Hazel's POV

Never have I ever been sold off like some cheap commodity.

My head pounds like I have a toothache in my head and I can feel my brain melting in a hung-over daze.

What the hell happened and why am I in a dark cramped space? The whole space smells like urine and when I tried to open my eyes, I was met with a hollow void of blackness. It was then it all clicked when I tried to stretch my leg a little and I realized my movement was restricted.

I was locked up in a Fucking cage.

I let out an ear-piercing scream, hollering for help. Why does my whole body hurt so bad and why am I locked up like an animal? What the fucking freaking hell is going on?

I heard the sound of keys jiggling and I felt a spark of hope shimmer in my mind. Yes, help was coming. I was finally going to get loose from this insane madness.

The polythene bag wrapped around my head was yanked off in a fury and my eyes met with an angry expression.

"What is wrong with you, child?!" A man in a face cap yelled at me. He had thick beards, a set of finely decayed teeth with a horrid breath.

I had to blink repeatedly to have my eyes adjusted to the bright light. There were several other cages filled with semi-nude girls like me. Our wrists were tied and most of them were still blindfolded. Others were crying but what was most important was how a 17-year-old girl like me found herself in this dilemma in a modern contemporary state like New York.

"Do you know this is a crime against the law?!" I clenched my teeth angrily. "You are going down, I promise you that!" I gritted my teeth and my nostrils flared.

"Shut up, kid! I make the rules here, not you so you will do well to obey my every command." He widened his eyes at me and pulled his ears and I felt fear cripple into my heart.

"Why am I here?" My voice softened. "Please tell me what you intend to do to us?" I begged with a sense of urgency in my tone.

"Listen to me, kiddo, you and the other women have been sold and I intend to make twice or thrice the money from you guys." He said before standing up from his formerly crouched position.

I felt my ears make ringing sounds. Sold?!

That's incredulous! We are not some flock of hens or goats to be sold like cheap commodities. Did I time-travel back to centuries ago? Why haven't the cops busted this place already?

What about my poor mom? What was she doing about my situation? Surely I must be all over the news by now. As far as I'm concerned, I have always known my father to be highly irresponsible and useless. My mom tagged him as the sperm donor who never gave a fuck about us. He had an illicit affair with an old colleague from college who happened to be Mom's friend many years ago and they had a child, old enough to be my elder sister. Ever since then, it's been Mom and I against the world.

The man on the face cap looked like the boss who called the shots in this human trafficking business and he clapped thrice. Instantly, the huge red curtain that served as a wall was pulled down and suddenly, I realized we were on a podium with a series of guests settled. They were all smartly dressed in suits and tuxedos like they were at the bank, doing some important transactions.

"Can the auction begin now?!" The man on the face cap stood by the podium, next to us. There was a microphone and a gravel attached to the table he stood. “I’m Alfred Walter and I’m your host for today.”

It was a huge hall with about ten cages placed in front of the stage. Several people dressed in the same T-shirt and face cap as the boss ushered around, serving refreshments and handing over souvenirs. The auction hall featured a sophisticated layout with comfortable seating, allowing attendees to observe the proceedings with ease. The auctioneer's podium is situated at the front, well-lit to capture everyone's attention. Large screens displaying item details and bidding information were strategically placed in front.

"No! I refuse to be sold, I'd rather die!" A lady started shaking the bars of her cage aggressively.

"Shut up, Matilda!" The man yelled at her but she spat and yelled. "Over my dead body." In the most spiteful tone, I have ever heard.

"Very well then." He shrugged nonchalantly and made a beeline towards her in a blinding non-natural velocity before grabbing her by the neck, squeezing the life out of her, and dipping his elongated claws into her chest before ripping out her heart in one swift cut. Her body dropped lifelessly on the stage with her eyes staring back at us. Blood trailed down the stage like an abattoir where they slaughter animals.

I felt my eye socket nearly pop out. Did Alfred’s nails just stretch twice the size of a talon and rip out a woman's heart? Omg! Who are these creatures and what do they plan on doing to us?

The guest sat still like, watching us with interest like what happened was a mundane incident that happens all the time. Another girl passed out in her cage from the shock. It was all overwhelming as the hall became dead silent.

For the first time ever, I felt sweat assemble on my forehead as I felt my creeping paranoia foster its way into my body. The reality finally dawned on me. These people seated aren't humans and if they are not humans then what the hell are they? But most importantly, what do they want from us? Me specifically?!

The ladies all quieted down, as shock registered and flashed before our eyes.

"Sorry about that little hindrance, let's get right to our business of the day, shall we?" He snatched a handkerchief from a staff that offered him one and wiped the blood off his hands before making his way back to the stage.

"The first exquisite collection of art we have is Hazel Parker. Her height is 5'8, she is a brunette with brown orbs and she weighs a total of 60 pounds." He smiled, bearing his elongated teeth at the audience or would I call it fangs? Alfred’s tone boomed loudly.

"She makes the perfect whip girl, she can be made flexible and she can bear bountiful children. She is also good at house chores so she will serve as a perfect slave." Another voice uttered from the audience and when I turned to face him, I nearly collapsed at the stench of betrayal.

Bloody fucking Benjamin sold me off?!

My stepfather?!

What the actual fuck is happening?

"Benjamin!" I yelled with veins popping out of my neck.

"Sorry kiddo, business didn't go as planned. I tried to gamble and played two odds but I ran at a loss." He shrugged his shoulders and stared at me in pity.

"Does Mother know you kidnapped me and sold me off to human murderers or kidnappers?!" My voice broke even further. "Does she know you fucking retarded bastard of a husband is pimping me out?!" I yelled louder.

Benjamin sighed tiredly and waved me off. "Please carry on, Alfred!" He urged the host on.

"Roses are red, violets are blue, I have got middle fingers but tonight you will get two." I raised two middle fingers in his ugly face.

"Bidding offer starts from five thousand dollars, do I hear a counteroffer?" He started and the guest started raising their hands and putting in their offers.

No way! Could they be bidding over me? I mean, I'm Hazel Parker, right? Or does someone else bear the name around here? My chest was beating so fast and my nerves were going haywire.

Benjamin was the man mother introduced to me five months ago as the man she fell in love with. She had been single for so long and I was genuinely happy that she found love and a man who deserved her, but he had not started revealing his true colors.

Benjamin was a chronic gambler, he smokes, drinks, and he chases everything in a skirt. Benjamin is a fucking user and a walking STD who wanted to use mom and he would take whatever little money mom made to spend on smelling hoes in cheap rat-infested motels. I guess due to his reckless gambling, Benjamin ran into debts and since he could not settle it, he came up with a brilliant mind-blowing idea which was to trade his stepdaughter.

"Ten thousand dollars, do I hear a counteroffer?" Alfred was beginning to grin happily and I felt like I was going to puke my lungs out.

"Fifteen thousand dollars." A man suddenly hollered and the hall was silent for some seconds before little murmurings came from the guests seated.

I turned to face the man who put in so much money on my behalf. He was chiseled and muscular with bright burnt ginger hair that fell over his eyes in bangs. He was tall and his shoes sparkled so well that I could swear I saw my reflection in them. He had a sophisticated look on and the first two buttons of his black shirt were unbuttoned. He gave off this bad boy vibes, unlike the other guests who were a bit uptight with their fashion. He looked like a real-life anime character and I could swear there was always a swish wind to blow over his bangs in a cool way. The dude was so fucking hot.

I blinked repeatedly to get myself off my distraction. I needed to focus and hate this man for trying to buy me and for sitting calmly when the other lady was murdered in cold blood.

"Going?!" Alfred pressed on and he met with abject silence.

"Going." He repeated before adding. "Sold!" And hitting the gravel on the table twice.

My cage was opened and I fell off, losing my balance. I could barely stand because I had been cramped for way too long in that miniature of a cage. I had a leash over my neck like a dog and I was handed over to my new boss, the man I was sold to in order to start my life afresh.

“Hi, I’m Thomas Jackson, and I own you now.” My new boss said in a husky baritone and I felt something inside of me flutter from how deep and rich his musical voice was.