If you gladly stoop to the ground don't be surprised if they trample over you.~Ethiopian proverb

    The room was pitch black and I froze where I had stumbled to a stop, not wanting to move and run into something. The man behind mumbled something and flicked on the light. I quickly shut my eyes and when I opened them I saw spots. It took me a few moments for me to comprehend what I was looking at. The room had wooden walls and was huge. There were five, two bunkbeds and one regular, and another door, but no windows. The thing that shocked me however were the eight other women in the beds who were startled awake by the mans voice. 
    "Rise and shine ladies. Meet your new friend and colleague-" He looked down at me expectantly.
    "Cora." I replied in a clipped voice.
    "Cora. Make her feel welcome and homely." He looked down at me and patted me on the shoulder in a gruff friendly way, a strange look on his face. "Make nice, your gonna be here for a while." Then he turned and walked out, leaving me alone with the strangers.
    The women were all young, none of them older than maybe twenty-five. They were wearing decent clothes and they looked healthy and well fed, If a little battered. I saw more than one bruise on there arms or faces. Speaking of which, many of them looked lifeless, like there lives weren't living. While every one got up at least two of them didn't even bother to look at me, they just stared at the wall, defeated. A blond girl, probably a few years older than me, stood up and walked forward.
    "I'm Carla," she said holding out her hand. We both sized each other up. Her hair was strait and cut in layers similar to mine, only shorter. Her eyes were a cool blue and she was about my size, only skinnier. She must have approved because when she let go she turned to the girl in single bed and pointed to the bunk bed with only one girl in it. The girl obliged and stood up.
    "Thats your bed. You won't have to share it for a few weeks, till they find another new girl." She turned and pointed to the other door I had noticed earlier. "Thats the bathroom. There's a clean toothbrush on the counter and tomarrow I'll show you what towel and wash cloth you can use."
    "Were are we?" I asked, finally settleing on a question to ask.
    "I have no idea." She said yawning. "Why don't you save the rest of you questions for tomarrow when you meet the boss, aye?" She said turning back towards the bed with a petite brunette in it.
    "Why am I here. What do they want from me?" I asked her back. She gradually stoped and turned to me, her face sad and worn.
    "What all men want." She said. Her voice was resiegned. "Turn the light off when your ready, will you?" She said turning around and crawling into the bed. Frustrated I turned back to the wall, flicking off the light and feeling my way towards the bed. I lay down, looking up at nothingness. I let the dread wash over me for a moment, then I closed my eyes and pulled myself together. Tomarrow is a day.
I rolled over and slept.
*********************************************************
    "Wakey wakey." Said a disterbing voice in my ear. I worked my eyes open and saw the annoying british dude, Carter, leaning over me. "Get up." He ordered pulling me into a sitting position.
    "Screw you." I said pulling my arm away from him and pushing myself back on the bed. I got off on the side opposite him and he smiled that creepy smile.
    "Soon, baby. Just be patiant." I narrowed my eyes at him.
    "Not even in my nightmares." I told him, the room was empty besides us and I was getting nervous. Not that I would let him know that. "What do you want?" I asked irritatedly.  He looked me up and down with hungry eyes and I had to stop myself from crossing my arms over my chest. I put one hand on my hip and cocked my head to the side.
    "Take a picture, it'll last longer." I said in a bored voice. He opened his mouth to say something-probably perverted- when the door opened and the southern guy from yesterday poked his head in. I got a good look at his face today, unlike last time. His hair was dark brown and his eyes were a solid green color. He actually looked friendly, more like a policeman than a kidnapper. The face of someone you wanted to trust.
     "What was taking you so long. The boss is waiting." He drawled settling his gaze on Carter. Carter tried to look bored, but I could tell he was nervous.
     "Just talking, mate. She's being stubborn," he said nodding his head towards me. Oh, yeah. real mature, blame me.
     "Well stop talking and get your arses out here." And I swear to god, he did say arse. Carter looker over at me and waved his hand forward while smiling a noxiously fake gentleman's smile.
     "Ladies first." He said to me. I shook my head and started walking thinking, Your more of a woman than I'll ever be.
     "This way ma'am," said the coyboy. I looked him over and was suprised he didn't tip and imaginary hat at me. "I'm Thomas by the way and I exspect you'll me seein' alot more a'me." He drawled as he let me to a door, which he unlocked, revealing a staircase. I looked at him and he must've read some of the expressions on my face because he gave me a grimm smile. I sighed and started up the stairs.
     "In you go." He said after we stoped infront of a beautifly carved door. It probably cost more than everything in the apartment plus six months rent. I hessitated and glanced at him. He smiled reasuringly. I put my ahnd on the handle and turned praying that this wasn't some godfather like deal.
    I was greeted my a mans back. He was wearing a black pinstriped suit and spinning a diamond topped wooden cane over and over in his hands. He turned and I saw that he was a tall, slender man in his mid-40's. His black hair was slicked back, revealing a lone gray streak he probably thought looked fashionable. And he did, which really got on my nerves. He looked at me cooly with icy gray eyes. He probab;y could've been a model if it wasn't for the scar than ran from his left eyebow down his checkbones. His tie was light blue and didn't really seem to fit in the room.
    "So you desided to join me." He said smileing with no real warmth. He looked me up and down and walked behind me, which I realy didn't like. He smelled like cigar smoke and expensive colone.
    "Not realy a desision." I said dryly watching him cautiously as he came back around in front of me. He laughed slightly and sat on the edge of the desk.
    "Your name's Cora correct?" He asked raiseing an eyebrow. He still had that self important smirk on his face and I was liking him less and less every minute. "And you are sixteen?"
    "Yeah." I said wearily. I was about to walk back out and take my chances with the cowboy when he did something totaly unexspected.
    "Are you a virgin?" He asked me in that same tone of voice. I was taken aback.
    "Who the hell are you to ask me that?" I demanded when I had found my voice. "I don't see how it's your buisness one way or the other." I snapped at him. What the hell did the pervy old freak want from me?
    "Why am I here? What do you want?" I snapped. I crossed my arms and met his cold gaze.
     "Well it seems we have an ornery one here." He said completly ignoreing my questions. "Thomas." He said and the door opened.
     "Yes'sir?" He said, glancing at me then his boss.
     "Who  all do we have available?" He asked. It was like I had suddenly disappeared.
     "Carter, Trey, and Devin." He said. I was getting really pissed now. I was kidnapped, questioned and ignored.
     I didn't like being ignored.
     "I asked you a question." I said stepping inbetween them, locking eyes with the boss man. My voice was like acid. He narrowed his eyes at me and swung his cane at me. I steped back out of its range and caught it by the dimond. It hurt my hand but I just glared.
     Luckly Charlie had taught me a little bit of what his dad had drilled into him, after I came home from school one day bloody from an ambush. That was around sixth grade, when he was in eighth. After four years I had gotton pretty damn good. I could take a hit and my reflexes weren't bad to boot. He used to laugh at me saying I was the queen of improvission, you never knew what I would do next.
    The man raised an eyebrow and then laughed loudly, throwing his head back. When he was done He said to Thomas while looking me in the eyes, a knowing glint in his eye. "Get Devin. He can have the honors." He turned around bored and I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned and saw the cowboys face. It was blank now, not even a hint of expression. He lead me back to the room and shut the door.
    "What's going on." I asked him, a hint of desperation colouring my voice. He looked at me sadly and closed the door.  He seemed to have aged about ten years. He didn't look like the young and happy man I had first met. He looked tired and worn out. I sighed and colapsed on the bed.
    A few minutes later the door opened agian, revealing a very large, very muscled guy with a deep tan, large brown eyes, dark closecropped hair and a sickining smile. I immediately got off the bed and stood, guessing he wasn't here for a friendly visit.
    "I take it your Devin." I asked needlessly. He smiled wider and walked towards me.
*****************************************************************
    He grabbed a handfull of my hair and dragged me across the floor, flinging me onto the bed. I landed with and omph, quickly rolling over before he managed to strattle my hips while pinning my arms to the side.
    "Your lucky the boss forbided it, or you would be getting more than just a beating." His breath wafed over my face and I smelled mint, probab;y from the gum  he had been chewing when he walked in.
    Now, I know I'm a better than average fighter, but this guy was something else. He had strolled in the room, beat me senseless and I had gotten barley two hits in. He was brutal as he worked me over, but he was carefull to avoid hitting my face. He licked my cheak and i pulled as far away from him as I could. Laughing, he pushed himself off of me and walked out. "Until next time." He purred as he shut the door.
   I lay in the bed for a few minutes, catching my breath, before I got up and made my slow painful way to the bathroom. I shut the door and leaned against it, feeling sick. How the hell am I supposed to do this? I though angrily. There were no windows in the bathroom, no way out except though the locked door, past the gaurds and the security system that I just knew he had to have. It was impossable.
    The bathroom was pretty big. it had two sinks, a tub, a toilet and one wall was a big mirror. I turned to it and groaned. My hair was a mess and there was a little blood comming out of my nose. My lip was split and I had a bruse on my jaw from where he had back handed me when I bit him. Speaking of which, I could still tast his blood in my mouth. Or mabey thats my blood....
   I had finger marks slowly appearing on my neck and bruses on my arms and legs. I looked at one of the counters and saw that there was a toothbruch laying on top of a washcloth and towel and a set of clothes.  i walked over and picked up the note on top.
   Clothes for you and the towel I promised. Good luck. ~Carla.
   I checked the bathroom dooor to see if I could lock it (I couldn't) then I got a quick shower. After drying my hair the best I could I walked back out into the room and sat down, putting my head in my hands.  It felt so hopeless. There was no way out.  I flopped down and held in a groan.
   The shower had helped, but I was still soar, and would hurt like hell for days. There was a knock on the door and I sat up quickly, forgeting about the pain long enough to get to me feet. The door opened and Trey walked in. He looked me up and down.
    "He realy worked you over." He said, taking in my bruses and stiffness. He looked kind of impressed. Most girls probably don't put up a fight like I did. I thought.
    "What do you want." I was pissed and I didn't care if he knew it. Trey's eyes got dark and a voice boomed out from behind him.
    "Where the hell is she? I don't have all day, I have things that need to be done." He stepped aside and a very large man strode into the room. He was huge. Taller than the cowboy and probably twice as broad. He had short red hair and was wearing a suit, although he seemed relaxed in it unlike most men. His jacket was unbuttoned, along with the first three or so buttons on his white silk shirt underneth it.
    "Well well." He said in a pleased tone while looking me over. "She is worth all the money and more." He frowned. "It's a Trey walked out, body stiff with irritation, and shut the door, leaving me with the large irishman.
    "Now that we are alone, I think we should start by introducing ourselves." He walked closer to me and I tenced up, but he only lowered himself onto the bed. "I am Cabe Donivan." He held out his hand and raised an eyebrow when I didn't take it. He smiled slightly. "Ray told me you were one of the new girls." I just looked at him. He stood up and suddenly looked threatening. I backed up quickly. 
    He raised an eyebrow and his smile grew till it looked preditory. He snapped out his arm and grabbed my wrist pulling me towards him. Dragging actually, my socks sliding across the hardwood floor. I tried to knee him, but he saw it comeing and whiped me around pinning me up against him with one arm, the other still in his grasp.
    "Well now, you are a fiesty one." He murmured in my ear. I shivered and started struggleing even harder. "This will be fun."

No safe wading in an unknown water~ Romanian proverb

    I woke up as if in a dream, my head bumping into the door of the car. When did I lay down? I forced my reluctant eyes to open and say the back of a black leather seat.
    My mom didn't have leather seats.
    My mouth felt cottony and I tried to take deep breaths to calm the panic that was setting in. I remembered. I remembered it all. How dare she. She gave me away like I was cheap a bracelet from a scuzzy ex. That hurt a lot more than I was expecting it to. Gah. It was so hard to move, like every muscle was asleep. Maybe I should just.....NO! I couldn't fall asleep again. Not while I was being kidnapped, for crying out loud. I concentrated on moving my legs, hoping that stretching them out would improve my blood flow or something, to make me wake up faster.  After a few seconds of silent cursing they moved, but stoped almost immediately.
   "Looks like the girl's waking up." Said an accented male voice. I felt a hand run up one of my legs and shivered, trying to jerk them back, but only managing a small twitch.
   "Hey, hands off the merchandise Carter." Said another voice. The same voice as the man who had drugged me, that much I could tell.
    "She's not merchandise." Says a testy voice from right behind me.
    "Awe, does Tray have a bit of a crush?" Carter mocked in an annoyingly british voice. Gah, I hate him already. If my legs would just MOVE. My leg jerks and kicks him hard in the thigh. Haha, score one for the merchandise, I think smugly.
    "Bitch." He hisses and I glance down in time to see him raise his fist threateningly.
    "Don't mark her, the boss man'll have your hide." My kidnapper said. That stoped him, although if looks could kill I'd probably be on the verge of death right now. Carter looked at me and smiled cruelly.
    "Don't worry." He said patting my thigh. I pulled my legs up, away from his touch. "If your lucky I'll be the one to break you in." The car slowed down and I rocked back and forth as we pulled into a parking lot.
    "Carter, go pay for the gas," Said the driver. "And get a couple bottles of water while your at it." Carter glared at him and got out, slamming the car door. I hurry (or at least try to) get into a sitting position before the driver dude opens my door. He bends down and says to me, "Would you like to stretch your legs?" I just stare at him dumbfounded. He moves slowly, putting one arm behind his back and holding the other out to me, like a real gentleman. "Would you like to get out?" He says again slower, like I was mental or something. I scowl at him and stick my legs out of the car, ignoring him and the fact that I still wasn't completely sure I could hold my own weight. "One moment please." He says grabbing my hands and taking off the handcuffs I was wearing.
   "What's your deal." I said looking at him wearily as I rubbed my wrists. I have to admit, even though he was a kidnapper and hung around with who knows what kind of people, he was hot. And considerate. All the more reason for me not to trust him. He smiled slightly and looked me over with his dark gray eyes.
   "Just thought you'd like some fresh air." He replied, backing up one arm on the door. I pushed myself up off the seat and braced myself on the hood of the car. I could stand. Good. Now if only I could run.... I looked around me and started to feel sick, either a side affect from the drugs or the realization that I was in the middle of a freaking dessert. The shiny black car and rundown gas station where the only thing I could see besides dirt, the sky and scrubby plants that looked half dead.
    No wonder he had let me go. There was nowhere to run to. "Where am I?" I asked him. A breeze blew his strait brown hair around his face. He was tall and wiry, sort of like Charlie, only he would blend in in a crowd, Charlie wouldn't. I probab;y wouldn't get to see him again. or Leeann Stop thinking depressing thoughts. I told myself sternly. And don't crush on the sociopaths, either. When he spoke I snapped myself back to the present.
    "A desert." He told me while looking over at the station. I gave him an Oh really? look, then turned and saw Carter walking back. Carter was probably the exact opposite of Trey. He had light amber eyes, short red hair and was built like a bull, shorter and wider, but all muscle. He would've even been attractive if it wasn't for the cocky sneer always on his face and obnoxiously crude attitude. They were both about the same age tho. He walked around the car and reached for me.
   "So you let the girly out?" He sneered. I backed away from him and stood next to Trey. I would take the silent and gentalmanly kidnapper over the loud and grabby one anyday. I couldn't help but think But aren't the kind ones always the most fucked up in the head? I watched way to many horror movies.
   "Ah. So I take it your the one who'll break her in, aye?" God that accent was anoying. Leeann would probably love it tho. she had a thing for british dudes. They eyes that turned on him were cold, even tho his face was expressioless. What the hell is this "breaking in" he keeps talking about? I thought frustrated. I wanted to know, but I had a feeling I would regret asking.
   "Hurry up. We have to get going." My kidnapper said from the other side of the car. He was a man, about thirty-ish and had dark...well, dark everything. He had a deep tan, brown-black hair, same color eyes and was wearing a black jacket over a dark red shirt and darkwash jeans. It had a sort of creepy effect. Carter tossed the water bottle to Trey and started to walk around the car. "No." My kidnapper ordered, "You drive the rest of the way." Carter mumbled something under his breath as he walked back to the drivers side, it was something like "mumble mumble, touch the bitch, mumble mumble, bastered, mumble." He got in and Trey nodded to the car. I let out an irritated breath and climbed in. After about ten minutes of silence I lay my head back and closed my eyes. Now that I had nothing to distract me, the dread and horror of what was happening rose to the surface. I wasn't in Pennsylvania anymore, I knew that.
   I would never see my friends agian. Never graduate high school. Never go to prom. I had never even had a boyfiend. Never get married, never have kids.What would my mother tell my friends? The school?  Would she wait a few days then report me missing? Were they going to kill me? Sell me in some forgien country? What the hell were they planning? What possible reason could they have for kidnapping a 16 year old girl besides mabey prostitution or rape. But if they were going to rape me they wouldn't have taken me so far away. Unless they didn't want anyone to find the body. Or mabey the "boss man" didn't want to leave the comfort of his home so they bring girls to him. My fist clenched in anger. I knew that they wouldn't answer any of my questions. Trey might, but definately not while they were around. How can I get him alone?  I smiled ruefilly at that. Never in a million years would I have dreamed that I would be desperate to get a guy alone.
    This was going to be a long ride.
**************************************************
   "Rise and shine sleepin' beauty." Drawled a low voice in my ear. I forced my eyes open and jerked back when I saw a mans stubly face only a few inches from mine.  He wistles. "She's a pretty one, thats for sure." He grabed my arm and hauled me out of the vehicle, stumbling. I manage to get me feet before he starts walking again, dragging me along in his iron grip. It was dark out and there was no moon so I could barely see as he led me into a building. He was big. Broad shoulders, long legs, and a dark mass of hair. The guy was intimidateing and Carter didn't even pull any funny buisness as he followed. That is how I knew that he was one of the head honcho's. We stoped in front of a door and he pulled it open, pushing me in.
    "Have fun." Carter snickered behind me.
  

Innocence plays in the backyard of ignorance~polish proverb

    I should have seen it coming.
    The pacing, the gifts my mother didn't have the money for. She was high out her mind, but never before had she been this considerate, this nice. She cried everyday the previous week, and this week she was sucking up. I admit I liked it. It wasn't her typical behavior. When she was broke and couldn't afford a fix, she was angry and hateful towards me. When she was doped up I didn't exist. That was fine by me, I couldn't care less.
    Or so I thought.
     "So where are we going mom?" I asked as she egged me into the car. This past week we had been to the mall three times, the movies four and she'd bought me an all new wardrobe today, which was still in the trunk.
     "You'll see when we get there." She said climbing into the car. She glanced at me nervously and pulled out from the curb in front of our building. We didn't quite live in the middle of nowhere, we live in a town on the edge of nowhere. Specifically in the cheapest, smallest rundown apartment this town had to offer. We weren't the only ones. My two best friends, Charlie and Leeann, lived there too. I guess we all bonded over the mutual suckyness that was our lives.
     Leeann was the daughter of an alchoholic. Her mom spent all of there money on booze and gambling, leaving her daughter to fend for herself. He father had been shot six years ago, when one of her mothers boyfirends had desided that he wanted her ten year old daughter instead of the old bag. Leeann wasn't raped, only because her father had come in just in the nick of time. After beeting the shit out of the dude, he called the cops and had him arrested, only his friends hadden't liked that very much. A week later, a policeman showed up on her doorstep saying he was so sorry, but her father had been involved in a hit-and-run and that they would do everything they could to find the perpetarator. They didn't. A few weeks later, her mom had moved out of the hous they could nolonger pay for and into the apartment, right across from mine.  The first time I saw her she was storming down the steps her blond curly hair wipping arond her like it had a mind of her own, and it was pissed. He expression was plain. If it wasn't for the red eyes and tear marks, I never would've taken a second glance. She narrowed her light green eyes and brushed pass me like I had insulted her somehow. She was interesting. Not long after that we bcame fast friends and best friends.
     Charlie, on the other hand, had the most normal life out of all of us. He had both parents and they loved each other. That is, before Charlie was born. You see, Charlie's mother is a natural bleach blonde with a California tan and dark brown eyes. She was probably even a looker back when she was young. Which is most likey how she got involved with Charlies dad. He was a very large man, spent alot of time at the gym and used to be in the army before he was honorably discharged. Now he was like a drill sargent. When he got back from Iraq he was greated by the site of his wife who was six months pregnant with another man's baby. He would've left her if she haddn't been knocked up, so he stayed and did the "right thing" as he liked to say anytime the subject was mentioned. The only problem is, Charlie wasn't his son and he made sure Charlie knew it. Charlie wasn't big like his father, he was lean and fit from the training he had to do, but without steroids he would never have the broad shoulders and god knows he would never be that tall. He had dark brown hair with a redish sheen to it and pale skin that never seemed to burn or tan in the least. I usually thought pale guys were kind of gross, but managed to pull it off. His father a short brown hair, light forest brown eyes and a deep tan that never seemed to fade.  He did have brown eyes like the two of them, but his were dark and had flecks of lighter brown all throught them.
    We were inseperable and cared about each other more than anyone ever had or would.
    They are so not going to belive this, I thought. Then I looked out my window and saw where we were. It was the slums of Butler where crack heads lived on every corner and graffiti was the only paint job any of the buildings had gotten since they were built. She pulled down an ally way and I felt my expression get cold.
   "Honey, you know I love you right?" My mother said to me her voice comming out slightly paniced.
   "No." I said shaking my head angrily. "I'm not going with you to get another fix." I snapped. "Why didn't you just leave me at home? Did you want to me to drive while you got ll doped up? Forget it." I said glaring at her from the passanger seat. My mother just shook her head and glanced around. Looking for her hook up no doubt. 
    A man seemed to appear out of nowhere and she gulped looking at me with tear filled eyes. "I'm sorry, so sorry, but I had to. You have to belive me, I didn't have a choice." She pleaded while I looked at her confused and angry. The man knocked on the hood and she turned getting out.
    "You will keep your promise, right." She asked glancing at me. What the hell are you going on about now?
    "Yes." The man answered, then glanced at me. "She's the girl?" A shiver ran down my spine.
    "Honey, get out of the car." She said looking sown at me. The man moved so he was on my side of the vehicle. "Please, Cora, get out."
    I looked at her and said, my voice like ice, "What did you do?" It came out lower and more threatening than I had planned.
    "Cora." She said her voice getting harder, "Get out of the car right now." Oh, so now you want to play prent, screw that.
    "No." I said, narrowing my eyes at her. Her eyes flicked away from me and over the hood a moment before the door was lung open and the man ripped me from the car by my hair. I twisted around and tried to knee him where it hurts, but he grabbed my by the throat and slammed me up against the wall of the building, knowcking the ir out of me and making my head spin.
    "You said you wouldn't hurt her!" My mother yelled from the other side of the car. He just grunted and pulled the cap off a needle with his teeth. I tried to suck in air thew the hold he had on me and jabbed him in the stomach, just under the ribs. I heard an Oof  and then he stabbed me in the arm. Almost immediatly my limbs felt like lead. I had to fight to keep my eyes open and even that didn't last long. He let go of me and i slid to the ground, focausing on hearing and staying awake.
    "As per our deal, you get to live." The man said.
   The last thing I heard before the drug completely over took me was my mother sobbing, "I'm so sorry Cora, I had no choice."

Ravaged Innocence- Intro and Description

Ravaged Innocence

I used to think I was taken. Stolen.
But that was back when I was still nieve.  I was given away, sold. They didn't care. They never did. And at first, I wasn't sad to go. My life actually improved for a while. Till she came. That is a day I will never forget. It was the day that I got my first taste of my new life, just an inkling of what was to come.
It was also the day the anger set in.



She is Cora.

She was born in a backwoods town in Pennsylvainia, the child of an addict and a vagrant. Everyone in her family was addicted to something or other, her mother heroin and alcohol. When her mothers debt becomes to much, she gives her up as payment so she can live another day. As she fights her captors, her one comforting thought is,
   revenge.

revenge is a dish best served cold~ chinese proverb