We eventually stopped at a small village after a long day of walking, where we were greeted by the smell of soup and roasted lamb. My stomach rumbled at the thought of taking some soup, since I hadn't eaten any since the attack on our village.
As we kept walking through the village, I could see people gazing at us, and their murmurs. We were told to stop at a brothel, where one of the men came to loosen our chains, followed by a beautiful- looking lady. She had jet-black hair that cascaded like a waterfall and shone like strands of gold. Everyone was mesmerized by her beauty.
She walked to us one by one, scrutinizing us with a keen eye and observing the tiniest details about us. I noticed she was more particular about the women than the men. She kept walking until she was interrupted by Xerxes, the leader of the group that took us captive. He had this dark and formidable aura around him that made everyone fear him.
"These girls are healthy," he said. "They just need a bath and probably some food, and you will finally see their beauty."
"I'm not interested in their beauty," she said, pointing to us. "Most of these things look skinny and ignorant. I'm not sure they will be able to satisfy my customers the way the others do."
"I will sell them to you for a lower price, then," Xerxes said with a hint of irritation in his voice. "Just relieve me of them."
"Alright, then," she said after a few seconds. "Take them into the upper room, provide them with water, bath, and food, and give them new dresses." She ordered one of the ladies, standing idly at the door.
As we entered the house, I was shocked by what was happening. Ladies and men alike were naked and sprawled across the room, engaging in physical intimacy, coupled with passionate sighs and moans coming from different angles. I felt sick to my stomach and couldn't wait to leave that part of the brothel. But it seemed the farther we got, the more intense it became until we finally got to the upper chamber, which was quieter. People were there as well, but the activities weren't as much as in the lower chamber.
We were ushered into the latrine, which smelled of lavender and Jasmine. "You all should take off your clothes and cleanse yourself here," said the lady who brought us there.
We took turns having our bath, as there weren't many to go around. As I stepped into the bath, I could feel the warmth soothing my tired muscles, and the fatigue of the journey started to ease away with each relaxing moment in the water. My body finally eased, and for the first time in days, I felt refreshed and rejuvenated.
We were given another gown to change into, even though it was old and revealed a lot of cleavage. It was better than the tattered one we disposed of. We finally sat down to a bowl of soup and roasted meat, which was better than the dry bread we had been consuming for the past few weeks.
After everyone was done eating, we were taken to a large room where we would spend the night. On the floor were mats that had been laid. We were all about to sleep when the beautiful lady who met us outside burst into the room and took fifteen ladies among us, leaving the remaining six ladies.
Most were reluctant to go, and I didn't blame them. I would rather be killed than allow myself to get intimate with different men who are incapable of controlling their sexual urge.
The other girls that were not taken were looking for the best spot to lay on. I was also looking for a suitable spot, because the past few nights had not been favorable to me. I will toss and toss around before I finally sleep, and also wake up to several pains across my body.
And that was when I saw Lucy, my best friend. She was sitting down alone at a corner. I walked up to her and pretended to clear my throat to get her attention.
"I hate them, Sandra," she said without raising her head up.
"I really hate them."
I detested seeing my best friend like this, but how was I to comfort her when I didn't know the right words to comfort myself either?
"Sit!" she said, making a space for me beside her. You know, if anyone had ever told me that a day would come when I would leave my village, I would have laughed at such a person. But look at us now, waiting patiently for the day we will die."
I said, laughing. "What do you think is to become of us now, as we are not bought as harlots?"
"Probably we will be bought by the emperor and become food to his lions," Lucy answered, laughing. "Which is a far better fate than being unfortunate souls trapped in chains of despair, battered for our bodies, and robbed of our dignity."
I joined in her laughter. Or if we are lucky, we should be sold into a wealthy household," I said, "that which is not entirely possible."
"We will be fine, Lucy finally said after a prolonged silence. I can sense it; everything will be alright."
Yes, it will be," if we get a chance to kick the balls of those maniacs. I said bursting into laughter with Lucy joining in.
We spoke and laughed together late into the night. At times, we would just sit in silence and wallow in our thoughts, and another moment we'll be cracking jokes out of our distress. We stayed like this till Lucy fell asleep, leaving me alone to my thoughts.
I thought back to how we always play and tease each other back in our village and how we would hide ourselves so that we wouldn't be assigned with a duty. The thought of my family crept into my mind stealthily like a snake, and I felt a profound and overwhelmed sorrow engulfing my entire being.
I felt so empty within; I didn't realize when a tear fell from my eyes. My tears flowed silently, each drop a piece of my heart breaking away.
As I lay down, my sobs echoed in the silence of the room, a painful melody of my grief. Slowly, the tears dried on my cheeks, leaving behind a heaviness that weighed me down into a restless sleep, haunted by memories of my loss.