Everyone wants to be a Beast
until it's time to do what real Beasts do.
TRIGGER WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWING: ptsd symptoms, slavery, eating disorders, thoughts of self harm, thoughts of death.
I ignored the sting from the rusted chains around my wrist. The metal was now a deep brown color with a mixture of scarlet. The colors from rust or blood, I did not know. I also couldn't tell you how many have worn these exact same chains and what their fates turned out to be. But that didn't matter because it was my turn now. My turn for punishment. My sore flesh pulled and threatened to tear with every motion of resistance.
Forget the pain.
Find something else to think about.
I look behind me at the long line of the people and children waiting to be sold at this auction. An auction of beasts. Creatures who frightened children in their nightmares were here, stories for entertainment now turned into a horrific reality.
Not so silly anymore, huh Emily?
They've come to life because you weren't good enough. You're so screwed.
Demons, devil dogs, sirens, fairies, trolls, werewolves, imps, ghouls, pixies, goblins, witches, vampires, more and more and more. The worst beasts here were hybrids. They lay lurking among the shadows, too terrifying for other creatures to face. We, the livestock, have been notified that it will be best to just kill ourselves if we are offered to one.
Hybrids were created from two or more creatures combined. The forced genetics allowed them to be bigger, stronger, and faster than the average beast. It's said that the devil created them by hand, because nothing so disturbed or evil could have been created by God.
Emily - you don't even know if God is real -
The world's being taken over by these distorted monsters and we had no idea.
A ten-year-old girl cried in the distance, her plea echoed along the underground tunnel and filled my body with chills. She's been crying for an hour now. She's afraid and I don't blame her.
Everyone wore name tags showing: name, age, height, weight, and of any deformities that might make us less desirable. Mine hung around my neck like a noose, reminding me I was an item, not a being. It burned my skin.
Name: Emily Heart. Age: Twenty Two.
Height: 5'6. Weight: 147.
It sickened me to see some of the name tags. It made me question myself to the point of bile rising in my throat.
Name: Casey Smith Age: Ten
Height: 4'1 Weight: 88.
Suck it up. That wasn't even the worst one.
Some of the children and teens had already been rung through earlier auctions, used and abused until their previous owner wanted them no more.
This is my life now.
During the endless hours of my stay here, I've gathered some insight on how the auctions worked. Everyone of all kinds of ages, races and genders can be auctioned. And if you happened to like the same-sex, kudos to you. No one here cares about your preferences, whoever has the most money to buy you wins , meaning you can be sold to whoever and whatever.
Here is how and why our lives were signed away. The creatures who own these auctions reach out to those in need of money or looking for a severe change in their lives.
They prey on those that are homeless, wasted away, or those that are just starting to fall. Helplessness. They feed on the helpless. Sometimes your family needs money desperately and have to find peace in asking monsters for help. They reach out to you or your family, explain the process and the existence of supernatural beings, and then you're placed into an auction.
How did I end up here you ask?
My father - tortured by the sight of me because of the resemblance to my deceased mother. The burdens became too heavy for him.
Hey, extra meat that can be potentially sold to a beast. You will be sold real fast!
This voice in my head? Probably hallucinations and delusions likely caused by dehydration or exhaustion. Or the loss of sanity. Or maybe just the plain idea that I will be sold and dead by morning. Or maybe not, but kept alive for years to come before I am killed or thrown into another auction. Any of those may do.
The line slowly began to move forward. Ten at a time would go out to be examined by the monsters. A person ahead of me screamed as he was taken with the next group.
A single tear betrayed my frozen, half living state and trailed down my raw cheek. I starved for that feeling. The feeling of being alive.
The thing who would take us out to be auctioned came back through the entrance and motioned for the to follow him.
A young twelve-year-old led us as I was planted closer towards the end.
If there is a God, help me?
Bright light burned my eyes as we entered onto a stage surrounded in barbed fencing.
How ironic.
Starved eyes traveled all over us and I cringed at the sight of their hunger. Those that stood closest to us clung at the fencing. I tugged against the chains and tested my restraint once more. My persistence wasn't enough.
Don't be a hero.
After my eyes adjusted to the lights and the moving creatures, I got a good look at the crowd.
The beasts were gruesome, some rampaging like they weren't able to control themselves. Every one of them were abnormally big and reeked of different forms of power. I could feel the authority and testosterone buzzing through the air.
We looked through the faces of supernatural creatures. They stared back at us.
"We'll start first with this young beauty." A monster confirmed the beginning of our death. His horns were broken making it look jagged and sharp. Demon. "Her name is Trinity Love, twelve years old, 5'3, 129 pounds." He smiled down at her sign as his own desires began to control him.
The beasts went wild, many flinging their hands into the air to compete.
"Nine hundred dollars!" one screamed to be heard.
"One thousand, four hundred dollars!" Another yelled. The first, put his sign down.
"Two thousand dollars!" Another shouted.
Her life ended. the Reaper has come, literally, to take her away.
"Sold!"
Lives meant nothing here. Especially because the stock was so great this time around that they didn't need to price the humans as much. I couldn't even feel offended by the numbers.
He unchained the girl and led her to the fencing, opening it just slightly before tossing her out towards her creature.
The thing that owned her now, was a goblin. It quickly grabbed her and roughly pulled her towards the exit, fighting off the swarms of others that wanted a piece of her as well. I couldn't even fathom what would happen to her.
"Next, Karla Green. Sixteen, 5'9, 133 pounds." Karla had broken her wrist a month prior to this auction, her family not able to get her the medical help she needed. The injury was swollen, bruised and begged for any kind of attention. Not as many beasts raised their signs. It made me grimace that her worth was suddenly lowered.
"Five-hundred dollars."
"Seven-hundred dollars!"
"One thousand!" A beast who looked to be coated in liquid or slime screamed. I couldn't identify what it was. I gagged at the thought of my fate being similar.
"Sold! "
I looked over at the girl beside me, wondering what I could do for her to make this a little more bearable. She was crying hard and all I wanted to do was help her.
The auctioneer gave us a warning glare reminding us that we were in no position to act out. I wondered if he would kill us.
Death seemed inviting.
I closed my eyes and prayed for death. Something quick with no pain if I was lucky. I hoped that whoever I would be given to would have enough mercy to kill me fast with little torment. In the middle of my begging, my knees locked and my body straightened itself as if I was forced. My eyes widened as my stomach began to churn when I realized that my body moving wasn't my doing. I shivered at this reaction, wondering if it was my fight or flight kicking in. There were many creatures that gazed upon us, but one in particular was making my body dance to their tune. I couldn't find them, not sure that I really wanted to.
"Sold!"
The overjoyed voice brought me out of my daze, bringing me back to the cold reality.
The boy beside me screamed in fear, but it was hard to hear him over the roars of the crowd. He was the next item to be sold off. His hand reached out and grabbed mine making my heart race at his panic. I tried to keep him beside me, but with the boy dropping to his knees and the demon pulling on the other side, the boy's shoulder popped in an abnormal way and was forced to let go due to the pain. His panic only encouraged the beasts reactions.
"Riley Fiddler. Eighteen, 6'2, 148 pounds."
A wave of guilt landed on my chest as the look or horror on the boy's face was directed at me.
It was getting harder to breathe. I couldn't keep myself to keep still long enough for me to regain some control over my body. Not now with poor Riley looking at me like it was my fault for letting go of him.
"Nine thousand dollars! Thank you, sir!"
Riley was dragged off stage towards the cheering male who bought him.
Watching the gate close behind him indicated that it was my turn to be sold off. Pulling on my chain in desperation, the demon came close and grabbed me up by the arm. Blood threatened to spill from my wrists at the weight of my tugging.
"Woah, easy woman! I'm not going to eat you!" He laughed at me, humoring the beasts as well. "That's someone else's job!" I could feel myself pleading for anyone to somehow save me from this wretched auction.
The monsters howled and roared with delight at my discomfort.
"This woman here is named Emily Heart. She is twenty two, 5'6, and weighs 147 pounds."
They bellowed, the sound reminded me of hounds who caught the scent of their prey. They've found me. They know they will have me.
Kill yourself while you still can.
"One thousand dollars!"
None wavered in their persistence.
"One thousand, five hundred dollars."
The crowd began to thin out, my life coming to an end each time one would drop their hands in defeat. I was not for them. I could feel the creature waiting for me.
"Two thousand!"
A handful of monsters remained, desire evident in their raged spasms.
I closed my eyes, not able to stand the sight any longer.
"Four thousand."
Breathe.
"Six thousand!"
Breathe.
"Seven thousand?" The demon urged as the final contenders showed their persistence. I could feel my toes ache at the strain of keeping myself standing. Vomit threatened to be noticed but I urged myself to stay still and conscious. Two beasts remained, neither looking the friendliest. I could not see their faces, nor what kind of creature they were. The feeling of the unknown distraught me.
You're going to die.
"Nine thousand?" Neither moved.
"Ten thousand?"
A yell of spite came from the figure to my left as they threw their hand down in disgust that they had lost.
"Sold!"
"No -" I muttered. The demon on stage came over to me and unchained me. I didn't have the strength to strike him as he grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me through the fence "No!" I screamed my denial. With hot tears pooling in my eyes, I dug my numb and hardly working feet into the ground.
The beasts around me laughed at my attempt to escape.
"Wait! Stop please - !"
We passed many creatures, some even ventured further to touch me. My breasts were pulled and my ass was grabbed. Something wet ran from my neck to my ear. I kicked and punched as best I could while being dragged.
I turned and looked towards my owner, the thing shielded by the night was now walking towards us to get to me faster. My whole body shook with tremors as we halted finally. Tears made the seals of my eyes loosen and I threatened to glance at the opposer.
"Here you go!" The demon thrust his lower half against my body once before giving me over. "She's a keeper!"
'It' stayed silent before taking my arm with unbelievable strength. I didn't know how much more my arm could take before it would break. I wondered why he didn't react to what the demon just displayed against me.
He doesn't care. You know why?
I struggled to breathe under this pressure.
Because he will do worse.
I kept my eyes sealed as he pulled me closer, my feet dragging against the ground I couldn't see, trying everything I could to prevent any movement being made. The hold he had on me made my body weak.
"Open your eyes." It was far from friendly. More of a demand that would have consequences if I didn't obey. His deep voice startled me, the vibration felt like bass against my brain and my mind hummed when he spoke. Shivers went up and down my spine, almost in a painful way like I had a fever and I was on the brink of death. A headache began to form.
I was not familiar with that kind of tone.
The authority in his voice made me jump to answer, afraid that if I didn't, disobeying would hurt more. I slowly opened my eyes, then very rudely but totally called for, gawked at him.
My mouth went dry and fell open slightly as I stared at him, every instinct inside me telling me to shrivel up and cower. He was massive, body demanding attention even though he hadn't said a word more to me. Cold blue eyes threatened my existence with each rake over my body. His presence would make anyone question why they were born.
Why were you born Emily?
A crease in his forehead confirmed his confusion along with an arched eyebrow. He was probably disappointed now that he's gotten what he had wanted. I noticed his very defined yet small scar on his jaw that became more prominent every time he clenched his teeth.
"What are you?" I asked very inappropriately. Out of all questions I could have asked, 'what are you' was blurted out first. Was he my savior? Or my death sentence?
The man smiled, almost in a sickening way. I was afraid he was going to voice my thoughts. He bit his lip slightly, observing a bit more before deciding if he would answer me. A sickening chuckle left his body and I was reminded who was in control.
This beast had determined my fate before he ever confirmed it.
His eyes pierced me in my spot and a weep escaped my mouth. His hands around my arms were the only thing keeping me off the ground as my legs buckled.
You're so fucked.
Then he spoke and all hope left me.
I really am just a dead man walking.
"Baby, I'm a hybrid."