The clear dark sky paved way for the suns rays, but the large container truck riding with the dust had a darkness of its own.
The lonely desolate road held the secrets of its travellers in zooms and screech's of silence, until a slight bump tore through the control and awoke one of it captives in the truck.
Esmeralda squinted her eyes and peered into the iron cover of the truck that laid far above her head.
her head ached.
Her visions cleared,
her heart raced.
Most importantly she couldn't recall how she got there.
shiver ran down Her stiff spine, when her eyes landed on the thick ropes tightly bounding her hands and legs together.
That was enough reason to find a way out.
Her mouth was gagged open by a thick cloth, almost the same way as the warm silent bodies around her.
She looked around and saw a man standing like a tower in the mist of women laid in rows all around the truck.
The masked man slowly looked around, a thick wall of boxed goods standing like a baracade behind his back to make their way through the check points a breeze.
She could smell the iron, but he could smell her fear. The dark look in his eyes made it clear when he found her.
She screamed and wiggled like a warm to free herself, but the robes where too tight.
The truck vibrated, but his steps were precise and fast.
Her eyes widened when he got to her and placed a piece of clothing on her nostrils.
She held his cold gaze for a second and closed her eyes.
He had done this too many times to know she surendered too quickly.
Her eyes flew open again with a cough the moment his strong fist seared his way into her in the gut.
She could feel the tears rolling down her cheek while her eyes draped down.
His eyes guiding her into the darkness.
Esmeralda found herself in another obscene serenity,
Perhaps a dream?
But the persistent ache in her head confirmed it to be real.
Her eyes found the light from the chandelier on the ceiling like an instrument of the angels. singing quiet blings with the wind that made its way to the the ceiling.
The barricaded windows by its side, tucking away the dark skies beyond it's walls.
Esmeralda could hear her own breaths, feel her own skin as the warm winds caressed her. But it was not enough to hide the mist in the silence.
She turned to her side and realized she was in a box of silky butter colored curtains draped around the four corners of her bed.
Covering her eyes from the rest of the room.
She closed her eyes, her breath shaky but her mind a mess.
"How did I get here?" She muttered out to no one in particular.
The question was enough to open her box of memories.
Her signature on the paper,
lady lakes toothy elegant smile urging her to get ready for the job,
And the joy she felt for getting the opportunity.
"Was this some sort of mistake?" She smiled wondering if she had a bad dream.
"Where am I? And who the hell changed my clothes?" She thought as she stared at the white silky dress flowing around her bare body.
A throaty groan left her throat before she could listen to the chains that clinked while she stretched.
Keeping her arms and feet were bounded to each side of the bed post.
She slightly raised her head from the cotten soft bed as her body convulsed, yanking the chains to maybe find a way to unbuckle them.
The bed post loudly squeaked against the wooden floor, louder with every toss and scream.
It went on for a while, until she gave a final huff and slumped back down.
She heaved to catch her breath and strained to hold back from breaking into a sob.
a voice call out to her,
she flinched
Relieved she wasn't alone.
"Miss, did you get yourself free? Pardon my English but I don't know where I am." The voice spoke out in a strange accent she had never heard.
"No, I can't even get my arms to move freely. Please, who are you?" Esmeralda asked.
Silence.
"Am Molly Sharma, from mombia India. Where do you come from?" She asked.
"Am Esmeralda Adams, am from somewhere in America. Are you the only one here?"
"Of course she's not, took you a while to wake up sleeping donabella." Another voice said. Her brows furrowed at how calm she sounded,
almost unbothered.
"Who are you?" She asked.
"That depends on who is asking? but you can call me Bambi." She replied.
"Please can any of you people tell me where I am? I was leaving my country to an open sea" another voice croaked "I don't know where I am."
"You don't say, well neither do we. Who might you be?" Bambi asked.
"I am Chimamanda, from Nigeria." She replied.
"China, what? What kind of name is that?" Bambi asked with a slight laugh.
"You can call me Amanda."
"I like your name. Its nice, what does it mean?" Molly said, laughing slightly
"Blessings from God"
"We are held captive and all you two want to do is get to know each other? Well no shit we are doomed" Bambi scoffed
"You seem to know why we are here." Esmeralda muttered as she listened in for her reply.
"Listen here putas, look around you. Silky curtains, a soft bed and a light bulb that looks more expensive than the chiefs car in my rotten neighborhood." Bambi scoffed "what does that tell you?"
"Maybe this is a interrogation camp? they may be testing us." Molly stared at the silly curtain under the gliterring light "I'll work and get a scholarship like my uncle said"
"Aren't we all here for work. Anyone else wants to give a stupid explanation to what this obviously is?"
"My aunty said I'll work as a maid in America but after crossing the ocean, they took us into a house and fed us for some days before taking us into a truck." She shivered under her breath "I don't understand why I am being chained."
"This can't be trafficking, could it?" Esmeralda thought out loud.
"Finally, someone with a brain. You seem like a smart one, how did you end up here?"
"I was offered a job by a Miss lady lake, I was at her house, then I woke up in a truck and now am here."
"Well sorry to be the one to break this to all of you but you have been all trafficked and sold. We are all going to be sex slaves to any man that comes here until we die." She confessed with a sigh.
"No," they all screamed.
"This can not be true, my aunty said I would work as a maid. You don't know what you are saying." Amanda replied in an estranged tone.
"I don't think so too, my uncle couldn't have sold me. My uncle loves me this could be some test, just wait and see. Am I not right Esmeralda?"
"I don't think it is, but I also don't think she is right about this. If this is true, why do you seem so unbothered?
"What can I say, donabella its nothing new. If they give me good food and what I want, I might stay here as long as they want."
"Are you saying you will sleep with whoever they ask you too? You would be called a woman with no dignity" Molly gasped.
"Call it whatever you want. That's all they need us for, as always. Get enough sleep putas, you'll need it." She replied and went mute.
"I can't let them do this to me, I need to go back home. Somebody help me!" Molly cried out while Amanda quietly joined in.
Their voices, echoed and trembled,
But no one came.
"Listen to me, Molly, Amanda. I know you are scared and so am I but we need to remain calm. I promise we will find a way out of here, do you hear me?"
"Yes" Molly replied her eyes heavy,
Voice weak, heart broken.
But still she hoped..
"thank you." Amanda chipped in.
"Its okay, let's go to bed and see what happens tomorrow." Esmeralda replied and tried to fight the tears that welled in her eyes.
She pondered how They thought was smart.
A slight laugh settled quietly in her mind.
She was gullible just as guilible to trust a stranger. A mistake that would cost her, her very own freedom.
Her heart broke, she might never be able to see her father,
sisters,
brother or her little Rose again.
How was she going to get out of this situation? She couldn't help but wonder as she listened to the other girls quiet sobs.
Her eyes grew heavy and went shut after pondering for what seemed like a lifetime.
The still air blowing it's way through the curtains, while she stayed still,
trapped.