DANGER

DANTE'S POV

Veronica made me wear the same thing today. The same awful dress that leaves very little to the imagination. Colton went through the same process of waking me up and leading me towards orientation room but today I noticed that he had a huge bruise under his left eye and he was extremely distant. He barely said a word to me all morning and I don't particularly care but having someone to talk to in this place makes me feel a little less insane.

I need to talk to someone here constantly so I don't lose my mind and Colton seems to be the only one available. I hate his guts but I do appreciate his presence. Also, the fact that he seems to be the only one in this place who doesn't look at me like he wants to eat me up helps a lot.

"Today, we learn how to dance." Veronica says with her hands up in the air as if what she just said was like mining a gold. She looks towards us with an evil glimmer in her eye. I'm not a good dancer. In fact, I can't even remember the last time I danced so I know that I'm definitely going to fail this class. As I look at her all I can remember is the scared look on that girl's face yesterday. All I can think about is that hideous man getting his hands on her and taking her away to her untimely end.

All I can think about are her screams as Veronica kept torturing her. I feel myself start to hyperventilate but I have to remind my body to calm down. As I angry as I am, I have to pretend. I have to do as Veronica asks and I understand that now. I have no power here. She controls everything and she can make my life awfully miserable with one order. The last thing I want to do I side in this place.

I will not live the rest of my life getting tortured here so I have to be smart. I have to shut off my emotions and use my head. Colton might have been right when he said the other girls here don't care about me but that doesn't mean they're bad people.

They're probably just as scared as I am. They probably just want to get out of here too and live normal lives.

Veronica claps her hands and the entire room goes quiet.

"Due to the very impolite interruptions yesterday, I couldn't give Adeline her new name." She says and looks directly at me with a scowl on her face. She walks towards me and lifts my chin with her index finger. I give her a bitter look but I keep my mouth shut. I fight all the senses inside me urging me to hit her straight in the face. But I know I won't win, so I breathe gently and let calm come over me.

"Despite your difficult personality, you're the prettiest thing that we've come across in ages." She says it like she's complimenting me. like I'm supposed to thank her for it.

"Your new name…" She says. "…is Angel."

The other girls gasp but the new girls and I have no idea what's so special about the name. it's just a stupid stage name to feed the disgusting and perverse ideas of evil men.

"You are no longer Adeline." She continues. "When I call you Angel, you are to automatically respond without wasting a second. I will not repeat myself."

She finally lets go off my face and as I scan the room the familiar girl with red hair gives me a look that looks a little too much like jealousy. I visibly roll my eyes at her and focus back on Veronica. She walks over to a music player and turns it on.

"You will be expected to please your master both visually and physically." She starts saying and I feel sick to my stomach. The other new gurls here have about the same look as I do. They all look like they've given up. After spending such a short amount of time in this pace, they look like they've all lost hope and accepted their fates.

Well not me. I really don't care how bad this place is. I will get out of here by any means necessary.

"The first part of your training is dance. Now we don't have much time so you will all learn the necessary steps in two weeks. If any of you cannot do the dance properly after two weeks of intensive learning, you will be severely dealt with. As you all have noticed, we have strict rules here and it is vital that all of you follow these rules. Life will not be easy for you if you are caught lacking." She explains.

"Now without further ado, Silver mist will show you guys the steps. She knows them at heart and she's one of our best dancers here. It doesn't have to stay that way though. With enough practice, maybe one of you can be better than her."

The rude red-haired girl who I fathom has been here for wrote some time walks to the stage with her head up high like she was about to receive a medal. I wonder how long she has stayed here for her to act like this. For her to act as if it were a privilege being praised by Veronica.

I guess when you live life a certain way for too long, it becomes your reality. Silver mist or whatever her name is has completely allowed herself to be swallowed up and influenced by this place. I can't even blame her. She must have been brought here at such an early age. She must have had to do anything to survive and once she realized she couldn't get out, she accepted what life threw at her.

I feel sorry for her but I cannot allow her to bully me. I can't.

As she walks up to the stage, Veronica stands aside and orders us to watch her. We watch as she sways her hips from left to right seductively to the sound of the music. She moves gracefully and although the reason for why she's expected to dance like this is sinister, she's still a beautiful dancer. The kind of dancer that you can't help but look at.

The kind of dancer that mesmerizes you and puts you in a trance.

When the music stops, she also stops with a beautiful ending. I can't help but think about the how she could have actually made a beautiful career out of dancing in the outside world. But now she's locked up here, with no way to put her talents to use. I feel sorry for every single girl in her who has lost hope.

"Now obviously, this isn't the only dance moves you will learn but you are all expected to know what you just saw at heart for the first phase. Am I understood?" Veronica takes a glance at each and every one of us and we obediently nod our heads at her.

We spend the rest of the day practicing and I dance until my feet are sore.