Different

3

My fingers grip the cloth tightly, and my knuckles start to turn white at the pressure of holding for so long.

I should just ignore the curiosity.

Just let go of the cloth and walk away Mari, who cares what's under here?

I turn my head to look around, but no one is even glancing my way. 

If i thought these men would be ashamed, i was immediately coming to see i was wrong. 

But then i hear another soft moan of pain, and it sounds so human my heart breaks and i quiver in fear. Human trafficking?

My blood is cold, and determination forces my fist to pull the cloth away.

A boy looks up at me.

His hair is dark, and he's wearing nothing but a pair of dirty shorts and cuffs around his wrists. My eyes widen in horror as i take in the broken kid in front of me. It's dark and he's huddled towards the back of what i know now for sure isn't a box.

It's a cage.

What i can see from the little light i'm letting in, he's in bad shape. All his skin is either dirty and bruised or scraped and bleeding. I can't even see his face, but i know he's angry and afraid from the glint in his eyes peering at me from the darkness.

I swear i can almost smell it, the emotions so thick in the air.

"What the hell is this?"

At my voice he shifts into the darkness and i strain to see him, pressing my face to the bars.

But suddenly he's in front of me, his teeth bared in a hiss and his hands gripping my shirt with one hand, the other restrained by the cuffs.

I know i should be scared, anyone in their right mind would have turned around at the stairs when they heard moaning.

I consider myself sane, but as the night goes on I can't help but realize I'm probably a few screws loose if i decided to turn around.

I had this weird feeling in the center of my chest, and it was pulling me towards the cage. 

I have no idea why i feel so calm, but my body was relaxed as his eyes pierced mine and i just stared back. They were so green, in fact...they were too green....too weird.

His breath on my face is hot and i see something on his head.

I glance up and away from his heated gaze, and i realize he has ears. The not human kind.

"Kinky." His face blanks at my words, and suddenly his cheeks turn pink. His eyes are emotionless, and i start to worry he's in shock.

"Sorry i didn't mean to offend- wait is that a tail-" I'm cut off as his eyes shift towards me again, full of confusion. He looks at me like i'm crazy, and i don't know why but i almost forgot he was in a basement locked in a cage and yanking on my shirt like he was about to beat the daylights out of me.

"Oh my god i'm so sorry. Why are you here? Do you need help? can i help you? I mean you have a weird fetish so honestly i'm starting to wonder if maybe you like it-" His glare cuts me off, but i can't help but think how handsome he is. Even with the dark bruise beneath his eye and the cut on his lip he's gorgeous.

"I don't like it. and this is not some fetish." His voice is deep, and i place my hands over his, hoping he'll let go of my shirt. What the hell was Mike's company getting into? Boys dressed as animals in cages? This was creepy even for them.

"Forget it. You're one of them." he lets go of my shirt and pushes my hand away roughly. One of them?

As he turns a gasp gets stuck in my throat and i end up choking.

"Oh my god you really have a tail!" He turns and his expression is so bored, i start to feel like an idiot. Why did this whole situation not freak me out? why did i feel so calm!?

"I'm a hybrid you idiot. Now get out of here before i attack" His snarl is bitter as he sits down, and the tail moves.

On its own

It's real.

This isn't some fetish.

There was a half animal boy in a cage beneath the warehouse, and the man had said they were some kind of event.

"Oh god"