by Mara Frost
Delusion and desperation apparently go hand in hand.
The skinny grey skinned auctioneer raises his hands to order calm to the crowd and they all surprisingly become quiet almost instantly. For some reason that freaks me out even more. What sort of power does this alien have that thousands of aliens listen to his every command at a drop of a dime?
“As you all may know, what we have here is a human female from the planet ‘Earth’ of the uncharted territories!”
The crowd erupts once more. I jump with a start and hiccup back a cry from the sudden noise. I look around nervously, feeling naked and terrified. I unconsciously take a small step back in my cage, wanting nothing more than to get away.
“The human is fit, healthy, fertile and is early to middle aged within the human lifespan.”
At this I stop and look at the auctioneer in surprise.
“Middle aged my ass,” I say lowly to myself.
My brow furrows. Early to middle aged? In what world is 27 middle aged? Without thinking, I shoot the auctioneer a scathing glance, but he doesn’t notice as he’s too busy performing for the crowd. No one notices.
“As you all know, humans have been a rarity for quite some time as they’ve been deemed illegal for capture, but we have a fine specimen for you today! So let’s get started, shall we?”
The crowd cheers.
I look back at the crowd and see their eager eyes bouncing back and forth between me and the auctioneer. My stomach tightens into painful knots. I feel like I’m going to pass out.
“So why don’t we open up the bidding with 20,000 Q’itars!”
“25,000!”
“30,000 Q’itars!”
“40,000 Q’itars!”
Like lightening the bidding begins. At first I try to search for the owners of the voices who are making the bids, but it all happens so fast that I can’t see anything. All I can see is that most of the bidders are within the first few rows of the platform. They apparently want the big ballers to have a seat front and center.
I stare at the people in the front rows with open distaste. They don’t look very pleasant at all. I have no basis for judging, but even through my inexperienced eyes, they all look bloated and rich and entitled.
I just hope one of them is in need of a pet instead of dinner.
“Come on, golden retriever,” I silently beg to myself.
“Okay, we have 40,000 Q’itars, do we have 50?” the weasely auctioneer yells.
“50.”
“55.”
This continues to go on for a while – in fact, long enough for me to actually get a little bored. I shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other, my legs getting tired from being so tense.
“125,000 Q’itars for the gentleman at the front row! Do we have 130?” the auctioneer asks giddily.
I whip my head to attention and look towards the front row, trying to find the bidder. My eyes search the crowd, looking for a person who looks vested in the bidding war. And it didn’t take long for me to find him.
I recoil and my face contorts into something in between fear and disgust. I can only see his face and arms as his body is almost completely covered in robes, but seeing his face is enough for me. He is tall and generally humanoid looking, but what’s terrifying is that he doesn’t look like he has any…skin…at all. His face looks like an exposed form of muscle and tendons with the gelatinous consistency of mucus and blood covering him. It’s horrifying.
As I continue to openly stare in horror and fascination, the man’s eerie eyes suddenly dart towards me and meets my gaze. I cover my mouth and cry out in surprise. His blood red eyes stare at me and I look right back at him, feeling trapped. I stare back until I can no longer bear to look at his face anymore.
I turn my head and blink in shock as silence sweeps across the crowd. A prickly sense of panic courses through me as I realize that no one is bidding against him.
“Oh crap, please don’t win me,” I say nervously to myself.
“130 from General Xuraan! Thank you, sir!”
Relief floods through me at the sound of a new bid. My head shoots up and I look around eagerly to find the person who’s competing with Skeletor. I find him easily enough and my heart sinks into my belly. He doesn’t look nearly as terrifying as the other guy, but I’m fairly certain that isn’t saying much.
The opposing bidder is a portly-looking fellow and has a hairstyle that gives Chiran’x’s hair a run for its money. I look him up and down, sizing up my potential owner and see that he’s wearing some sort of military uniform, but based on his rotund figure and the size of his entourage, the uniform is probably more politically oriented rather than related to actual military accomplishments. His smug face would also suggest he’s a person of power and wealth – a person who gets what he wants.
“Is there a 135? 135?”
Before my brain has a chance to stop me, my eyes shoot over to the scary skinless alien, checking to see if he’s going to offer a counter...and praying that he won’t. To my utter horror, I find that he’s still looking at me, and if possible, looking angrier and more terrifying than before.
He then nods his head ever so slightly, barely even noticeable. But this gesture didn’t go unnoticed by the overeager auctioneer…unfortunately.
“Oh fuck.” My throat tightens and my mouth goes dry.
“Ah yes! Thank you, sir, in the…uhm…black cloak, 135! Do we have 140?” the auctioneer asks the crowd, but everyone looks to the fat General, including me.
The General puffs out his chest and looks more than a little annoyed that someone is actually trying to outbid him. I silently beg the pompous-looking General to continue and not give up.
Because honestly, the General looks like the kind of guy who probably likes to collect pets and show them off to dignitaries or something and I would be absolutely fine with making that dream a reality for him. But the scary skinless man? Well, he looks skinless and it looks like he might need some…skin.
“Come on, come on,” I mutter under my breath.
I nervously look at the General and watch as one of his men whispers something in his ear. The General’s eyes widen with excitement as he looks at me with a predatory gaze that makes me want to crawl out of my own skin - no pun intended. Whatever that man said to him, suddenly reignited the General’s fire to have me apparently.
The General lifts his hand and nods his head, acknowledging the bid. I bite my lower lip as a whimper sounds from my throat. The realization that I’m pretty much screwed either way, with both bidders, hits me hard. I cast a low glance at the lone bidder, just like everyone else, curious to see what he’s going to do next.
The entire crowd is silent and I hold my breath as we all wait. There’s no reaction from the skinless man though. His horrifying face remains emotionless. He is just staring down the head auctioneer, indicating no interest to place a bid.
After several seconds the auctioneer breaks the silence.
“Alright then, we have a winner at 130,000 Q-“
“200,000 Q’itars,” the cloaked alien yells. The hair on my arms instantly raise at the sound of his almost impossibly low voice, which somehow sounded both ominous and strangled.
The low murmur of the crowd hushes completely and even the head auctioneer is struck into surprised silence. I look around desperately. I look at the crowd and then to the auctioneer and then to the General and then back to the crowd again. I look everywhere but at the creature that just made a bid for me. Somebody has to outbid him. ANYONE.
Still caught off guard by the apparent exorbitant number, the auctioneer stutters, “Uh, yes, we…have 200,000 Q’itars. Do we have...205?”
This almost makes even me chuckle. I have no idea how much a Q’itar is, but I get the impression that 200,000 of them is quite a lofty amount. It’s an amount that apparently even gives rich bureaucratic men pause.
I look at the General and the look of surprise on his face suggests that I’m right. I close my eyes and fo
rce myself to stay on my feet and not collapse. My legs feel so weak, all they want to do is give out so that I can fall in my cage and scream, but I somehow manage to fight the urge.
“250,000 Q’itars and not a Q’itar more,” the angry General yells.
I jump and my eyes snap open. The crowd responds enthusiastically, clearly charged by the unexpected bid and more than a little eager to see how it will all end. I look at the General and he looks just plain annoyed that anyone would dare challenge him. Either that or he’s bothered that he has to pay such a hefty sum for something that he wants. So, basically he’s probably an incredibly pleasant person to be around.
God, my life sucks.
Both the auctioneer and I look at the scary Skeletor man to see if he’s going to offer an opposing bid and without hesitation he shakes his head once, indicating that he’s out of the bidding.
I exhale a slow breath and feel my body relax. I don’t know what life with the General will hold, but I have a feeling it’ll at least last a little longer than if I were with the alien who looks like he has a 100 degree sunburn.
“And we have a winner at 250,000 Q’itars! General High Lord Xuraan, thank you so much, sir!” the auctioneer says reverently, bowing his grey bald head several times in the General’s direction. The crowd begins to clap in forced enthusiasm, apparently disappointed that he won the bid.
“You may collect your winnings in the holding area, sir.”
The auctioneer then motions for his men to come to the stage to take me and my cage away. I freeze.
“No, I...please…don’t! Wait,” I cry out as the men come towards me. A sudden wave of terror courses through me. Up until this point everything almost seemed…like a dream for some reason. Nothing bad has happened to me yet. Yes, some annoying things happened, but nothing really bad. But now it’s all becoming too real too fast.
I move around the cage, desperate and afraid. I sweep my eyes across the crowd, looking for something…someone to help me. It doesn’t make sense and I know that no one would actually help. It was just an act of desperation.
And as expected, no one is even sparing me a second glance anymore. The spectacle was over and they were all talking amongst themselves, completely oblivious of what horror might befall me.
Everyone was ignoring me except for one alien - the creepy faceless alien who wanted to buy me. The one who probably wanted to make a Dani suit to wear and dance around in.
I match his gaze defiantly, silently telling him to fuck off because he didn’t win me. I stare into his blood red eyes and a violent shiver goes down my spine. But again, I find that I can’t look away.
And then just as the auctioneer’s men begin to slide my enclosure off the stage, I raise my hand and give the creepy alien the one finger salute.
“Screw you, buddy!” I mouth.
I really loathe aliens.
***
Dani
I hear noise before I actually see anyone. Curled up in a ball at the corner of my cage, I open my eyes and watch as blurry figures start to enter the holding room that I was placed in hours earlier.
Memory of where I am and what happened to me come rushing forward and I clear the cobwebs in my brain and jump to my feet, immediately alert. And more than a little terrified and anxious.
“May I present to you, your human female, General Xuraan.”
I eye the auctioneer and take a timid step back. I watch as the grey alien bows and then motions grandly towards me in my cage. The General and his entourage all cast their eyes on me and I suddenly feel overwhelmingly vulnerable and naked. My eyes fall on the General and I see the lecherous look in his eyes as he looks me up and down.
“As I said, she’s in good health and in good working order. She’s had the translator nodes injected into her so she understands everything that we’re saying.”
This apparently piques the interest of the round burly General. His brow raises approvingly as he rips his eyes away from my body.
“Good, good!” he huffs. “How temperamental is she? Does she bite? Does she need to be restrained?”
With the last question, I could have sworn I saw an evil glint in his eye, as if he would be all too eager to subdue and restrain me to suit his needs. My stomach turns and I take another step back, eyeing everyone defensively.
The tall auctioneer waves the question away and chuckles.
“Oh no! Humans, especially the females, are quite docile and harmless. They are quite agreeable actually. They can be a little spirited at times, but it’s usually only when they are hungry. Besides, I believe they sleep most of the day.”
I cock on eyebrow in disbelief at all this. Sleep most of the day? Docile? Apparently they actually think I am a golden retriever. Has no one done their research on humans before they decided to kidnap one? And spirited? I’ll show them spirited.
“Mmm…indeed? Docile? That’s a shame, I do love a bit of spirit, but I’m sure we can scare some out of her,” the General says with another glint in his eyes as he takes another step forward, standing just at the edge of the cage.
I take another step back, not liking the sound of what he’s saying or the way he’s looking at me. But that seems to only fuel him more. The corner of his lip twitches ever so slightly as he watches me step away from him.
Without taking his eyes away from me, the General says, “I do believe it’s fair that I’m able to inspect my winnings? To ensure that I paid a fair price and that I haven’t been…cheated?”
“I don’t see why not, sir,” the auctioneer says smoothly with a slick smile. “I trust you won’t be disappointed.”
My eyes widen and my mouth opens in protest, but nothing comes out. I look at the auctioneer and then to the General, not understanding what he means, but having a sick feeling regardless.
“Good. Female, remove your clothing,” the General orders evenly, like he’s ordering a dog to sit.
With my heart drumming in my chest, I unconsciously fold my arms over my chest protectively and shake my head. I knew something like this – and worse – would happen, but it doesn’t mean that I have to take it quietly.
“N-no!” I say nervously, but defiantly.
A very small smile touches the General’s lips, apparently excited by the prospect that there is indeed spirit in me – spirit that gets to be broken by him.
“Tsk tsk, girl, do as your owner says,” he auctioneer says under his breath.
“No!” I bite back, shooting an angry gaze at everyone in the room looking at me, but letting it linger on the General a little bit longer. This doesn’t seem to deter him though, it only seems to encourage him. The General looks to the auctioneer and nods his head once, as if giving him an order to do something.
And then a nausea-inducing pain shoots through me and I collapse into the fetal position. All the muscles in my body contract as the pain crashes through me. I try to scream, but the pain has strangled the muscles in my throat and won’t allow sound or air to break through.
It feels like hours, but only seconds go by before the pain quickly dissipates and disappears as quickly as it came on. I pant for breath and try to allow myself to recover. The shock is gone, but I still can feel the lingering echo of the pain as I crawl onto my hands and knees.
“Human, you will do well to do as you’re ordered. This cage can do a lot of tricks, I trust you don’t want to learn all of its secrets right now?” the auctioneer says evenly, each word dripping with condescension.
Steadying myself against the wall, I match his gaze and try to send as much hate at him as possible. Still panting for breath, I respond with silence but rise to my feet and raise my head in defiance.
The skinny grey alien snickers. “I believe she is ready to do as you ask, sir.”
“Take. Off. Your. Clothing,” the fat General repeats, enunciating each individual word clearly, ensuring that he is fully understood and relaying that he doesn’t care to repeat himself.
I swallow down my angry words a
nd clench every muscle in my jaw, hoping that this will keep me from opening my mouth again and incurring the wrath of the stupid cage.
I take turns looking at the General and then the auctioneer with contempt and disgust. I don’t even bother looking at anyone in the General’s entourage because they’re likely to be just a bunch of slaves that he probably bought one way or another anyway.
They both match my stare and wait.
“We don’t have all day, female,” the auctioneer hisses.
There’s nothing else I can do. There really isn’t. Realizing that I have no other options, no other choices, I lower my eyes and with my trembling hands I begin to unzip the top half of jumper suit. I then lower the top half until it hangs at my hips. I still have my tank top on though and I pause for a second before going any further.
“The top,” the auctioneer orders.
He doesn’t have to finish his sentence. I know he wants me to remove my tank top now. I breathe in deeply before I reach for the bottom of my shirt and then with one fluid motion I remove my top and reveal my naked breasts to them. The cool air of the room instantly touches my nipples and they become pebbled and hard.
I don’t have to look up, but I can hear the fat alien’s breath quicken as he openly stares at me. It makes me stomach turn. I look up and see him staring hungrily at my heaving chest as I still attempt to catch my breath from the shock seconds ago.
“Open the cage for me please. I would like to go inside and get a closer look.”
“Sir, are you sure that is wise?”
“She’s my property, so do you really think it matters whether I go into the cage or not?” the General snaps back.
“Of course, sir.”
The auctioneer bows deeply. He inputs some commands into the control panel of my cage and then suddenly the pulsing sound of the cage disappears. I look around and realize that the invisible barrier that kept me locked in is now gone. I glance over at the General uneasily and a feeling of panic and dread sweeps through me.
He can come inside now.
With my chest still completely exposed, I take a step back as the General steps into the cage. His eyes travel up and down my body, but they keep landing on my breasts as if there’s a magnet guiding him to them.