BOUND TO EIGHT: Love or Die

"Camila, wake up Camila, Father sold you to pay his gambling debts Camila. You need to get away." Camila thought she had heard those words wrong. Besides her little brother's voice was barely beyond a whisper and it was late that night. Such an ungodly hour for a 9 year old to be such a pest to her beauty sleep.

"Leave me alone Dante." Still Dante persistent shake continued. He was worried father would come anytime soon. Their little apartment isn't worth sharing much description on. It just the word 'little' comprising of two rooms. With one of the room serving as the bedroom with mats for the children and an old cringing little bed for only Father. The other room serving as Father drinking parlour and gambling space for cards. The whole building was on one level.

When they had newly come here, the walls had made both Camila and Dante a little apprehensive. It was snared with light visible stains of blood. Camila thought someone had been murdered here. Gun holes could been seen in the walls too. Everyone in the neighborhood was cautious of the new tenants knowing who had lived in the apartment before, so the children made no friends. Mother had died of cancer before they relocated here.

"Wake up Camila. I overheard Father talking to a strange man about you."

Camila eyes blink open, "What do you mean." She sat up right facing her little brother that was on his knees.

"Yes Camila, I over heard them making some deals concerning you. Father plans on having you auctioned."

Dante report had sent cold spikes down her spine, her soul and her heart. She could hardly believe it. Camila knows Father has become more complacent, spending all his money on alcohol, drugs and gambling brothels. But she hadn't guessed father will be so cruel as to selling her to an unknown stranger just so he could pay up his debts. Tears gush out of her eyes.

"Dante," She didn't know what to say next or how to go about this. Her brother is still young. Who would look after him if she decides to run away. Definitely not her father. She had promised mother on her dying bed that she will look after Dante. Furthermore she had no relations left, who she could ask for help. Father only brother was an arbitrary drug pusher who almost forced himself on Camila when she was 11, then mother had chased him out of their home not minding what father will say next.

The curtain leading to Father's parlor sweep open while two men, strange horrid looking men came in without warning to come grab Camila away. One in knee torn khaki Shorts and a t-shirt while the other on saggy jeans and button shirt.

There was no much lighting in the room than a gas lantern close by. And Camila didn't had the chance to examine their faces. They looked more like young adults from their skinny body built but on closer rage, their unkept hair and craggy face features says otherwise.

"Where are you taking my sister." Dante tries to fight them away but they only pushed his face backwards making him fall on his back. He winced. Camila struggles with them too but only got a hefty slap sending her long brown curly hair falling over her face. Her body almost drift to unconsciousness, yet she refuse to stop fighting.

"This beauty is a stubborn one boss." That was one of the men who griped Camila by one of her arm. Camila could not see who 'boss' was, only his masculine silhouette outside the parlor. Her hair and the deafening slap shielded her from getting a glimpse at the man most especially that hat which shaded his face black. But she could see his thick sprouting beard on the side of his face.