, the doors sliding open to reveal a dimly lit interior. Lia was thrust inside, her eyes adjusting slowly to the gloom.
The warehouse was filled with people, their faces hidden behind masks and hoods. Lia's heart sank, a sense of hopelessness washing over her.
She was dragged to a raised platform at the front of the room, a spotlight shining down on her. Lia shielded her eyes, her mind reeling with terror.
The figure from the alleyway stepped forward, a cruel smile spreading across his face.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, his voice dripping with malice. "Welcome to the auction of the century. Tonight, we have a rare and precious commodity, one that will fetch a handsome price."
Lia's eyes scanned the crowd, her heart sinking with each passing moment. She was trapped, alone and defenseless in a world of predators.
The auctioneer's voice rose, his words becoming a cacophony of terror in Lia's mind. She was being sold, her body and soul offered to the highest bidder.
As the bids began, Lia's world shattered into a million pieces, leaving her lost, alone, and forever changed.