Chapter Seven
Ellie closed her eyes and fought the urge to cry. If she had just called out of work earlier today, none of this would have happened. She’d be back home, probably drinking a wine cooler and reading a good book by candlelight. Instead, she was here, stuck in some unknown place full of people who were either delusional or otherworldly. She didn’t know what was going to happen. The only thing she knew for sure was that she was in for one hell of a ride.
I can’t give up yet, she thought with determination. She wiped away the tears that had started to fall. I can get through this. I’ve been through worse. She took a deep, calming breath. Now, what’s the first thing Mom taught me? She wracked her brain, trying to recall those dark times. Right. ‘Always look for the doors.’ Well, I know where that’s at. She looked around the room and realized that the tent was loose at the bottom, meaning she could probably climb underneath the walls undetected. Okay, what else? Oh, yes, ‘What can you use to your benefit?’ Ellie looked around and saw a large stick that looked like it could be used as a walking stick. Perfect. She eased herself carefully off the table and hobbled slowly to the stick, wincing as she went.
She grabbed it and leaned heavily on it, testing its strength. It wasn’t perfect, but it would do. Ellie walked slowly, circling the room, looking for anything that could help her escape. The dirty rags and bowls of water sat at one of the bottom corners of the table, but it seemed that Jack and Bowie had enough sense to take the dagger with them. She frowned, frustrated. She couldn’t really use the walking stick as a weapon and use it to help her steady herself.
“Shit. Shit, shit, shit! I can’t rely on my boxing skills with only arm available,” she grumbled. “Fuck it.” She made her way slowly to one of the tent walls and bent down slowly, trying to see if she could see or hear anything on the other side. Suddenly, she heard footsteps outside the opening of her room and quickly straightened, but not before Bowie saw what she was doing. She waited nervously for him to drag her back to the table.
He walked to her slowly, deliberately. Bowie didn’t stop until he was mere inches from her. She got ready to try to throw a punch as he leaned in close to her ear.
“There are other rooms on each side of yours. You will be caught immediately.” Ellie groaned and allowed him to lead her back to the table. He took the stick from her and placed it back in its original spot. He was back by her side before she could blink. Bowie gave her a half-smile that seemed almost apologetic. He leaned in and whispered in her ear. “We don’t want you to go through this either. I can’t say any more. All I can do is leave you with this parting gift. Wait for the… opportune time to use it,” he said slowly. Ellie felt something cold and hard being placed in her hands.
Her jaw dropped when she realized that it was the dagger he and Jack used to cut her clothes off. He gave another half-smile and strode out of the room before she could utter a word. Ellie was dumbfounded. She hadn’t expected this at all. It seemed that there were some good people here after all. Ellie smiled to herself and exhaled slowly. Hope rekindled inside her, fresh and stronger than before. I’ll get through this, she thought confidently. I’m not alone. She was beginning to relax when she heard more footsteps outside the door. Ellie quickly stashed the small blade carefully in one of her sleeves and rearranged her face so that she looked scared and helpless.
“Ah, here she is. Are you sure this is the woman that Master wants?” she heard the bitch from earlier say. Someone mumbled something that was barely audible, and the woman grunted in response. “Alright. You two, take her directly to his carriage. And go the back way. I don’t want the other patrons to see what they’re missing out on. You know how much they like the larger ones.” Ellie fought the urge to roll her eyes and kept her facial features twisted in fear. Bowie walked in with a new, larger man, though for some reason, he didn’t look as intimidating as Jack had. The bitch walked off quickly, leaving the two men with her. Bowie and the other man both winked at her, and Ellie relaxed.
“Come on, now. We have to get you to the master’s carriage. Get your fat ass moving,” Bowie said loudly. He looked at her apologetically and Ellie realized that he was putting on a show for anyone around them who might be listening. She gave him a small smile as his partner brought her the stick she used to walk with earlier. They helped her down from the table and began leading her out of the room. They appeared to be gripping her arms tightly, but in reality, they were very gentle with her.
Bowie would occasionally throw out an insult as they passed by other people, but they went unnoticed for the most part. They led her through a maze of hallways and Ellie was astounded at how large the inside of the tent seemed to be. After hobbling with the two men for several minutes, they reached an entrance that led outside. The trio walked through and were met with a crowd of people dressed in all black. They turned; their gazes immediately drawn to Ellie.
“Oh, look how big this one is! I’ll bet she knows how to cook well,” one woman whispered loudly.
“Look at her! She has a broken leg! Maybe we could get her for a discounted price,” said a man in the front.
“Ah, but look how well she seems to stand on the broken leg! She must be in a lot of pain, yet she is hardly showing it! Torturing her would be very exciting!” another woman called gleefully from the back.
Bowie and the man helping her began slowly backing into the tent. However, before they could make their escape, a woman with a white half-face mask strode up to Ellie and grabbed her chin hard. She turned her head this way and that, examining her features closely. She pulled Ellie’s mouth open to take a look at her teeth, and Ellie instinctively bit down. The woman yelled and smacked Ellie hard across the cheek with her other hand.
“Madam! You cannot touch her! She is the property of the master!” Bowie exclaimed, flustered. The woman rolled her eyes.
“I hardly believe the master would want someone like* her.* Take her to the auction stage, now!” she demanded angrily. Bowie tried again to explain the situation, but she would not listen. Instead, she pushed Bowie out of the way and began dragging Ellie away from Bowie and his shocked partner. “I’ll pay top dollar for this bitch. She’s going to know the meaning of pain when I’m done with her,” the woman muttered. Ellie lost her balance and fell, causing the crowd behind her to break out in laughter. The woman grinned menacingly, her face contorting eerily under her mask. She pulled on Ellie’s arm painfully, forcing her back onto her feet.
“Jesus, give me a minute to get up, you psycho,” Ellie grumbled. The woman gasped and pulled her arm harder.
“How dare you speak to me, you insolent whore! You will keep your mouth shut unless I tell you otherwise!”
Ellie thought about taking out the dagger she had hidden in her sleeve and jabbing it into the side of the woman’s neck.