by Kieran Song
“Sorry Dallas, but finding your right place would be the same as finding a needle in a haystack,” Maria said as she pinched an invisible pea-sized object in between her thumb and index finger.
“Mouthy bitch,” Dallas muttered. “I should knock all your teeth in.”
“And watch Ryker skin you alive for damaging his merchandise,” Maria replied.
“Well then, maybe I’ll ask Ryker to let me have you for a night. I’m sure he will, seeing as how he likes me and all. Then I can shove your face into that haystack of mine and show you how big that needle really is.”
Maria did’t say a word for the remainder of the ride. After a few minutes of unsettling silence, the van finally pulled up in front of a row of houses just on the outer edges of Bimini. Allegra stepped off the van and stared out into the empty plains that enveloped the dead city, a vast dune of dust and sand while in the distance, dark red mountains watched over them like silent sentinels.
“Nothing much out there,” Maria said.
“Everything is out there Maria,” Allegra whispered. “A whole world filled with happiness.”
“Get any foolish thoughts you’re having out of your head, before they get you killed,” Maria said while eyeing Dallas with caution. Luckily he hadn’t been listening in on their conversation.
“You’re right,” Allegra sighed. “But sometimes it’s still nice to think about what’s outside of here. I wonder how the world has changed since I’ve been imprisoned here.”
“Less yapping and more gathering,” Dallas barked as he ushered them towards the quaint little homes. “Here’s the deal, you have thirty minutes to fill your sacks. You’re restricted to these three houses only,” Dallas said as he pointed to the homes with numbers fourteen, sixteen, and eighteen displayed on them. “Try and escape and I’ll shoot you right between the eyes. I don’t care how valuable you think the mound between your legs is, you try and run, you will die. Now go.”
They decided to split up and Allegra took house number sixteen. As she walked through the doors, she was overwhelmed with sadness. The houses were always filled with the personalities of the families that resided here. It was depressing to think that after the entire population of Bimini was poisoned, their belongings were left here, abandoned. Their possessions were more than just shiny objects or collectables; there were memories associated with them, stories that were now lost forever. The only people seeking to claim these keepsakes were the vultures looking to make a profit instead of loving friends or family.
It was hard to forget the controversy surrounding Bimini. The vanity and the greed of Bimini’s residents proved to be their destruction. It was a black eye in the history of mankind, one best forgotten, which was what the world decided to do. They looked away from Bimini with disgust as if it were nothing more than an unsightly blemish on an otherwise perfect visage.
The family room, dining, room, and kitchen of house number sixteen proved rather uneventful, though Allegra did manage to find some expensive silverware. She made her way upstairs.
The first room she entered was a nursery where cartoon farm animals decorated the pink walls and stuffed teddy bears sat on the window sill. A wooden cradle stood next to the window, and Allegra held her breath and slowly crept towards it. It was empty and she felt foolish for any expectations she had. She glanced at the mobile hanging above it, decorated with an assortment of cute birds, and she pushed it gently with her fingertips and watched it spin, losing herself in the innocence of those rusty flying birds.
“Fifteen more minutes,” she heard Dallas holler from below. Allegra barely had a quarter of her sack full. She hurried out of the nursery and entered into the next room. It was a personal office and she was relieved seeing the laptop and gold watch on the desk. After further digging, she also found a couple of cell phones and CDs, all which she shoved into the potato sack. The laptop itself should be more than enough to keep Ryker happy.
Allegra noticed a bookshelf at the back of the office and she walked over to it to have a peek. She touched the spine of one of the old leather books resting on the dark wooden shelf and traced her fingers around the words, printed with golden letters.
The Count of Monte Cristo, she read. Allegra pulled it out and flipped through the book, the musky scent of the old pages filling her nostrils. She loved it.
Allegra wanted to hide the book and sneak it back to her quarters in the Arena, but the risk was far too great. If Ryker discovered she had taken something for herself, it would be a brutal punishment.
“Five minutes,” Dallas screeched. Allegra shoved the book back in its resting place and hurried to the final room. The first thing she noticed in the master bedroom was the large wedding picture hanging above the king-sized bed. The couple in the photo was beautiful; two complimentary halves merging together to form a perfect picture. The groom looked handsome and intelligent while the bride was radiant in her white dress. She was a princess from a storybook. Allegra saw the ocean, palm trees, and white sand in the background, indicating that the wedding was somewhere exotic. She was envious of the picture and that magical moment of pure happiness that was forever frozen in time; two lovers smiling and happy for an eternity.
“Two minutes,” Dallas shouted. Allegra snapped out of her daze and rushed over to the bedside table and pulled open one of the drawers. She found sparkling necklaces, earrings, and rings of all sorts, and she stuffed it all into the bag. She almost missed velvet box in the corner of the drawer. She took it out and opened it.
Inside was a spectacular diamond ring that glittered when she held it up to the sunlight. Allegra glanced at the wedding photo and immediately identified it as the engagement ring on the bride’s finger. It reminded her of the diamond ring her mother used to wear; a symbol of her dad’s love for her mother.
“Alright, pack it in. Let’s get out of here,” Dallas shouted from below. Allegra took one last glance at the diamond before placing it back into the drawer and shutting it. She picked up the heavy potato sack, and dragged it down the stairs and out the door where Dallas and the other two girls waited, the black van waiting behind them.
“Let’s see what you got,” Dallas said as he began to inspect the loot. He searched Maria’s bundle first and nodded with approval as he fished out fibre cables, watches, and a box of antique coins. “Nice grab.”
He moved onto Allegra and rummaged around her bag and gave her his approval as well before trudging over to the new girl. He ripped the sack out of her trembling hands, pried it open, and immediately frowned.
“What is this crap?” Dallas growled as he pulled out canned food, books, and toys and tossed them onto the ground. “What the hell are you doing?”
“I’m supposed to find valuable items,” the girl said.
“Yeah, you were,” Dallas replied. “And you come back with this garbage instead.”
“Food is not garbage. We’re starving down there,” the girl said. “You have no idea how valuable one of those canned goods is to us. And the books, one single book can give us a temporary escape from that hell we live in. It’s a small glimmer of hope to keep us going. And the toys are for the kids so they can be happy, even for just a little bit.”
Dallas smiled. “What a dumb little runt you are,” he said. “I hope you’re enjoying the sunshine right now, because that’s the last you’ll ever see of it. I’m going to make sure Ryker buries you as far down in the dungeons as possible.”
The new girl said nothing as she clenched her fists and closed her eyes, tears streaking down her dirt-stained face.
“Come on, let’s get in the van and head back,” Dallas ordered just before everything went to hell.
The new girl shook her head and bolted in the opposite direction, sprinting past the houses, as she headed towards the red mountains in the distance.
Dallas laughed and made no effort to chase after her. “We’re in for a show,” he said as he leaned against the van and folded his arms.
Allegra scr
eamed at the top of her lungs, howling for the girl to come back. Maria joined her chorus but their warnings fell on deaf ears. The girl continued sprinting, tiny dust clouds appearing at the ends of her heels as they brushed against the sand. For a moment, Allegra thought she had made it, that the girl would be free.
The sudden explosion shattered that thought violently and Allegra watched in horror as the girl disappeared amidst the smoke and bloody debris that rained down after. Allegra turned away.
“Whoops. Guess I forgot to tell her about the mines,” Dallas laughed. “That’s why you dumb bitches should always do what you’re told.”
He pointed his gun at the remaining two and gestured for them to enter the van. The ride back was silent and Allegra did her best to erase the memory of the nameless girl being obliterated by the blast of the mine.
Chapter Eight.
It was another full house. The crowds came to watch the fights in swarms, like flies on feces, and they packed themselves tightly into the Arena, elbow-to-elbow, just to see kids beat each other to death. It was nights like these that made Allegra lose her faith in humanity and it made her want to scream, but she maintained her composure.
“Give me strength Lord,” she said aloud. She was quick to realize her mistake. Ryker hated God and religion. He was the only god allowed to exist in the Arena. Luckily he was busy going over the fight card with unbreakable concentration and he didn’t hear her.
“This card is going to absolutely bring the house down. It’s the best one yet,” Ryker said to Allegra as he showed her the names on the list. “The first fight will give the crowd some foreign flavour. I don’t want anyone mistaking me as a racist for only having American-born fighters.”
No, you’re not a racist. You’re something much worse, Allegra thought. She read the two names, both Japanese.
“Hiroki and Tanaka, both fresh off the boat,” Ryker said. “My connections in the Yakuza sent them over. I’m tossing in some swords for their match. Hopefully they’re both little samurais in training.”
Not only was Ryker a child killer but he was a bigot too.
“I have the Dog fighting next. I’m setting him up against that black kid from Baltimore. You know, the one with all the attitude from the corners,” Ryker continued. “Both of them won their first matches in brutal fashion. I’m wetting my pants just thinking about it. To make things even more interesting, I’m giving them both a weapon to start. The barbed wire bat is a nice touch, don’t you think?”
Allegra grimaced. She hated that weapon more than any other. Not only was the bat adept at breaking bones, but with the barbed wire, it was good at mutilation as well.
The torn flesh caused by the razor wire always made Allegra feel queasy. It was a butcher’s mess and the wounds were extremely difficult to manage.
“And the final fight will be a grand one indeed. Tiberius will be fighting in his hundred-and-fiftieth match,” Ryker said. “I rarely get sentimental about these things. It seems like only yesterday that Ty had his first kill. I believe it was against that football star that ran away from home.”
“Tiberius has fought very well over the years,” she said automatically. It was programmed in her to agree with everything Ryker said.
“Yes, he’s a deserving champion. A true force of nature in the Arena. If he wins tonight, I’m going to reward him.”
Allegra raised an eyebrow. It was rare that Ryker ever showed any generosity to any of the slaves.
“Oh?”
“Tiberius has made me more money than any other fighter. He’s one of the cornerstones of the Arena’s success,” Ryker said. “I want to show everyone that I am kind and benevolent. If Tiberius wins tonight, it’ll be his last match in the pits. I’ll grant him the honoured status as one of my personal bodyguards. He’ll no longer need to fight in the pits anymore.”
“Why don’t you grant him his freedom instead,” Allegra said. It wasn’t until Ryker gave her a wallop in the stomach that she realized her slip of the tongue. She was never allowed to give Ryker any suggestions. Never. After all, to him she was only a slave, and a slave had no opinion.
“You don’t tell me what to do,” Ryker said.
Allegra was on her knees, clutching her stomach. Tears streamed down her face as she gasped for breath.
“Did you hear what I just said?” Ryker barked. Allegra nodded weakly through the crippling pain.
“Now go and get me my drink,” he said. “Quickly, before the first fight begins.”
Allegra staggered at first but finally rose to one knee, and then to both feet. She hobbled over to the decanter full of whiskey. She filled the glass and returned with both the glass and the decanter. Ryker had his back turned to her as he sat in his usual throne on the balcony overlooking the pit. He watched the two Japanese boys with unparalleled focus as their fight began. Allegra had become an afterthought to him.
She gripped the decanter in her hands and stared at the back of Ryker’s head. He was open and exposed.
And then she felt the spark of an idea light her mind ablaze. It seemed so terrible and wonderful at the same time and it made her tremble.
She could hurt him. She could smash the glass decanter as hard as she could into that grotesque skull of his. Perhaps it wasn’t enough to kill him, but at least he’d bleed.
They’d kill her after, most likely torture her first. Maybe they would defile her. But all Allegra could think about was how fantastic and precious the look of pain on the Goblin’s face would be as he bled all over his Persian rug.
Allegra gripped the decanter until her knuckles went white and quivered as she slowly raised it over her head. If she was lucky, some broken glass would find a way into his neck or penetrate through the bone and into his brain bringing him a swift death.
The roar of the crowd erupted, signaling the end of the fight and Allegra abruptly brought the decanter back down to her side as she regained her senses. There were too many uncertainties in her plan.
Ryker turned around and grabbed the drink out of her hands.
“About time. I had to watch the first fight sober,” he hissed.
“I’m sorry,” Allegra said. She bit her lip and forced herself to stop shaking. Her eyes dampened but she refused to let herself cry. She would not allow the Goblin to see her weak from all this emotional torture that he put her through.
Allegra never forgot the first time the Goblin made her shed tears. She was still young. Still innocent.
It was her first experience with death and the grief seized her as the boy lay at her feet. His injuries were fatal and Allegra’s tears seemed endless that night. The Goblin watched her misery with sadistic pleasure. He had loved every second of it.
In one single moment, Ryker had stolen her dignity, her innocence, and the life of her brother. The last two things were gone forever, but what little dignity she had left, she preserved it as best as she could. With the exception of physical pain from the beatings, she vowed never to cry again in front of the Goblin. Never.
Ryker tried to break her though. He tried very hard.
He attacked her with vulgarity in the beginning as he rained insults down on her like a firestorm, many of them directed at her freshly deceased brother. Allegra absorbed them all with a deadpanned look on her face. It was only when she was alone that she grieved in silence.
The next thing the Goblin did was force her to look at the faces of all the dead children and clean the gore off their bodies. She did it without a blink of an eye and she prepared the bodies as best as she could, giving them a little dignity even after death. All the while, she felt his presence in the shadows, waiting for her. She almost begged for him to come, take her away from this place, but he wouldn’t. Not yet. It wasn’t time yet.
In order to see her cry again, the Goblin resorted to knocking her around and it worked. How could anyone not shed a tear when they were on the receiving end of a vicious beating? However these tears didn’t count in Allegra’s mind. It was her bo
dy betraying her heart.
For the next few years, Allegra controlled her emotions, refusing to let them get the best of her. Her heart was like stone when everyone was around her, especially the Goblin, but it was when she was alone that she became as brittle as eggshells.
The next time Allegra had cried in the open, since her brother’s death, was when Ryker assigned her a new task. After he sold one of his voluptuous medics to a European businessman (Ryker delved in sex slavery as a side business), he required a new medic and that responsibility fell onto Allegra’s lap.
The first boy she was assigned to look after, died from his injuries. Perhaps it wouldn’t have been so bad if the boy didn’t have the same eyes as her brother. She cried and cried while the Goblin laughed. A week later a second boy died on her operating table and she cried for him too.
As the weeks passed, Allegra forced herself to learn everything she needed to about medicine. She requested more medical books and better tools (both which the Goblin granted after she sold him on the idea that it was a better investment to keep his champions alive) and she buried herself in this work. It almost gave her a new purpose in this place; a small sense of accomplishment in this meaningless life that she lived.
There were fewer deaths under her watch and eventually she had the highest survival rate amongst all the other medics. There were occasions when a boy’s wounds were too serious and like all the other times, she wept. But these tears were not meant for Ryker’s pleasure. If no one else cried for these boys, then Allegra would.
And now one of the Japanese kids lay dead in the Arena and the other boy stood victorious and horrified.
“I’ll hand the Japanese kid over to Amanda to mend,” Ryker said. “You take care of the winner between Dog and Naymond.”
Allegra nodded and turned her back to the pit and walked over to the wall furthest away from its view. She had no desire to see Dog in another fight. He was a wild animal.