12

29

lazarus

Me and Rupert watched the girls collect rocks from near the trees.

Rupert had a bitter, disgusted expression etched all over his face.

“You're really going to give them money for giving you a bunch of rocks?” he snarled. “What the fuck has gotten into you?!”

He trailed off his sentence, seething.

“We could have just taken them there and then!” he spewed viciously.

“Not so fast,” I snarled, rolling my eyes. “They need to develop trust for us first before we take them. Have you learnt nothing from how many times we've done this before?”

I folded my arms matter-of-factly.

“We need to lure them in slowly. Make them rely on us. It's how we stop them from being disobedient bitches after we take them in.”

Rupert narrowed his eyes, realizing that I had a point.

“Besides, giving them a couple of dollars for a few rocks isn't gonna bother me, when we could make millions off of these bitches.”

“I guess so,” Rupert agreed, nodding briefly.

We both shut up quickly, as we watched the girls jogging back over to us.

30

lily

Me and Valerie had finished collecting the rocks for the men.

We ran over to them excitedly, handing over the rocks to them in their hands.

“Here are your rocks!” Valerie screeched.

“Thanks girls!” the old man grinned.

“Here is your money, as promised,” the young man said, smiling.

He folded some coins into our hands.

“Thank you!” we replied gratefully.

“Anyway, we best be leaving,” the young man said. “We'll see you around.”

We waved at them, as we watched them walk away.

“I'm so excited to show this money to my mama!” Valerie said ecstatically. “She'll be so happy!”

“I know, what a nice man!” I giggled, feeling my cheeks flush pink.

Nobody had shown people like us such kindness before.

31

mama

Meanwhile...

I finished filling my bucket with water.

“I think that's enough water for now. I should get going.”

I got up on my feet, dusting myself off, and took hold of the bucket, turning around to make my way back to the camp.

I trudged through the forest...

One pathway after the other.

With the heavy bucket held firmly in my hands.

After I'd gone down about three pathways, I felt myself bump into somebody.

I slowly allowed my eyes to move from the ground back upwards, and I noticed two men in army uniform standing there, blocking the pathway, smoking cigarettes.

I took a few steps backwards, allowing myself some room and distance, swallowing down a lump that had formed in my throat.

“Excuse me,” I stumbled nervously. “Could I get past please?”

The men's eyes bored into mine. One of the men had terrifying, veiny eyes, that caused my skin to set on edge.

“I don't think so,” he said quietly.

He continued to smoke on his cigarette, the corners of his mouth curling upwards into a smirk.

I drew out a deep breath that I didn't know I was holding, shaking and convulsing, doing my best to keep my composure, and keep myself together.

“P – please...” I whispered uneasily. “I really need to get home.”

“By the looks of your feet, it doesn't seem like you have a home,” the other man commented, shooting me a look of disgust, as he stared at my bare, dirty feet.

He let out a low chuckle, and the other man rolled his eyes sarcastically.

I could feel my insides twist into knots, feeling eaten alive with shame and humiliation.

I hated how other people thought that they were better than people like me, just because they had more money, or status.

It was how good of a person you were, that truly mattered.

But materialistic people like these men would never understand that...

32

mama

“What's a beautiful lady like you doing, wandering in the forest all alone?” asked the veiny-eyed man, narrowing his eyes. “You should know better.”

“You don't know what's lurking out there,” his friend agreed, his voice low and deep, with a dark, sinister tone to it, that set my whole body alive with unease.

I felt so uncomfortable...

So terrified in this moment.