Traffic

Chapter Four

The next thing Kelly was aware of was the silence. Silence as if she was floating in endless space, nothing around her, and no escape. She fidgeted, slowly becoming aware of her surroundings. She blinked many times, trying to see something, but being unable to through the darkness as unwelcoming as a shark's, cold stare, seconds before death.

When she realized she was in fact, awake, and just somewhere dark and different, Kelly began searching for something to show her where she was. As she moved to sit up, she realized she was freezing cold, the reason being that she had been stripped to just her underwear.

Kelly was scared.

All she wanted was to get home to her family. She longed for the warm hugs of her brother, the kindness of her sister, and the words of her mother as she told her it would be all right. None of this was near, however, and Kelly knew that. Something inside her knew that whatever liquid she had drunk, had been drugged and she was now alone, perhaps left for dead. Her own thoughts scared her.

After what seemed like hours, a blinding light shone about twenty feet in front of where Kelly sat, hugging her knees tightly to her chest in an attempt to stay warm. The sudden light temporarily blinded Kelly and she was unable to see a thing.

"Don't be scared," she heard a voice say. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw a figure coming toward her through what now looked like a basement. Frantic to find something to defend herself, Kelly looked around, her eyes darting from object to object until her gaze finally fell on the figure of a girl who couldn't have been much older than herself.

As she stared in confusion, Kelly realized the girl wasn't moving—not even to breathe. A new wave of fear struck her as she sat, the stranger now even closer, but advancing slowly.

"Wh-where am I?" Kelly croaked, not realizing her throat was so dry until she tried to speak.

"You're in my basement. My name is Paul. Your father paid me to find you and bring you to him. However, I think I could, now that I see you, get more than what your father is offering me if I were to bring you to a very special place."

"What are you talking about?" Kelly had so many questions already.

"Shh, save your voice, pretty girl. Would you like to come upstairs and take a shower? Maybe get something to eat?"

Kelly was uncertain, but nodded, wanting desperately to get out of that basement and away from the dead girl beside her.

Paul saw Kelly staring at the body and helped her stand, "Ah, I see you've noticed my last house guest. Alas, Samantha didn't understand the meaning of obedience. She tried to call the police, and I can't have that. If I want to keep my house and my family fed, I have to stay out of jail. You understand that, don't you, Kelly?"

Kelly was too horrified to answer. Paul continued to talk to her about how obedient she must be and how well behaved she had been so far, but Kelly didn't listen. She took in all her surroundings with wonder and awe. She was in a beautiful house: many paintings hung on the walls and chandeliers in almost every room. Frantically, she searched for an open window, but found none. There was no way of knowing where she was. That thought scared her most of all.

"This is where you'll be sleeping until the auction," Kelly heard Paul say.

"Auction?"

"Yes, weren't you listening, child? The auction is on Saturday evening. I must have you well fed, well dressed, and most importantly: well behaved by then. Can you imagine how much people will pay for a thirteen year old, obedient, virgin who has a very gifted body, Kelly? Let's just say enough to buy my wife that new necklace she was admiring in the shops the other day.