Auctioned Page 3

  I was staring intently at the steps, not one speck of attention anywhere but there. Still staring at the stairs, I felt someone staring at me, but I didn’t pay any more attention to it than just feeling it. I was probably being paranoid anyways. Then, I felt something scrape my shoulder lightly, scaring me. I jumped, causing me to loose my footing on the, what I now found to be slippery, stair. I began to fall, my butt hitting a step, then my head hitting the wall, then my hip hitting a step, my head hitting the wall, my head hitting a step, my foot hitting the wall, and it just kept going, me falling, tumbling, down the stairs.

  I made sure not to let one tear even erupt in my eyes, and only let a yelp or two slip out. I hit the banister a sixth time; wondering how far up we actually got when I heard a thud. After about 2 minutes, I realized that thud was me, hitting the cold, hard, black marble floor. Finally. I didn’t cry, I just stood up, and wiped the dust that had clung to my sheet of a dress off. Crap, I was wearing a dress! I sighed as I began walking back up the stairs, ignoring the searing pain in my head, the sting in my legs, the jolt of my ribs, all the pain...everywhere.

  “Lillith?” I heard Justan’s voice boom down the stairs, accompanied by rapid footfalls and a creak or two. Oh god, I hope I didn’t break any of his stairs. I just kept counting, kept walking, accomplishing my task of ignoring any pain very well; including my thumping temples. It was like a rhythm, *Thud* *Thump* *Thud, thud* *Thump* And that’s what I saw it as, a beat playing itself in my head. My quickened heartbeat in my ears helped my brain process it that way a bit. It hurt my lungs to breathe as if nothing had happened, but I just ignored that sting I felt under my chest, and controlled my breathing, making myself breathe steadily.

  After my first ... 17 stairs, Justan was standing in front of me, blocking my way. I looked up from the neatly polished steps and into a pair of truly concerned eyes; Justan’s eyes. “Are you alright?!” His voice actually matched his expression. Wow, nice acting. I just nodded, and he sighed, picking me up. Hey! Hey, don’t do that! I kept my mouth shut, finding it best not to protest. But then I noticed my stuff was no longer in his hands. Who cares? I didn’t care about any of it anyways. But I had forgotten the only memory of my mother that I had kept safe from my rampaging father was with that stuff. I had forgotten the little silver locket that held her smiling face in it was in one of those bags. And as my eyes slowly fell shut, locking me in complete and utter blackness, I thought of her, but still not one thought of that precious locket passed through my mind.

  Chapter 7

  I woke to a tickling feeling in my ear. "Stop." I giggled, but it just went on. "Hehe, that tickles!" I laughed. I opened my eyes to be greeted by a room that was definitely not mine. Oh, yeah. He sold me. Where's - "Aaaahhh!" I screamed at the top of my lungs right after I rolled over. I jumped out of he bed, landing on my butt in the process.

  "Lillith, calm down!" Justan sat up, shirtless. My eyes widened and I averted then quickly as I felt my face heat up. I heard him chuckling at me. "You okay? You have seen a guy without a shirt on before, right?"

  I looked up, and for the first time, I noticed how his hair was a chocolate brown, that matched his eyes. I nodded quickly, ignoring how his hair began to fall into his eyes, making him look so ... hot. No! Don't think that! Eww!

  "So. You're sixteen?" I nodded, and gave him a questioning look. "Eighteen." He answered my facial expressions and I nodded again. "You ... wanna talk?" I shook my head slowly and he sighed. "Okay then, let's go meet my parents." My eyes widened and I went to shake my head again.

  "Why not?" He asked as he walked over to the dresser that was in the room. When I didn't answer, he turned around, while putting a gray tee-shirt over his head. "What happened to the girl that was at the auction yesterday?" Yesterday?! My eyes widened. I slept with him?!

  He noticed that I was looking for a clock, and nodded to something behind me. "You must have been pretty tired. I mean, 12 straight hours ... wow." The red 9:00 glowing in my face seemed to be taunting me, and made me want to punch the clock so it couldn't glow it's taunting redness in my face any more.

  "I know you have questions. I'll answer anything you ask." His voice rang softly into my ear, causing me to jump. He was knelt right beside me. I obviously amused him, because he laughed at me. I narrowed my eyes at him and he quit laughing and sighed.

  "Fine. Let's at least get you out of that rag." He mocked me with a smirk. The side of my lip twitched as he helped me up.

  Seeing my bags in the floor of his closet made me realize something, and I began to panic. Where's mom's locket?! I dove for the bags, ripping out their contents. I didn't see the necklace in not one of the bags. My eyes teared up and I was about ready to cry.

  "Wh-what the hell?" Justan's voice flowed into the room from the doorway. He walked up to me, a towel in his hand. "What happened?" He asked softly.

  My hand shot to my chest, just above my breasts, where the locket would lay, and a tear slipped down my cheek. The only thing of her I had left...and I...I lost it.

  "Oh!" Justan said suddenly, causing me to jump again as he walked over to his dresser. "Here it is." He smiled at me as he put something around my neck. "It fell out of one of your bags. No crying now." He smiled, and my hand traveled back up to my chest, and there it was. My locket was back around my neck; safely.

  Out of instinct, I guess, I flung myself at Justan, engulfing him in a hug. Sadly, I didn't pay attention to the fact that he was crouched down, and I wound up on top of him, my cheeks flushing when I realized what had happened. He, though, didn't seem the least bit fazed. He just kept staring at me. I noticed his eyes moved to my lips every now and then, as his face slowly came closer to my own. Oh, no.

  I turned my head right before his lips touched mine. He sighed, and sat up, taking me with him and causing me to sit in his lap. "Okay, get in the shower, get dressed. Do all that girl stuff you have to do, please." My eyes widened at him after his last word. He said please. "What?" I shook my head and stood up, taking the towel he dropped to the floor and some clothes, then rushing into the bathroom he had pointed to.

  When I got out of the shower, I felt refreshed and clean. Let me tell you something, that felt, amazing. I washed my hair about 5 times and I lost count of the times I scrubbed my filthy skin with that wash cloth.

  Thankfully, the clothes I grabbed were okay: A pair of black jogging pants and a baggy rose red tee-shirt that fell just above my knees. I towel dried my hair, causing it to frizz. I laughed at my reflection when I wiped the fog away from the mirror. I looked like cousin it! The round black brush looked as if it would break when I pulled it through my hair. I think I yelped once or twice from the brush catching my ear, but 2 years of my dad pulling and yanking at my hair caused it not to hurt when the brush pulled at the knots in my hair.

  When I finally walked out of the bathroom, I noticed Justan sitting on his bed. When his eyes caught sight of me, they widened for a second, but he kept his cool.

  "Let's go eat breakfast." I smiled and walked down the stairs with him, noting that all my stuff was put back in their bags, and the bags back in the floor of the closet.

  Chapter 8

  "Hello my dear." I heard a soft, sweet voice come from the table as we walked into the large dining room-looking thing. I looked toward the voice and saw a neatly made bun in the middle of a bundle of black hair. Slowly, the woman turned her head with a stern look on her face, until her eyes landed on me. "Oh! Is this her Justan?" She said, excitedly. He only nodded, eying her plate of pancakes longingly.

  "Oh! Dear, you must be hungry. Claudia! Please, would you make 3 more plates?" I gave her a questioning look as she giggled. "He always eats at least 2 plates." I could feel the side of my mouth twitch. Boys. "Come on then, sit down." She ushered me toward the chair next to her own. I went to grab the back of the very expensive looking leather chair, when an arm reached between my arm and my side and pulled it out for me. I blushed as Justan sat in the chair next to mine, and I wai
ted for him to tell me I could sit down as well.

  He raised an eyebrow up at me, then patted the chair's seat. I guess it was a habit for me to wait for everyone else to sit and then be told to sit myself. Justan gave me a quizzical look as I sat down. I just shrugged at him and scooted my chair in, it's legs scraping the floor and making an ear splitting screech. I froze right then, not moving a muscle, and gasped.

  "Sorry." I said quickly in a very soft and candy sweet voice that came naturally when around people I didn't know. At the auction, I was thinking I would be killed, and I was being bold. But, now, my natural instincts are back and fully awake.

  "Oh, don't worry hunny. Justan does that more than you would think someone could." The lady giggled at me. She looked between 35 and 40 years old. So, either she was Justan's mother...or he had a taste for much older women. "Oh!" She noticed the way I looked between her and Justan. "I'm Daneese. I'm Justan's mother." She smiled at me, and I returned it, much weaker and a lot more forced than her own.

  "Yeah." Justan mumbled as he licked his lips at the 2 plates of steaming pancakes set in front of him. I looked behind me at the lady placing my pancakes in front of me and smiled warmly at her. She blinked at me in shock, but then smiled back. I knew how she felt. To have to serve people and make things for them; to be at someone's beck and call. I knew how tiring and depressing it was. Although, she was probably paid. I didn't, however, know how that felt.

  "So, Lillith, is it?" I nodded my head as I cut into the pancakes in front of me, watching the translucent brown liquid run down the sides of the 3 pancakes sitting on my plate. I brought it up to my mouth and took a small bite. They wouldn't poison me, would they? "Are you ... okay?" She giggled at me as I closed my eyes and felt the sweety, runny liquid run down my throat along with the buttered pancake.

  I opened my eyes with a small smile, and nodded. This was so good. I haven't eaten in just about 2 weeks, and this was the best thing I've had since I was 13.

  "Don't you talk dear?" She asked me sweetly, very innocently. I shook my head slowly as I gazed up at her, doing my best not to scarf down the delicious treat in front of me. "Why, in heaven's name, not?" She didn't sound mad like I thought she might, but surprised. I simply shrugged and took a much bigger bite than the last. A glob of syrup caught on the corner of my mouth, and began to run down my chin.

  My hand quickly shot to my mouth, as I wiped away at the syrup. However, it stayed sticky, and I sighed. Looks like I'll be sticky for a while. Then, kept eating, bite after delicious bite of sweet pancake.

  "Claireese!" Justan called out, causing me to jump. That was ... loud, not to mention unexpected. "Could you please bring a wet washcloth for Miss. Lillith? She seems to have made a mess." He smiled at me as he told the young, sandy haired lady what to do. I frowned at him and shook my head at her.

  "I'll get it. If you would just show me where they are, please." I said softly as I stood up, making sure not to scrape my chair again. All eyes were on me in shock.

  "Y-yes ma'am." She smiled slightly, obviously trying to hide it from Justan and Mrs. Daneese. She began to walk away slowly, making sure I was following. I did so, and quickly, as to make sure not to get in trouble for stopping his maid from doing what she was told.

  "You don't have to call me ma'am." I smiled at her as soon as we were out of hearing range of the two in the kitchen. "I'm Lillith. Or Lilli." I smiled at her and held my hand out. She gave me a warm smile and took it lightly.

  "Why, Miss. Lillith, are you being so kind?" She asked, and I could hear the slight English accent she had.

  "Because, I know how it feels to be in your shoes. Well, minus the payments. And it's just Lilli, no miss." I smiled when she looked back at me with a smile of her own.

  "I can tell I'm going to like you very much Lilli." She said as we came up to a large narrow door in a hallway. I honestly wasn't paying attention to where we were going.

  "I'm very glad. I could use someone that understands something that I know." I laughed lightly. My sweet, soft voice was gone, and I was using my normal, strong one that I automatically used when I liked someone enough to talk to them. I don't know why it's like that, it just is.

  "Do you need anything else?" She smiled as she handed me a washcloth from the closet.

  "Uh, I honestly don't know where anything is." I smiled at her sheepishly.

  "Okay, come with me." She laughed and started walking back the way we came. I nodded and walked behind her. Soon, we were walking past Justan and Mrs. Daneese, who gave me questioning looks once again, and into the kitchen-kitchen, not the dining room-kitchen.

  "Claudia, this is Lilli. She's actually cool. And she's living here as a master." Claudia turned and smiled.

  "Yeah, she actually smiled at me earlier." She said to Claireese as if I weren't there.

  "Well, we need to wet this washcloth so that she can clean up the syrup off her chin." Claireese poked my chin and I laughed.

  "Thanks." I smiled at the both of them as I walked up to the sink and ran warm water over the rag. After I rung it out, I rubbed my chin viciously and soon, it wasn't sticky, but smooth as it was before.

  "So, why are you so different?" Claudia asked, leaning her small frame on the counter.

  "I know how you all feel. I've been in your shoes...without being paid that is." I added, looking at the floor when they laughed.

  "Surely not all of us." Claireese laughed at me.

  My cheeks heated and I nodded sheepishly as I heard their gasps.

  "Then, are you hear to work?" Claudia asked in amazement, and I shook my head.

  "Justan bought me." When I looked up, they were looking at me with weird looks that I couldn't pinpoint.

  "Bought you?" Claireese asked, and I nodded.

  "My dad sold me in an auction, and Justan won. I don't know what he's wanting me to do, but he's treating me nicely, and hasn't put me to work yet." I looked back at the floor as thoughts of him acting like my dad flashed inside my head.

  "Wait..Lillith as in Lilli Cartwright?" I looked up at Claireese with wide eyes and a slow nod. She giggled at me. "I'm not a stalker, I just saw papers about you in the master's bedroom when I was cleaning." She gasped at me. "You were in his bed this morning!" She squeaked. My eyes narrowed and I looked back at the tiled floor with a blush.

  "Oh, deary, don't worry. That's not a bad thing." Claudia said when I heard a pop and an 'Ow!' come from Claireese.

  "I just want to know wh-" I was cut off.

  "Lillith! Are you coming back in here? Your food is getting cold!" I heard Daneese scream from what I now thought as the dining room.

  I smiled at the two. "I guess I'll see you two around." They smiled and nodded as I waved and walked back into the dining room.

  "Sorry." I mumbled and sat back in my chair, just noticing the washrag in my hand. I set the washrag next to my plate and began eating again. Not being hungry anymore, I only ate a little more, then put my hands in my lap, listening to the conversation. Turns out, I've been the topic.

  "So, Lillith, how's your mum doing?" My eyes widened at the table as Daneese asked the question that stung my heart most.

  Chapter 9

  I shook my head as tears came to my eyes.

  "Excuse me." I squeaked before getting up and running out of the room, causing some tears to slip from my eyes. I ran up the stairs that I remembered from the night before, and found the door to the room which my bags were in. I flew to the bed, and went back to where I sat this morning when I fell out of the bed. I brought my knees to my chest and sobbed into them.

  Why did she have to ask that? My sobs got heavier as thoughts of my 14th birthday filled my head. I found myself reliving the day.

  I walked out of my back door with a sad face. I haven't seen my mom all day, and it was my birthday. She told me she would be home from her business trip, yesterday. She even promised. But, she's still not here.

  "Come on Lilli, smile." My dad held my shoulders from behind me, and kissed m
y cheek. A small smile crept onto my face.

  "But, daddy, she's still not-"

  "HAPPY BIRTHDAY LILLI!!!" Screamed my back yard as I opened the sliding rice door. You know, the ones they have in Japan. I loved that door. My eyes widened with tears when I saw who was standing in front of everyone.

  "Momma!!!" I screamed as I ran to her. She let out a nervous laugh and rapped her arms securely around my back.

  "You didn't think I forgot, did you?" I looked up at her and shook my head rapidly, burying my face back in her chest. It was a bit weird, and I thought some perverted things, but I pushed it all aside, and squeezed her tighter.

  "I missed you mommy." I said like a 4 year old, instead of a 14 year old.