" Your Master is here. "
These were not the words Salsa expected to wake up to.
" What? "she croaked in a sleeping voice, her lips snacking against each other with her hands hiding from the nipple freezing coldness of her small room.
The voice above her giggled like a kid before the look of mischief appeared in the laughing brown eyes.
The little boy of six straightened from the prone figure of his sister and looked around the cagey though meticulously clean room for anything to use and prank his sister.
The small grin on his rounded chubby face grew to a full blown smile, stretching his slightly big lips to it's fullness as his huge brown eyes spied a feather floating on his sister's window from one of their chickens.
His sister's room is just a few feet from the hen house, which houses only two chickens. An old roaster that is older than him and a hen that is only kept alive for her eggs.
The boy tipped toed towards the feather, casting a suspicious look towards his still sleeping sister willing her not to wake up until he has carried out his plans.
Feathers in hand, a sinister look took over the mischievous look in his eyes and he made his way towards his sister quietly.
His small feet drew to a halt beside the small cot worn out bed. He bent to his waist and slowly used the feather to tickle his sister face.
The lump on the bed didn't move, and the only sign that she is still alive was the slow rise and fall of her chest underneath the flimsy night gown covering her small frame.
The feather crawled like little ants along her face, then her ear before moving into the small hole of her ear.
This got the desired response.
SMACK!!!!
A small slender limb rose from the sleeping frame and smacked her face trying to hit off the crawling insect entering her ear.
Her action forced a small chuckle from the little boy beside the bed who did his best to restrain his laughter as he repeated the movement again. When his sister smacked herself again trying to beat of the feather which he had immediately withdraw he lost it.
HA!!! HA!!! HA!!!
The boy roared in laughter clutching his belly.
The sound of his loud mischievous laughter finally penetrated his sister's subconscious and pulled her away from the tight grip of sleep.
Two pairs of green eyes fluttered like a bird wings before flying open in rage, their pearly appearance glowing in the dim light of the room provided by the small lamp hanging off the wall of the room.
" PAISLEY!!!!!! " the girl screeched in an annoyed tone, glaring daggers at the boy, which only made the boy laugh harder.
" Your Master is here, " he repeated through his laughter.
A light of confusion pierced through the glowing rage in the emerald green.
" What?! " she sat up sharply on her bed, but her brother was already running for the door mission accomplished, leaving behind turbulence of perplexed emotions in the girl. His father had sent him to call his sister who has always been a heavy sleeper and the last to wake up in the house. He had heard their father call the stranger Master and that he was here for his sister. Though he didn't understand what it means.
Her mind stuck on the strange words of her brother she got out of bed to get dressed. Today is her birthday, she just turned fifteen but she was sure no one in her family remembers. This wouldn't be the first time.
A rueful sad heavy sigh released slowly from the slender frame as her gown found its way through her head off her body.
The girl searched through her miserly belongings for one of her gowns that have seen better days. She pulled out a long plain blue gown with a lacey puff that has lost all of its glorious rich blueness. She slipped the gown through her rich brown blonde curls falling in cute wavy form around her small heart shape.
The gown fell in one swoop to snuggle against the trim waist before flaying down to the ankles. She went to her small worn out brown leather shoes neatly arrange near the door and slipped her small slender feet into them before making her way out of the room.
There wasn't much to their house. The rooms are barely enough. Her parents took one of the rooms, her two older brothers share one, her three younger brothers squatters in there somewhat living room and once is morning they clear out. She was lucky to get a small map out to call her own. With the kind of brothers she has, privacy is a much cherished commodity.
It didn't take her much to make her way into the living room and then she froze to her feet at the sight of the stranger sitting on the only couch in the living room that doesn't look like it was falling apart. The man was sitting like he owned the damn place, and from the rich and beautiful clothes he has on he is from the Central City. The King's city.
Their kingdom is made up of several towns and villages but there is only one Central City. And that is where the King leaves and other upper class citizens of the kingdom.
" What is he doing here? "
The paralyzing thought struck a ball of fear into the girl's heart. They have never had such an august visitor. Her brothers words flooded back against her mind like a hammer striking a nail.
" No, it can't be. They wouldn't, " she panicked as her heart thundered like a war drum against her ribs.
She has heard stories in the villages of parents selling their daughters, even some men selling their wives just to put food on the table but she had hoped that her father will never consider much.
There village had been struck with a great drought, and being a place that survived solely on the produce from their farm land things had been a lot difficult but her family had managed to get by from the menial earnings her mother made from her sowing. There weren't much people in the village that needed her services and a lot more that couldn't afford to pay but they managed, but.....
Her fear was so great that the girl turned to flee only her father choose that moment to look in direction.
" Salsa come here. There is someone I want you to meet, " her father beckoned her forward with a thin smile on his face, like something good was about to happen.
Guess for the family.
Salsa hesitated, her frozen feet refusing to move her forward. Her fear was magnified by the hungry and wild look in the very much fat man sitting in their living room.
She might be an innocent, but that look need no explanation. The urge to flee regardless of the consequences had her feet and body moving back.
Her father who was waiting anxiously for her to come to him frowned severely in her direction when he read the panic thought that wasn't trying to hide in her eyes.
COME HERE, SAL! he barked in that father's voice that is loaded with command and authority, leaving Salsa with no choice but to make her way into the living room.
Her brothers were nowhere to be found, and her mother was sitting meekly on the other side of the chair in the living room with her head bent. Salsa tried to catch her eyes. She wouldn't really let her only daughter be sold as a doll, to serve as a pleasure slave to some dirty fat old man.
Would she?
Salsa eyes wouldn't leave her mother as she tried to will her to look in her direction. She wanted her mum to see how scared she is. She didn't want this.
Mum, she gasped softly, the words barely carrying further than her lips but had all the terrified emotions running through her.
" Master Chang, this is my daughter, " her father reached out to grip her by the wrist strongly pulling her forward.
Salsa not expecting the pull stumbled almost falling into her father's laps but she was able to right herself. " Sorry, " she apologized softly with her face burning like fire. She quickly looked away from the harsh glare her father shot her way for embarrassing him.
Master Chang grinned wolfishly at her, running his eyes over her body. His stare made Salsa skin crawl, she couldn't help feeling disgusted at the lustful gaze that the man wasn't trying to hide. Her body shrunk into itself as if trying to escape from the lewd eyes.
" She is one beautiful young thing and I can't wait to have her in my bed. "
Salsa eyes widened, almost dropping to the floor.
" And such an innocent, don't worry my other dolls will train you in no time, and in a short while that green eyes of yours will be glowing with passion for me, " Master Chang smirked licking his lips.
A sick feeling gripped Salsa soul making her shudder in fear and worry. She shot a look at her father to see if he could hear what the man was saying. Her father face looked blank like a slate but when Salsa looked closer she saw the worry in his eyes.
" Dad, please! " she begged tears streaming down her cheeks.
Her dad flashed a look of sympathy before his expression closed off and hardened. " I am sorry Sal but you are now his property. "
What an apt word, Salsa thought as her world crumbled.