Chapter 11 - On a real Podium

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

The cheers of the crowd entered her ears as she felt an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. The knot tied as she tried to calm herself down, as well as her mind.

Her deepest desire wished that she had a safety net or a boyfriend at least to keep her afloat, or a husband to save her from this tragic moment of an event.

A man's voice echoed through the microphone, signalling that it was about to start. His voice reversed through Ave's ears, signalling that it was bad news and that she shouldn't have followed and should've followed her feet running away instead.

But she didn't have the urge to run.  Instead, she dreaded the moment the creature in front of her was called, and she was next.

The relief of the air kind of got to her and she was too relieved, relaxed. She didn't mind what the first participant did. Or what it was. She was glad she was able to just stand in line and wait until the countless 3 thousand number to be called. Not that she remembered her number. Math was always bad, and she didn't even bother to notice the specifications of the tens in the behinds of the sticker board.

She rubbed the spot. The cardboard against her finger pores as she schemed to run away.

Until she felt the presence of the Grim Reaper behind her. Suddenly realizing that it may not be a too good idea.

She took a step, the line moving closer and the distance getting shorter. She didn't know what to expect. An auction, the word chimed inside her head. She forgot what it was, or what was it for. All she knew was that some men were able to buy her off with a high price than the others. Then take her home, then do whatever they want with her.

That is, until she runs away.

Well, that would be a good idea. She nodded.

She was still young and supple. She worded. She didn't want to be some slave or a maid in a house or a cave.. To be held hostage and do house chores, not doing whatever the hell she wants. In ther youth of life of a living lifetime.
Maybe she worded that out wrong. She wondered.

Well, she was glad she was able to attend the party. It was a good chance of experience to sneak in and able to eat the good food all by itself. The decent portions and the sight of the auction itself. That is, until it dawned on her again that the auction was about to be seeking faeries, elves and druids. To her shrivelling pride that she was wearing one of the costumes.

Of a little red riding Hood whose fate was to be eaten by a wolf, well, not if it was played by the girl in the storybooks. But she was not that girl at all. She would run and maybe throw some logs at the wolf, or let her grandma be eaten for being so gullibe and letting something so tall enter her room.

She rolled her eyes.

Until her eye visions took a stare at the back of a green cape walking away from her, further and further away, the glimmer leaving trails behind ass she stood there, astare and not blinking. It was fear that crept up to her. Or the grim reaper that stood too close behind her. Almost touching as the warmth seeped through her almost perillous red riding hood costume.

"Red Riding Hood." The man spoke through the microphone.

"What." She asked.

It was then that her name was called, or that she didn't pay attention to what the stupid elf did on the podium, in hopes that she could copy and play it off easily.
It was not a scarce job to do. Besides the fact that she had an inhabitant to space out and jump off to dreamland galaxy. And never come back.

Well, at least until some noise entered her ear cochleas.

"You're next." The Grim reaper woke her up.

To her horror.

"No- I."

"Girl, you're next." The man of an intimidating eye on the podium stared at her. Really wide until he told her that she'd better come up there or there'll be a feast to the center of her bones.

She yeeked in silence.

She didn't want to. But she had.

She took a step, walking, as slowly as possible, possibly prolonging time for her to get on stage and stand beside the man who threatened her that she as to be next, or she'll get eaten.

She hoped there wasn't a wolf- werewolf, behind her standing in line. Or else she'll get eaten. Maybe too far to eat. She cackled.

"This here." The man put a hand on her shoulder, the shock jolted her and she didn't pay too much mind to the yellow blinding light as much as the shock. "Is a little red riding hood, captured and seen directly from the forests of arrebyte. It was originally from a tribe, but casted away for her wildness, freedom and its justice sense of patriotism. You can keep her as a pet or on a leash maid contract." He looked down and stared at Avy in scrunity. It was not a pleasant sight.

She almost cowered, but still managed to hold his eye gaze until he break away. "Any bets?" He called.

The bet shot up to a mere 30k. It was not that much. Maybe it was the white hair and red eyes. She wondered. Figuring if little red riding hood had blue eyes and brunette hair, she would be in paled price in comparison. Well, she was glad that she was at the current state. What could happen if she was of a European descendant? That would be tragic. Someone could give her an amulet and she would look like the other fantastic being behind the closed curtains.

She thought about. The cute little dwarves or the gnomes she saw in the first place. Staring at her with cute eyes and little stature, offering themselves to be bought and adopted. Except this wasn't adoption. A remorseless thought ran through her head. She was glad that if they went first, she would have time to calm down and not overreact. Besides, she would have the decent amount of time to think about her escape plan. To none other than the calls of her number.
Which already entered the three thousands, which she ignored. First time then until it came to her detailed anonymous number, that she was called, and forced her calves legs to come up front and stand in front of the podium.

Tragically.

Maybe multiple times as the man, asked, calling for her attention, out of sheer policy and a deliberate thin piece of patience, stickered on his lips. His gaze directed at her number. "I asked, little red riding hood, do you, -do you want the man on the left, or on the right?" He cleared his throat. His eyes reflected that he had been asking the question for the countless time.

To which Ave wanted to laugh and apologize at the same time. Maybe it was the lighting and the atmosphere of the place that made her doze off and wanted to sleep. Or it was that just her, a little tiny habit of gazing out of her own planet.

Well, she jolted. To a specific awakening of a nerve ending. Realized what the meaning of what he said. She had to choose the man on the right or on the left. They looked exactly the same. She wondered off. The right man wore black  butterly mask with red shades, and the left man wore white butterfly masks with black shades. All are the same, and she didn't even bother to choose or say what she picked.

At the current moment- the price was overabundant and exactly the same as the two men raising their number pads high in the air almost symmetrically. The right man, who invited her in illegally, or the left who seemed like a king- a European man who just seemed to be looking for some fun and would treat a lady very kindly.

She made a weird motion with her lips. Maybe too strung and mechanic on her nerve endings. It was too confusing to pick. She didn't want to, if she was given a choice. If she could, she would tell the man that looked like her great-uncle that she wanted both of them, or none at all, of she was given the choice.

On the current situation, the right man, kind enough to give her a smile, one that she would notice that he was the one who brought her in the gala. An eery, creepy and cheeky smile.

The sign, whom she- Avery- caught was deliberaye and not instantaneously. It was more, 'give me a hint more and I'll know', kind of thinked response. And it was not good.

As the man turned into a dark expression, Ave said, "I'll choose the man on the right." She splurted. And that was it, the old man- or young man, or old- cracked the banged hammer on the side of his podium and a loud echo sounded throughout the room.

The crowd responded with a cheer as she was gestured- with a nudge- to go down the stairs and meet the man that saved her from homelesness. Or rather just into a new phase of slavery and housework. She inched through the waves of the crowd and found the man- who saved her- and bought her in the same day.

To her dismay, he replied with a warm, satisfied smile.

The man returned with a kind smile. Ave regretted to what in fact could be her doom. Or a new life he could give her.

She stood beside him the whole time.
A time would come where she would explain all the faeries, elves, ogres, tiny gnomes and even a grim reaper who was sold off to people inside the crowd. Even described to be the most powerful conjurer who could serve, enchant items or even conjure cute animals to be your pets and a new family member of your household.

She heard in disgust but interest of a newly found idea.

The auction disbanded.

After 3 hours.

Which her feet are killing her.

"You need to drink." He walked along as she followed, to an empty space as they stood there. He took one last glance and left her, walking away.

She started at his back as he walked. Wondering what kind of man he was, and whether she was able to trust him and not leave her in some kind of deserted road or a plain where she couldn't fend for herself.

"I'm back." He announced.

To which her surprise he was back like a man returning from his bathroom loo. A few seconds in. Or maybe she was the one who spaced out for way too long and that he came back dignifyingly proper.

He carried two glasses of wine. She observed- with her beady, twinkling eyes. She started at. Looking up at him to say if he was sure about this. She didn't drink wine that much. That dark.

Averithe made a suspicious bet that it was rich and it would reach to the corner of her bones. To her core.

The man pushed a right hand towards her. The wine shook in honor. It looked too elegant not to take an offer he just made.

Unrespectfully.

She took it. Unsavoringly, unaware.
That he was going to drink first and throw a glance of a sweet smile- at her.

One she has grown in reluctance attached to and a pleasant sight to see. To her eyes at least. She wished no one would do the same. The thought ran through her mind as she took a sip.
In a distraction.

He kept staring. One that Ave would realize, out of the little gaze of her eye, that he wouldn't stop his gaze. At least the wine wasn't poison. She swallowed.

The sound so edible, insignificant and evident to her ears- maybe a little too loud- to her ears- or maybe to the man beside her. Which she didn't know how it came up to be so loud. She swallowed again, lightly.

It was good. It was sweet. It tasted like sugar and cherry, where you couldn't drink anywhere else but here.

She didn't look up at the man to give a response to his eyes- to his gaze- or to any single living organism in his body that wanted a response out of her.
To which she bet he did.

Being the gentleman that he was and brought her a glass of sweet wine to her taste, and to her hunger.

And in to her horror dismay. She swallowed.

She drank wine.

Yes, she drank wine.

"Well, you are completely tied to me." He calmly drank another sip glass of wine.

She responded to the glass of wine sneering at her, then to the man calmly lazing around, standing like a piece of pole.

How dare he laze around and stand like he's some kind of boss or a big man in charge.

She made a lookalike like she didn't enjoy drinking even a sip of it.

"Well, I didn't think that you would participate in the auction." She protested in whatever that may be out of topic.

"Well, I kept waiting, but you never came back, did you. How did you know that some good man was going to take you away or return you to your home? " He questioned. "And how much did you pee in there?" He asked, looking at her.

She gave her a look.

She swore he might be laughing inside. Sneeringly and unelegantly integrated.

"I wonder how much pee bladder you could hold.." He muttered to himself.

He genuinely seemed curious, to know about the millimeter of pee inside her pee tube.

Not that she would answer,  a single word to his question.

"What was that supposed to mean?" She asked.

"Nothing. You would suit the job." He shrugged. "Which, um- well, you got the amulet I bought you, didn't you? One step later and someone else would've got it." He shrugged his shoulders, speaking casually like he was breathing air. "I bought it, for you." He added, taking a quiet slurp of his sip.

The wine glass looked weirdly exotic and somewhat erotic, like she would see an advertisement of a wine drunk by a male on television. To her dismay, that he was staring at her through his response.

To Ave's eyes, he seemed like a crazy man. What's wrong with staring at someone drinking wine. An acquaintance, and someone so close, at least?

It was a sight where she wanted to look away, but she couldn't as she deceitfully, slowly returned her gaze to the front from his uncomfortable stare, but secretly take a long at him sideways as she still wanted to look at him.

A little from the corner of her eye.

"How long are you going to stare at me at?"

Well, in this case, her right eye

"What are you looking at?" He questioned repeatedly. "Don't you know staring at people is rude." He put the glass to his lips and drank normally now. Maybe too big of a gulps that she observed.

"Yes, but I didn't meant to be rude. I love the amulet, thankyou." She glanced at the purple amulet on her wrist- to which she swore she wore it from home. A memory of her sitting in front of her bedside mirror and putting the amulet on with a clasp - the size encircling it perfectly on her wrist -and on her short neck. The necklace of a a perfect length that wasn't too extra that it would dangle like a sack of dead skin on old people. She sighed.

"Am I yours?" She glanced up at him. She sputtered. Her conscious mind slapping her for saying something so crazy and unusual that she would rather dive off a bridge or run in front of a moving- car.

Which she didn't mean to come out like that. "Do you like wine all the time?" She questioned innocently.

Or that way either. She was confused.
On what to say, whether she should just shut up or stay silent frozen like an ice sculpture.

To which he slung a hand over her shoulder and gave her a rose.

A rose appeared right there, and she took it. Wondering what it was for or where it appeared.

Where she didn't know. Not a bit.

She stayed quiet, shutting up so she wouldn't say anything that she would regret. But now it felt too uncomfortable and now she wanted to talk.

She started up at him. Maybe not too long.

There was a silent warning that she was standing too near to the chandelier, but she didn't know why or for what reason. She ignored.

The twinkle in her eyes made him get a response.

"No." He said, "Do you want to come home with me?" He asked.

Maybe that it was the glimmering of the chandelier of the light or the shitty lighting that blinded her eye, but she forgot what he just asked, and she swore she saw his eyes turn a slight red. Whether it was the corner of his eye, or just the inner color of his irises.

She ignored, returned her gaze to the front, as his arm was still dangling off of hers.

He broke it off.

Her gaze observed, what was before her, which was the same scene of people walking around and butlers walking to serve the guests with trays in both hands. Sometimes just in one.

The man shook the wine in his hand. "Still, you are free to visit my castle if you want to." He added. "That is- unless you want to go home. You look like you need some rest." He smiled genuinely at her. Hoping that she would come home with him and at least relieve some boredom.

"Oh, thank you. I'll think about it." Bored, out of her mind that she did nothing but stand there beside an attractive man whom did kindly enough smuggle her into the ball. And to which suddenly she felt a strong pull towards him.

"W- what's happening?" She panicked a little, begging for him to get help.

"Oh. I think it's the contract." He smiled kindly, shrugging his shoulders as little too smoothly. "You are free legally, but in contract, you are obligatedly mine." He shrugged.

She didn't know why he kept shrugging.

He glanced at her. "You can't break the contract. For like, ever."

"What."

"Well, unless I release you. For some good reason." He mumbled.

"I did, buy you anyway." He added on. To her fear, that she already had in the beginning. Not to mention on the podium and having to answer some questions. She only had one heart, and she was already on the brink of it.

"You can have multiple hearts." He muttered to her, twirling the wine under his hand.

"What are you." She asked, expecting him not to answer, as she already knew what he was- a human in a mask who had a big castle and probably multiverse rich.

He stared blankly at her.

"That's such a rude question." He added. "I also have one heart. I was just earlier offering you if you wanted to spend the night in my house, that is if you wanted to." He stared at her.

"Uh, yeah, sure." She spoke flatly. Quite daring of her to say. Maybe it's just one night. She didn't like home anyway. Mother was just lazing around in her room, and it'll probably take her months to realize she was gone. Well, maybe in her situation at least, she wouldn't die of a careless death.

She quietly chuckled, quite unaloud, she might addingly say.

"Let's go." He grabbed her hand. "You want to go home, don't you?" He asked.

"Yeah. But where's your house?"

"Not too far from here." He replied.

To which he said.

But it took a' one hour to get through halfway until he announced that they were merely there.

Mostly.

"Are you sure, that's your castle?" She asked idly.

They have been passing castles, and Ave saw what was passed through her eyes were like a breeze of houses. Wondering which one was actually his.

"No. But we are nearing it. It's a grey castle."

"Ugh." She felt sick to her stomach. But hungry, wanted some food. Maybe it was the wine. But she felt safe against the dashboard and knew that she was going to sleep well tonight. Well. A stay over at someone else's house wouldn't prove to be a bad thing.

She dozed off.

And to which, she woke up to a smell of roses.

Underneath. Really close. And to which she jolted her eyes out to the sight of a large single rose planted on her body.

Maybe on top of her.


You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net