Chapter 2|Beauty could be more of a curse than a blessing

KIRA'S POV

I woke up with a headache and a stir. It was a nightmare, nothing new. It was the same re-occurring dream for the past two years. The same blurred images and the same sound of laughter ringing in my ears. I couldn't help but believe that in a life, one where humans roamed the surface of the earth freely and people laughed, where a child was scolded in each home and girls didn't wear collars but were loved, cherished, given names that means so much to the parents, it wouldn't have been a nightmare.

But in here, it was.

It was a little room that I was very familiar with. I knew every nook, cranny, every crack and every differently colored brick in the little space I have stayed in for so long with initially twenty human girls but now, just six.

We never allowed ourselves to think of what happened to those that left because thinking of them means worrying about our own fate.

The minute I opened my eyes and saw the apprehensiveness in the eyes of the others and the tension in the room, my body stiffened. I knew what was happening. It was familiar with what had happened for the past three years and had been repeated fourteen times.

Number '6' with her striking hazel eyes that made me call her hazel most times looked at me, I know the tightening on her face and the way she almost fell off the bed when the sharp rap on the metal door was made, was because she knew she had to be the one that will leave and not return today.

I didn't know what easy to look at meant but Hazel was stunning, with a beautiful blonde hair that looked golden under the right shade of the sun that came from the window where her bunk was positioned, I find myself gawking at her most times.

She had a graceful way she carried herself; her legs moved like that of a graceful ballet, never quite reaching the ground and yet not springy that number 4 prided herself with, she was tall yet so soft-spoken like number 12, and she had a big beautiful smile that had captivated me the first day I had set my eyes on her like number 18. She had directed that smile at me and for the briefest of seconds, I had truly believed that everything will be fine, all will be alright, and I will see my mama and papa soon. She also seemed like she can't pronounce sin unlike number 10 that called her bodyguard 'satan' and she never caused trouble like number 1 that had attempted running more times than her personal bodyguard fancied just to rile him up.

I had heard that there were other room like ours with more submissive, prettier, younger human girls and it made sense why we were never visited for so long. But now we were it didn't take a genius to know that between a crazy number 12, an older 4, a younger 18, a foul-mouthed 10, a troublesome number 1 and 14; the girl that barely said a word and kept to herself, Hazel was the obvious choice.

It was heartbreaking to know that we will be saying goodbye to her soon because although she was almost without flaw, she had a teeny tiny problem, unlike all of us, she had hope in our world. She had faith that one day we will leave here. She didn't believe this was our fate and somedays I believe it is her courage that had left her undetected for so long but not anymore. Just like everyone, she knew this was her time to face what was on the other side of this suffocating yet familiar space.

Her eyes glistened with tears and the metal doors chimed opening automatically. One by one following our numbers, we were escorted into the dark halls then corridors that we had once seen a heap of dead human beings scattered on its floor. Their eyes were blank, their expression was that of horror, their faces had been white like a sheet and there was an indent at their collarbones that we didn't need to be told what it belongs to.

We had been told of how lucky we had been to be chosen from the masses of humans who would give anything to be chosen and saved from the rampage of humans and we had been chilled to the bones even after we were escorted back to our room after we had taken our bathes absentmindedly. I can never forget the look in their faces, the fear, the horror. It had happened a year ago and yet every time we passed this halls, I notice the way our eyes all move to the spot the bodies had been lined in almost like we were expecting to see the vacant eyes and shell-empty body.

We all bathed hurriedly and I could hear their hushed quick murmurs.

"Damien?"

"…Tall and handsome…"

"A commander and Prince. He is evil and ruthless, unforgiving I have been told."

"I heard he killed his former pet."

"How do you know that he has even gotten a pet before? We don't leave here so we know nothing." 12 reprimanded 4 and concern creased her forehead as she eyed Hazel who stood under her showerhead silently and we knew better than to think it was all water that flowed from the showerhead that slide down her cheeks.

"The guards talk," an undeterred 4 refuted as she continued furiously sponging her body.

I stayed silent under the shower head. There was a reason I was called the mute, I never spoke when the guards were present and to the girls I spoke in monosyllables and only when it was extremely necessary.

I quickly and quietly started sponging my body, refusing to be carried away by the trail of bits of gossip everyone whispered that may or may not be true. None of us knew what the outside world looks like, we don't know if the wind was still a soft whisper that lifted your dress and makes you want to dance if the sea was still a roaring dangerous magnificence, if the moon still watched us live our life, live our fear and act like our dreams don't scare us.

Our bathing time was timed and soon our bodyguards will barge in here to escort us and I knew that they were permitted to drag us back even if we are not done. It had happened with 1 and let's just say that the thought of anyone's hand on my naked body repulses me.

At least there was one thing I was thankful that being locked up in here had given us, although Mr. Grant the segment commander and the man that sold us for gold coins will think otherwise, I still haven't seen what a slimy vampire looked like. We were served our meals by humans and our guards were human soldiers who had been enlisted by the human general who had betrayed us and had aided the Vampires to gain leverage against us and all the times we had been presented to masters who had wanted to purchase pets, they always sent their human aides.

I don't know if they did it because they were being considerate or wanted to ease our mind, and there was also the option that they are important men and might have things that were more important than getting a terrified slave to pleasure and entertain them. But whatever was the reason I count my blessings. Just thinking of the indent of their fangs in the porcelain skin of the humans I had seen on these hallways a year ago made me shiver and at this point, I couldn't help but feel pity for Hazel. She was beautiful so I doubt he will just suck her blood dry and spare her the horror of spending her nights with a grotesque animal above her. Sometimes I wonder whether the horror in the faces of the bodies at the corridors were because of their incoming death or watching such an eyesore of a beast maul their body.

My skin crawled at the imagery and I scrubbed my body harder. I have been smart, I had kept quiet in front of the authorities and as far as they know I couldn't say a word, I was safe. I was the dumb girl nobody wanted and when Grant discovered I wouldn't be fetching him any coins, I will happily die by his sword than meet any of the beasts that killed everyone I cared about.

I will rather die than serve such a man, rather die than be his plaything. I spared a glance at Hazel feeling pity for her, beauty could be more of a curse than a blessing in here and who knew that a blemish free skin will earn her a beast?

She deserved better, she shouldn't be in this position but this was her fate and honestly, I was selfish and grateful it was her not me. It was a horrible way to feel but whenever one of the girls are pointed and it turns out not to be me, a sigh of relief leaves my lips involuntarily.

It was a selfish world and all we can do now is conform. I stared at Hazel but I said nothing even as I wrapped my body with a towel and waited for the guards that entered the bathroom stall immediately our time was up and the doors chimed then opened.