The Auction

Yesterday I was taken from my home. Today I am here being pampered and primped to be the most beautiful creature I can be. I have never had my hair dyed and curled. I have never had my nails done. I have never been to a spa. Yet here I am today getting pampered. Who knows what hell awaits me. I have heard horror stories about the auction. I have about the things that happen to the people who end up here.

Here I am with others just waiting to be auctioned out to the highest bidder. It is not fair. I should not have to be here. My father was an idiot. He could not stop gambling. He lost everything playing poker with the vampire authority elite. Now I have to pay for his crimes. I have to be here to cover his debts. I should be getting married or going to college but no the vampire authority plucked me out of my home on my 21st birthday and drug me here. Here to this hell to be auctioned off to some sicko.

Maybe I will get lucky and end up with a nice family that just needs a nanny or a maid. At least I will have plenty of food and a roof over my head. The worst that could happen is I could be killed. Drew was so excited to get his hands on a hybrid. My mother a fairy and my father a vampire I am the only child. I have the powers of a fairy and vampire qualities. Unfortunately I cannot get myself out of this mess. Horace drugged me as soon as I got here to suppress my abilities.

"Are you okay?" the young blonde girl painting my nails asks me.

"I guess. I have no choice but to be fine," I reply.

"True, but you are very pretty. I am sure you will be fine," she says.

"I am scared," I say. I begin to cry. Why am I crying. I am crying because I am about to be auctioned to the highest bidder.

"Shhh. You do not want Horace coming over here. Please calm yourself. Besides you do not want to be all puffy when they make your picture," she says.

She is right. I need to remain calm and smile. I need to be prepared for what comes. The first chance I get I can run. If the drugs would wear off I could free myself from this place. I can fight my way out. I feel a pinch. I look to my left he got me again. He will keep me drugged. It doesn't mean however gets me will keep me drugged. I can do this. I can survive.

"Now look at your nails. They are perfect. I am going to get Lisa to come do your makeup and JoJo will do your hair. Okay?" she says.

I nod. I am not in the mood to talk to anyone. Here comes Horace again.

"Smile girl. You are the big ticket tonight," he says.

I give him a fake smile. I wish I had my powers. I would enchant his ass into a fairy trap.

"Are you scared? Nothing to be scared of unless one of the weirdos get you, like me," he says with an evil laugh.

JoJo comes up behind me and starts pulling at my hair.

"Don't you worry about him. He is not allowed to bid anymore. Not since he killed that girl a few years ago. She was so precious. She was 28 and indebt heavy to the vampire authority. It was sad. Really sad. Horace bought her and well she was never heard from again. The vampire authority took him off the auction list and now he is stuck working here for them forever," she says.

"How did you end up here?" I ask.

JoJo starts twisting my hair up in braids. "I owe but not a lot. So I can work here a few years and be done. I was given the option to go in the short term auction, but since I am a hairdresser they needed me here instead," she says,

"Oh. My father sold me," I respond.

"I am sorry to hear that. Too bad they couldn't take him instead," she says.

"Yeah. I know. I hate him for doing this to me. My mother stood by and let it happen. I think she was jealous of me because I am a hybrid. I did not ask to be a hybrid or to be born or to be in this mess," I say.

"None of us asked for this, but here we are. The only thing I can do for you is make you beautiful," she says.

JoJo twists and braids my hair into a Viking hairstyle. I never knew my stringy long dark hair could look so beautiful. She is really good at this. I hope she can get out of this life soon.

Lisa comes over to start my makeup. She does not say much. She looks at my skin dabs some stuff on my face. It is so icky. I have never been one to wear a lot of makeup. She has painted my eyes dark and put on red lipstick. I look like a whore.

I stop in front of a mirror. I look like a painted up hooker. There is nothing beautiful about the way I look. I have on too much makeup and way too revealing clothes. This is ridiculous. I stand in the hall waiting with other people. Men, women and creatures that I am not sure what they are waiting to have their picture taking for the auction. Every time I pass a mirror I look at myself.

"You look sexy hybrid," Horace says.

I can not even stand the way he looks at me. He gives me the creeps. No worries Horace if I ever get out of this I will find you and send you far far away.

"Cant you even say thank you," he says.

I keep ignoring him.

"Hey bitch. I am talking to you," he screams at me and gets right in my face.

A lady comes out of the small room. "Tatina, you are next honey. Come with me," she says.

I give Horace a bite me look and follow her into her office. "You okay?" she asks.

I nod. "Okay just stand on the X and I am going to make your picture. Smile if you can. I know this is stressful. So do your best," she says.

I stand on the X and smile while she takes my picture.

"There is nothing to worry about. We screen people very carefully. Do not believe everything you hear. Most of the people who come to us are looking for help. They need a nanny or a maid. It is very rare that it is something sinister. I can almost promise you that you will end up in a good place. You are the top billed ticket tonight. We do not get hybrids very often. Especially one like you," she says.

"Thank you. That makes me feel better. I am very scared," I say.

"No reason to fret. You are beautiful and young. You are what 21? I hope your auctions turns out well," she says.

"I turned 21 yesterday. That is when the authority came to get me," I respond.

"Oh yeah. I remember you are James's daughter. He had so much potential with the authority. Shame he wasted it and now lives in poverty. See this is a good thing. You can pay off his debt and be happy and far away from him," she says.

"Pay off his debt. You mean I am not trapped forever in this," I ask.

"No. Just until the debt is paid. Honestly you should fetch enough to take care of it in just a few years. Honey this is going to be a good thing for you. Just smile. Be kind and obey whomever gets you. You can do this," she says.

This might be a blessing. Surely whoever buys me will be well off enough to treat me right. I am away from that idiot father and my mother. She has followed him around and allowed us to live like pigs for so long. This might be my saving grace. I need to be polite and perky.

I can do this. "Thank you. I feel so much better. I did not understand and no one explained anything to me," I tell her.

"Good Now why don't we retake your picture and you can smile a big beautiful smile," she says.

I stand on the X again and this time I smile.

"That is perfect sweet girl. I know that will land you a big fish," she says.

I laugh. I just want to end up with someone nice. I do not mind cooking and cleaning or tending to kids. I just want to be able to eat and have a roof over my head. I can do whatever it takes to survive.

"You can go to the waiting room. When the auction is over. I will come get you. It wont be long. I should have everything uploaded for the bidding to start within the hour," she says.

"Thank you for being so kind. Almost everyone had been kind except one person. Thank you so much," I say.

"Don't pay Horace any attention. He is just mad he is stuck her after what he did," she says.

"What did he do?" I ask.

"Trust me. You do not want to know. Just be careful and stay with the group. If he gives you any trouble Scream loud," she says.

"I will stay with the group," I tell her.

"Good luck. Not that you need it. You got this in the bag girlie," she says.

I exit the office and walk past all the different people and creatures waiting to be photographed. I wonder how they ended up here. I am sure a lot of them have it worse than me. Everything will be okay. In a few hours the auction will be over and I will be starting a new life.