Bound in Black Magic
a booming voice suddenly shouted from the lower tiers.
My breath hitched. Slowly, forcing my gaze up from the wooden floorboards, I made direct eye contact with the man whose paddle was proudly raised. A violent shiver of utter disgust crawled up my spine. He stared right back at me, a thick coat of sweat coating his protruding belly, his hairline receding into a sweaty dome, and his mouth parting to reveal a row of crooked, yellowed teeth that twisted into a revolting, predatory smirk.
The stark, terrifying reality of what our lives were about to become crashed down on me. Tears finally spilled over my lashes, hot and unbidden, as I stared at the horrifying prospect of being handed over to