Keeping aside the mental battle within me, it was time to get ready for the real one. Today Anna was going back to the beauty station. She hadn't been taken there for a while and was beginning to wonder if she had been replaced by the other woman. The game master never spoke to her directly. All their communications were through the driver assigned to take care of her. She had never seen him. In the beginning, he offered her everything if she decided to get close to him but she had spontaneously disagreed. Since that day, she was never allowed to meet him. He probably didn't have the heart to get her to volunteer so he kept her at work anyway. The other woman, the lady in white, on the other hand had seen the game master. She often talked about it to Anna, telling her about the grand opportunity she missed. Anna had no regrets. She got to meet the love of her life again and she was happy about it. She had accepted all that had happened to her and moved on. All she wanted to do now was save everyone else and get closure.
The beauty station as she described it, was enormous. She told me it had the equipment from the future. She described it as heaven for most girls before whatever hell they were about to endure. When she got there, many girls were in their seats, being prepared for something. Someone was at the make-up station; someone was getting their hair done. Anna supervised them carefully. As she walked around, the other woman interrupted her.
"You seem quite happy. I wonder where you have been lately. You know we aren't supposed to go out to often. I mean, I can go wherever I want and do whatever I want but you on the other hand, are still on a leash young lady. Don't you forget that", said the woman in white.
Anna replied angrily, "first of all, I am older than you 'young lady'. I am not happy I just feel good when I am at the beauty station. Trust me, I am just as miserable as you. Drop the act and accept what you have become. You are the very monster that kidnapped you. You have become a mistress, lost your self worth and killed your dignity, all in a year. Stop pretending you are lucky. You are the unluckiest person here. Out of every single girl here that got kidnapped, you have the misfortune of dating a monster. I wonder if he is even good to you. He showed me mercy for my body. That is probably the only good decision he has ever made. Making me an asset on the other hand was an advantage to him. He got the best person to supervise the beauty trials. I will do my work with loyalty, but unlike you, I will never kill someone for it. You rely on outer beauty. Me on the other hand, can see the beauty in one's soul. I protect them from being murdered brutally for not being ideal in someone else's eye. They are all ideal. You just need a heart to see that. I am sorry that you lost yours."
Anna had never directly spoken to the lady in white. All that built up anger was trying to escape her body. She continued, "and don't you dare try to think you were his only choice. Don't you dare forget I was here before you. I have been here for years. I kept my heart strong and worked for him but I never let him touch me. I have never even seen him. You probably feel proud of yourself to have sold your body to a kidnapper and a murderer; well, I am proud I didn't. I didn't stoop down to your level then and I will never stoop down to your level now. You could have chosen my path. You could have asked for my help. He would have spared you just like me. You would have worked for him without losing your soul. I am afraid it is too late to even try to put some sense in you. You probably can't wait to meet him late at night and tell him all about this conversation while he uses you for your body, yet again. You know he is using you right? Or are you naïve enough to think he is actually in love with you. I will always work for him with loyalty but I will never be okay with what he did to all those girls. In my heart, I will always feel pity for the ones that lost their lives. There is nothing I will do about it. I won't fight against him or plan against him. In my heart I will stay pure. I will never stoop down to his level, or yours for that matter."
The other lady was silent. She had just been given an eye-opening lesson. After a long period of silence, she finally said, "you are right. I probably sold my body at first, but in my heart, I know he loves me. He doesn't completely trust me yet but he loves me immensely. He isn't the cruel man you point him out to be. This is all for a bigger cause, I am sure of it. He was forced to do the evil for something greater. I request you to not speak ill of him, and if you don't understand my request, I order you to do so. You lost your chance and you clearly regret it. Whatever you say, you can't have him, okay? He is mine completely. When I showed up, he probably considered sending you off with the rest of the girls. The only reason you stand here is because he showed you mercy. He pities you. "
Anna replied, "oh my dear child, you have been brain washed. Okay fine, I won't speak ill of your love. He is older than you and me and we should respect our elders, right? He is probably your father's age, who he must have killed by the way. He is a maniac who kills everything that bothers his motive. One day, you will see it. For now, you can love him and I won't interrupt. Just remember, if you ever need me, I will be right here to help you. Us ladies have to stick together, right? Take care."
They parted ways with a weird connection formed between them. It was a love-hate relationship between two people who didn't even know each other's name.