AllFreeNovel
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That was not what happened.
My life went from bad to worse. I have lost hope there is any means of escape.
Few have ever managed.
The only escape is dying; most products do not last long. Either they take their own lives, develop some sort of sickness or health issue, or a customer has anaccidentwith one of us.
All deaths are kept secret. No one on the outside knows—or so I believe that is the case.
As the evening goes by, the customers make their way over. They browse with interest. Some come by themselves. Others come in pairs. Couples looking for a third participant. Groups of friends searching for some live entertainment for a couple of hours. Usually drunk bachelor parties of some kind.
I make it almost two hours before I am bought. Two men in suits, still wearing their masks from the party, have decided they would like me.
It happens fast. From the time of purchase. I am taken from the safety of my perch, up an elevator, to one of the playrooms that are offered. These men keep it simple—nothing more than a bed and some other bedroom furniture inside.
Every customer is different. It is impossible to know what to expect. Some have tried to make conversation. Role-play even.
These two say nothing.
The first man shoves me down on the bed and slams into me. The air evaporates from my lungs and I gasp for more, clawing at the comforter for some leverage, but that proves impossible. He moves too fast, drilling away.
The second man sits in the corner, pulls his penis out, and begins stroking himself as he watches. Eventually, they switch places. The second one is no gentler. He is just as rough and forceful.
I do my best not to look at them. I do not want to remember what they look like, or see the cold indifference in their eyes. Instead, I bury my face in the comforter and squeeze shut my eyes until they’re zipping up their pants and walking out of the room.
Again, I am collected and then returned to my perch. The night is still young, which means there are more sales to make. More money to earn them.
These parties can feel like an eternity. Sometimes I prefer when a customer will pay for the night. It can be easier entertaining one monster for hours than many monsters for a few short minutes.
I sit on my perch and pretend I do not notice the customers as they stroll by, admiring the selection. As the night goes on, it becomes harder to stay neat and tidy. My braids loosen and my make up fades. My tiny, lacy negligee no longer seems expensive.
After being grabbed and shoved aside so many times, the fabric wears thin.
I am exhausted. My body aches and begs for rest and sleep.
The later in the night it becomes, the more important people come by. I am not a native to the city, but I recognize the mayor coming through. He makes several questionably young purchases that churn my stomach.
Another familiar face makes me just as nauseous.
Lucius Mancino enters with men at his sides. A large, round man with a face born to be cruel, he smirks looking at the hall of cages.
Every product for sale goes still. We hold our breaths as the air fills with tension.
His presence unsettles me more than the devil.
Tears prick my eyes and I blink them back and try hard to blend in.
If he recognizes me... if he remembers me... if he knows who I am…
The last time I was around him, it was a few months ago. Before I had been brought to the Mill, I had only been in America a couple of years. Kozlov and Volchok brought me to a dinner, and I witnessed something that I will never forget.
His footsteps thud against the hardwood floor. Heavy and slow with each step he takes. He casts a reproachful look at each cage, as if each person disgusts him.
As far as I know, he has never made a purchase. I have no idea what he is doing here tonight.
Has he come looking for me? Does he know?!
I bow my head and avert my eyes when he nears my cage. He stops at the iron bars and peers inside, taking his time to study me.
