Journey of a Girl

The Auction: Chapter Two

The door opened and blinding light hit the tired eyes in the room.

It was Miss Scrubbs, trailed by two women, all of them bearing lanterns. They moved through the room and lit several torches along the walls.

"No guff like last night," Miss Scrubbs was quick to warn. "I've got a bucket of black and fingers itchin' to paint!"

As the room was washed in dim light, Credence shrunk into her corner, trying to become as small as possible. 

"Why they told me to feed you, I won't begin to guess," Miss Scrubbs said with a snort. "But I don't extend hospitality to rogues, so you'll be gettin' yesterday's scraps. Don't care if it's enough, so stifle your whining before it starts! You'll fight for what I give you like the animals you've proven to be! And no baths! You'll get no frills for the Auction!"

Miss Scrubbs and her women left the room, and everyone turned to look at each other in the light. There were many red and puffy eyes from a night spent in little sleep and too much crying.

Just as she feared, Credence was immediately found.

"That's her," said an older girl as she approached. She had a handful of children following behind. "Hold her."

Credence didn't bother to struggle when several hands lifted her and pushed her against the wall.

"Should we kill her?" asked one of the followers.

" 'Course not," said the leader, "she's our way out of this mess. We'll keep her here until we can explain what happened."

"You don't know what happened," Credence snapped. "I saved you."

The leader spit at her.

"You killed the Headmaster, you burned the school. And now you'd have us answer for it!"

Credence clenched her fists, unable to contain her anger.

"Were your eyes closed so tight in fear that you missed everything? You saw the damned seeds the domestics spat up—I know you remember what happened. The Headmaster was a monster. He was hurting all of us!"

The confusing thought had struck Credence more than once since they'd been taken to the holding room. Why didn't anyone admit what they saw in the courtyard? They watched the imposter strangle her. They stomped the seeds just as she had. 

And why had there been no mention from any of them of the gruesome, inhuman remains in the courtyard?

Because the truth will not save them, Credence thought bitterly. But someone to blame will. It doesn't matter what really happened, it only matters that someone other than themselves is punished.

No one would ever believe what she told them about the Headmaster, because no one wanted to. 

The leader shoved a torn strip of clothing into Credence's mouth, uninterested in hearing another word, and she and her followers took turns holding their prisoner so she could not escape.

When food was brought to the room, they didn't allow Credence to touch any of it.

Credence was not hungry anyway, as her stomach was still bubbling with faint nausea from the sap.

A few of her captors threatened to strike her, but they were kept from doing so by their leader, who never strayed from Credence's side and maintained a fixed eye on her.

Credence spied Gregory in the room but he did not dare to approach her, only cast a pitying, worried look her way.

As the day wore on, the crowd settled into hushed conversation. Their fear and despair drained away, leaving sullen resignation in its place.