The Stølen Girl

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

        Meredith couldn’t breathe. 

        She smashed her head into her pillow, the tears long gone, but the pain still there. Very much present, and very much consistent.

        She pressed her face harder, and contemplated taking her life. It could be so easy here. Back at the Chamber’s house, there was nothing to kill herself with, except starvation. Here, there were so many options. So many choices.

        She wanted it. The thought of it was almost delightful.

        No more Keith. No more prostitution. No more basement.

        A knock on her door made her sit up, throwing the pillow to the side. There was no wait - the door simply opened and in came Joshua, a sly smile on his face. He was pleased with something - Meredith didn’t know what. It was the smile of the cat who got the canary.

        Not safe. Definitely not safe.

        “My newest pet. I have a job for you.”

        Not exactly what Meredith wanted to hear, but she stood up on shaky legs and obeyed her newest master. He wasn’t anything like Keith, and that frightened her. Keith was all she knew. She depended on him, always.

        Like a pet.

        She followed Joshua down the long hallway, focusing her attention ahead and not on the row of doors that trapped many other girls, just like herself. Sex trafficking was no joke her, but she lived better than most.

        In fact, Joshua brought her right to the heart of the set up - the basement, where countless girls sat on the ground, chained up. Their eyes were lifeless, blank, wanting nothing. They were shells of themselves.

Meredith shuddered. She hated the basement, but her old living quarters were never like this.

“Meredith, meet the rest of the team. You haven’t been properly introduced.”

The girls watched Meredith, but didn’t say anything. Didn’t even share facial expressions. They were dead.

Well, not dead. But nearly there.

“I’ll leave you alone for a moment. Let you talk to them.”

He disappeared behind the door, and the sound of a lock seemed to echo in her ears as she stared at the girls. They wore nothing, absolutely nothing, and it terrified Meredith.

One girl, on the end, spoke up immediately. “You’ll be here soon, you know. Master always puts the new girls in the rooms, but the moment he replaces you, you’ll be down here. With us. There is no escape.”

A crazed laugh came from the other side of the room. “Unless you become a favorite. New girl, hope you’re good at giving head!”

Meredith was uncomfortable, afraid, and helpless. She was stuck here now, just like the rest of them.

But, before she could even comment, the door banged open, and Joshua returned. The same sick smile covered his face, and Meredith flinched when he put his arm around her, pulling her tight to his side.

“Let’s go, my pet. I have a new assignment for you. Real money maker.”

Meredith shot one last look at the girls, pity filling her chest as the door shut behind her. There was nothing, absolutely nothing she could do for them. She didn’t have a lick of sense, being raised in a basement.